Page 101 - Cuisine & Wine Asia 2020 - Mar/Apr 2020 Issue

Perched on the 24th storey of the formidable
Hilton Hotel Singapore, il Cielo is the newly
refurbished poolside restaurant. Shiny recognition
plaques and trophies don the entrance of il
Cielo, and together with the Orchard skyline,
welcomes guests to the Italian restaurant.

Behind each dish is a different story – handcrafted RESTAURANT + MENU
with years of refined techniques, paired with
locally-sourced natural ingredients, and seasonal
Italian and Japanese gourmet produce. During
our visit, Chef Yohhei Sasaki presents dishes
with both Italian and Japanese influences.

The ‘Grigliato di Calamaro alla Viareggina’ – grilled
Italian squid stuffed with Viareggio-style prawn
and pine nuts, bagna cauda cream sauce with
squid ink herb powder is one of our favourites.
The squid was chewy yet firm, packing a powerful
punch together with the stuffing. The powder
added a different texture to the dish with a hint
of saltiness from the cream sauce. This dish
is overall a flavourful course, allowing guests
to experience a myriad of tastes and textures.
Another memorable dish is the ‘Spaghetti ai Ricci di
Mare’ featuring homemade spaghetti, Hokkaido sea
urchin, Sardinia Bottarga and yuzu. The spaghetti,
Chef Sasaki tells us, is made using a ramen machine.
The noodles are also made without egg, just
salmonella flour, oil and water, cooked to al dente for
a firm consistency. The textures of the spaghetti and
sea urchin are night and day, but when combined,
they both contribute to a hearty yet classy fare.

When one thinks of the head chef of an Italian
restaurant, they would often assume the kitchen
is helmed by an Italian. However, Chef Sasaki has
defied expectations of many guests by introducing
Japanese touches to classic Italian dishes.

意大利料理内的日本灵魂 新加坡希尔顿酒
店里，有间非常特别的意大利餐厅，虽然被称
为意大利餐厅，但主厨却是位日本人，他就是
屡获料理奖项的佐口木洋平师傅了。师傅他喜
欢旅行，而在每一次旅行时所吃到的美食都会
成为他创作的灵感，所以在他的料理中，你会从
他的摆盘中发现创新的料理观点。这间只能容纳
三十五位客人的餐厅，就在酒店的二十四楼的
泳池旁，让你边吃美食，边享受葡萄酒时，也能
欣赏到美丽的景观。我很喜欢师傅结合了意大
利的料理手艺搭配上日本食材，就像有道我非
常喜欢的意大利面搭配上北海道的海胆，更特
别的是，这面条是自家自制的，不放鸡蛋，所以 We aim to set the benchmark of
面条非常Q弹。师傅希望通过他的料理，能让食 Italian culinary standards in the
客发现到，在意大利料理和日本食材中，依然
能找到平衡点。 city. By finding the perfect balance
between both the Italian and
pg098 5. carpaccio di kimmedai with Ruggeri Prosecco
Argeo Japanese culture, I can bring il Cielo
pg099, top image 6. inside il Cielo
bottom image, from left to right 7. wines to be paired to greater heights. Chef Yohhei Sasaki
with dishes
099