Next week, Beijing fans of Italian food may think they've stumbled onto the set of Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?. Like in that 1978 film, a star chef with a grand accent can be found in every direction if you're eating in one of the capital's top Italian restaurants.
The eighth annual Italian Cuisine World Summit, a celebration of Italian food and lifestyle, is going on the road this year, kicking off in Beijing after a Hong Kong preview.
After an opening gala dinner at the Kempinski hotel's Via Roma restaurant on Tuesday, there are dinner events at five other restaurants in Beijing and one in Tianjin, plus a master class by master butcher Simone Fracassi (Via Roma) and a qualifying event for the Italian World Pizza Summit (La Pizza).
"Having so many events over several days will give Beijingers many opportunities to experience classic Italian cuisine," says a Beijing-based chef close to the event planners. "Many five-star hotels fly in Michelin-starred chefs for one night or maybe two, but here people can follow the excitement via social media. You can try a different menu at a different restaurant each night."
Paolo Gramaglia, Vincenzo Guarino, Fortunato Ostacolo, Daniele Repetti and Fracassi will be guest master chefs at Via Roma for the gala opening dinner.
Two of the chefs coming to Beijing have three Michelin stars in each of their toques: Italy's Heinz Beck and Hong Kong-based Umberto Bombana. They will team up for a special dinner at Opera Bombana on Wednesday only.
