Exploring the Intersectionality Between Italian Architecture and Egyptian Cuisine
Chef Paolo Griffa of Paolo Griffa al Caffè Nazionale 1 Michelin Star with Chef Youssef El Ebiary of Eby Bakehouse
The ‘Architecture of Taste’ is a dinner concept brought to life for the first time during Cairo Food Week. The brainchild of our founder, Hoda El Sherif, the first edition was a collaborative study of the influence Italian architecture had on our local cuisine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Starring Italy’s Michelin-starred chef Paolo Griffa and our own Youssef El Ebiary, the dinner explored how architecture forms and influences a cuisine, and how the perception of taste — taste being the sensory underdog in any experience of architecture — is intangible and therefore overlooked. The chefs questioned what experiences and emotions architecture would elicit to perceive both food and space at the same time.
Taste is not only a sensual combination of flavors. It is a masterpiece that the chef creates to excite all five senses in unison, with its final stroke landing on the tongue; every dish is an emotional masterpiece conveying a perception of taste as unique to the creator as their own DNA.
The chefs put together a menu that invoked ideas of memory, identity, ideology and design in relation to the melding of culture between Italy and Egypt, which still continues to this day.
The dinner was hosted at the private residence of HE Michele Quaroni, the Italian ambassador to Egypt, in the historically affluent neighborhood of Garden City. The guest list was an extension of the overarching theme, with prominent guests from both countries in attendance.
Written by Reem Khamis
H.E. Ambassador Michele Quaroni, Ambassador of Italy in Egypt
“Taste is not only a sensual combination of flavors. It is a masterpiece that the chef creates to excite all five senses in unison, with its final stroke landing on the tongue.”
Singer Nathalie Bichara
We started off the evening in the garden where guests were serenaded by the sultry sounds of Nathalie Bichara as they enjoyed a tailored cocktail menu curated by Hummingbird. Both the setlist and the drinks reflected the theme, with a mix of Italian and Egyptian songs as well as signature national drinks like negroni and hibiscus sour. Inside, the final touches were underway. Atop Egyptian linen tablecloths, at the center of each table, stood a 3D-printed model of prominent Italian architecture embedded within whimsical bouquets of white and green florals.
As we settled in for dinner, the chefs made a quick appearance to introduce the concept and share some of what inspired the dishes they created. Everything was printed as a collection of postcards accompanying the menu, a thoughtful keepsake from the experience.
We started with Griffa’s mosaic of root vegetables inspired by the interior décor of the Byzantine hall at Abdeen Palace, which was designed by Ernesto Verucci. The vegetable tagine was intricately assembled to resemble the arabesque patterns recurrent within the palace, home to Egypt’s ruling monarchs until 1952. Pairing it with a fragrant mint lassi and an aromatic couscous evoked the delicate balance of warm and bright flavors found across both Italian and Egyptian cuisines. While both cuisines lean on hearty vegetables year-round, even during the hottest months, fresh herbs are a staple of every meal; these aromatic greens lend brightness and zest to balance out the warmth of the spices and the richness of the sauces.
“It is the never-ending conversation on the relationships between the rituals of food and architecture.”
- Hoda El-Sherif
Karim El Assal CEO Misr Italia Properties
Ebiary followed with a showcase of local delicacies: a ballotine of local foie gras over a delicate coulis made with peak-season Egyptian peaches topped with a crisp of Baladi bread.
Inspired by the dual-toned exteriors of 19th century Cairene architecture, Griffa presented a fillet of black cod with a striped coating of prawns reminiscent of the orange and white tiled buildings of both Heliopolis and Downtown. Everything floated in a velvety smooth beurré blanc bisque.
The final two courses were a double feature of Ebiary’s signature dishes: a double agnolotti pasta stuffed with ricotta and a nutty mushroom filling followed by the ultimate beef wellington, which brought out the chef’s patisserie background.
The finale was especially sentimental for both Griffa and his guests as he whisked us away to his Alpine hometown of Piedmont for “coffee”: a decadent foundation of ultra-creamy chocolate namelaka topped with chunks of hazelnut crumb that have just enough time between plating and serving to absorb some of the flavor from the namelaka, creating a coherent meld of crunchy and soft with a whiff of the signature Italian flavor profile made famous by the Ferrero brothers. This nest is then filled with a scoop of white coffee ice cream before being topped with a wafer-thin disk of praline.
Mosaic of Vegetables, Abdeen Royal Palace, Ernesto Verrucci
“We know other cultures through food. This exchange happens around the table and around the food.”
- Karim Mekhtigian
Chef Ebiary’s team with Chef Paolo Griffa
It was an artful interpretation of the architecture of taste, building layers of texture and flavor that together provide an other-worldly tasting experience, a sensory umami if you will. While the dessert as a whole transported us to northern Italy, the praline, with its dusting of cocoa was influenced by the filigreed ironworks of local buildings in Cairo’s eastern suburb of Heliopolis, keeping us solidly rooted in Egypt.
The Architecture of Taste is a recurring series of dinner experiences centered around the never-ending conversation on the relationships between the rituals of food and architecture. While the concept will travel and morph with each unique iteration, this initial foray could not have been possible without the support of our partner, Misr Italia Properties, who believe in the intrinsic connection between place and taste. The cutting-edge developer’s commitment to excellence and to boosting Egypt’s hospitality scene is evident in the value it brings to the table. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.
