Giuseppe Di Iorio and his brigade have created a stage that attracts both the world of fashion and glamour, as well as foodies and gourmet enthusiasts. A Mediterranean cuisine that enhances the precious raw material at hand by weaving it into great traditional classics.
Aroma Restaurant
Aroma Restaurant has a view that most will only dream of. Eating overlooking the Colosseum and the Imperial Forum is an experience that is difficult to tell in words; it is even more exciting to experience it. The restaurant is located on the terrace of the splendid Palazzo Manfredi in Rome, a place that has become an icon of luxury, grand mixology (with The Court at its footsteps) and fine dining, a word that is often abused but which finds legitimate justification in every aspect here.
The restaurant
Aroma Restaurant is the home of Executive Chef Giuseppe Di Iorio, who has Roman and Calabrian origins; he’s been fascinated with luxury hotels since finishing hospitality school when he was only 18 years old. His passion for cooking was passed on to him by his parents, and those memories of home cooking are still vivid in his mind and have always accompanied him in his work in the kitchens of Grand Hotels.
"Thirty-two years have passed since then: now, my decision to do this job is a choice dictated by pure passion, with the only difference that before we aspired to be cooks, today we wish to be chefs," Di Iorio says. London is the city where Giuseppe Di Iorio grew considerably professionally and humanely, thanks mainly to his meeting with chef Giuseppe Sestio at the Hotel Inghilterra; Giuseppe is still his only mentor.
In 2001 he permanently returned to his native city of Rome at the Hotel De Mirabelle where he stayed nine years and won his first MICHELIN Star. In 2010 he arrived at Aroma in Palazzo Manfredi, where his resourcefulness and experience enabled him to earn a Star in 2014 and keep it to this day. "There is no innovation without tradition. It sounds like an overused slogan by now, but it is a principle that has always guided my cooking. The role of the chef is that of a researcher, but how can we establish that something is new without knowledge of the past?"
These are the chef's words to explain his cooking philosophy, and this concept is tangible in the restaurant's dishes. Raw materials available of the highest quality, with which Giuseppe di Iorio works without excessive distortion, aiming to enhance their intrinsic and authentic taste. His skill lies in finding the right combination of ingredients, in order to bring to the table an elegantly simple dish that arouses joy and amazement in the diner, all without forgetting the flavors that are the basis of Italian tradition.
The kitchen's preparations can be appreciated in the indoor room in front of the terrace, which serves as a prelude to the outdoor tables, where the view of the Colosseum and the Imperial Forum dominates the scenery. Elegance is the focus of the five-star luxury Palazzo Manfredi, and nothing is left to chance here, where in an atmosphere with a strong emotional impact, you lose touch with reality and food becomes secondary for a moment. The amuse bouche then arrives with a glass of Champagne and you focus on the wonderful creations of the Chef.
The dishes
The initial appetizer is an incipit of Giuseppe's cooking: cannoli with an almond reduction, cream puffs with cacio and broccoli, seafood croquette, battered zucchini and peppers, and maritozzo with lobster and its mayonnaise. Each ingredient is enhanced by his work. The maritozzo is striking for its particularly soft leavening that allows the lobster to be enjoyed at its best. The cream puff with cacio and broccoli is a taste of Roman tradition.
The amuse is a pan seared cod, mussels, and bed of cicerchie. The cod is enhanced by a parsley oil that gives it an intense flavor without being overpowering. The mussels with their sweetness balance the dish and the chicharrones give it a touch of crunchiness that never hurts. A starting course full of personality, three "poor" elements brought together and served in their best possible form.
The second course raises the palate to higher heights, with the carpaccio of snapper left "au naturel" and marinated only with raspberries and Roman style puntarelle. These are only three ingredients, but which when combined exemplify freshness and haute cuisine. The snapper is not overpowered by the bitterness of the puntarelle, which instead serves to play off the sweet note of the raspberries, played off just right. The quality of the fish is stellar and goes without saying; instead, praise must be given to the preparation technique of the carpaccio, which can be distinctly felt in every bite.
The pasta dish is the homage par excellence to the Roman tradition, which is never forgotten and always emphasized by the chef: the "shakerata" carbonara comes to the table. "The invention was born during the Covid; at that time, we were open only for hotel guests, who compared to the usual international clientele were purely Italian and Roman, and wanted to eat traditional foods. Of course, we would accommodate them and would serve what was requested in a creative way. One evening I had the idea to make a carbonara that had to be shaken at the table before being served, to also to give a Wow effect. A lady made a video that had an impressive 19 million views. The rest is history."
Indeed, the wow effect works and entertains the diner. The chosen pasta format is a rigatone that blends well with the creaminess and density of the sauce of egg, pepper, and pecorino cheese. To step out of the ordinary, they use guanciale di Sauris, from the province of Udine. Its characteristic feature is that it is smoked in beech wood, which gives the carbonara a different and fascinating dimension.
After this injection of Romanity, Giuseppe Di Iorio makes an overbearing return to his more gourmet side with gurnard, redfish and sea bass soup with shrimp, clams and fish broth consommé. In this case, the chef's skill lies in his ability to serve together all these ingredients, which already prized in themselves, without overpowering their taste, but giving due respect and added value to each of them. The restricted broth releases the essence of the sea in all its variations. The last savory course is a triumph for both the quality of the raw material and goodness of flavor. Entrecote of Kobe Wagyu with radicchio, hazelnut cream, mushrooms, and braised onion compote.
The softness and fragrance of the Wagyu is disarming; it is an idyllic meat course. The balsamic note of the onions and radicchio is persuasive, and the hazelnut cream goes along well with the meat. It is clever and successful dish that pampers the palate. The pre-dessert is a green apple and lime explosion with brownie and a final surprise. The “surprise” factor given by the pop rocks (a type of sugar) is pleasant, and the freshness of the apple cleanses the palate and prepares the diner for the conclusion of the meal.
The first dessert is a chocolate soufflé with Cointreau cream and finished with a 70% dark chocolate wafer. A great classic, it is an example of nouvelle cuisine; it is a well-executed exercise in style. The hallmark of Aroma and the Chef's philosophy is to always have fun and create new things. One example of this is the dessert "pizza," with yuzu and vanilla cream, cherry tomato chutney, buffalo stracciata and basil and lime sorbet.
A course that first conquers the eye: the image of pizza, the comfort food par excellence, served in a modern, sweet version. But in addition to the visual factor that plays its part, the concreteness of this dessert, which is eaten with gusto and releases an intensity of aromas and flavors dear to Mediterranean cuisine, is interesting.
Address
Aroma Restaurant
Via Labicana 125 Roma (Rm)
Tel: 06 97615109
Website
