Abu Dhabi: Once considered the privilege of the elite classes, the truffle – and the region’s most expensive one at that – is now within your reach.
A new Italian restaurant – Roberto’s Abu Dhabi – launched with a bang in the capital’s Al Maryah Island on November 13 with the introduction of a white truffle worth a whopping Dh130,000. Weighing 580g, it is believed to be the biggest ever to have been flown into the UAE and the entire GCC.
“Such a big truffle is rare to find. With its unique flavour, it is considered the diamond among foods and is the most expensive,” said executive chef Francesco Guarracino, noting that the previous record for the UAE’s biggest truffle was held by a 530g piece in 2014.
Highly prized
For the uninitiated, a truffle is a tuber, a fruiting body of a subterranean Ascomycete fungus. A delicacy, it is highly prized in international haute cuisine.
Now if you’re wondering how you can dig into the record-breaking 580g delicacy in town, a veritable treat beckons.
Guarracino said Roberto’s has come up with an elaborate eight-course truffle menu for just Dh1,000 a head over the next two weeks. “It includes steak tartare / potato foam with fried soft egg/risotto with parmesan and butter/lamb, hazelnuts, wild broccoli/and hunting the truffle special dessert.”
The menu has been developed with the help of 2-Michelin Star chef Enrico Bartolini, the restaurant’s chief culinary adviser.
To whet your appetite, Guarracino shared the delightful tale behind the white truffle gem.
He said it was brought to Roberto’s by the ‘Truffle Man’ Massimo Vidoni, founder of the food and drinks company ItalTouch. The ‘trifola’ was apparently “hidden underground, below an old oak tree, in the rolling hills of Sienna, Tuscany, before it was sniffed out by a dog named Bella and her truffle hunter of an owner Angiolino”.
“Five years ago, Vidoni was the first one going around with a bag of truffles and you could choose from it, when you had to pre-order with other suppliers. His service when it comes to truffles is second to none,” said Guarracino.
“Between myself and Vidoni, we have a kind of religion with truffles. He comes twice a week and we always sit on the same table and open his bag full of truffles. I personally check every single piece. The flavour, colour, texture and shape are all elements to be considered and it can take me more than an hour to select the right one,” he added.
According to the executive chef, “The white truffle on offer is so unique that each dish must be elaborated in respect with its rustic flavour of roasted sunflower seeds or walnuts, preferably using creamy textures and non-intrusive tastes, so it remains the star on the plate.”
