The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is offering guests a new dining experience with the appointment of two-star Michelin chef Pino Lavarra to the hotel’s fine dining Italian restaurant, Tosca.
Under Lavarra’s direction, diners can expect a new range of authentic Southern Italian cuisine on the menu, which features dishes that take classic ingredients and presents them in thoroughly modern and innovative ways. The seamless culinary fusion of classic and modern reflects Lavarra’s passion for crafting delicious creations which take the traditional fare of his native country to new heights.
Among others, Lavarra’s signature dishes include roasted scallop and caviar; spaghetti alla chitarra with basil chlorophyll; and Mediterranean tuna with white eggplant puree. He describes his mission at Tosca as harnessing Hong Kong’s gastronomic energy to introduce Ritz-Carlton guests to the kinds of southern Italian food they would not have experienced previously.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is excited to see Tosca elevated to even higher levels of gastronomy, while echoing the hotel brand’s campaign, “The Art of the Craft”, which sees passionate artisans use their work to enliven the experience of each of the hotel’s guests.
Born in Putignano, one of the oldest villages in Puglia, Italy, Lavarra inherited a childhood passion for cooking from his mother; his foray into the professional world of food officially began at the age of 14, when he started his professional training at the catering school in Castelana Grotte.
In between stints in Germany, England and Malaysia, Lavarra opened The Dining Room with chef Paolo Simeoni, and was invited to open a hotel on the Amalfi Coast by renowned Italian chef Anthony Genovese. Lavarro’s culinary skill was officially awarded in 2002 when he gained his first Michelin star, and again in 2004 when he received his second.