A pop sign that offers "single" dishes, where the ingredient is the central focus of the plate. Matteo Taccini and Luigi Senese are the creators of this restaurant with an international profile, where grills, fermentations and a quality supply chain rule the day.
The place
Rome is finally opening up to young chefs with a desire to bring to the city a gastronomic proposal where tradition is merely a guidebook to be heeded, yes, but sparingly. One example? Uma, the new restaurant in Garbatella, which portrays the union of the culinary intentions of Matteo Taccini and Luigi Senese, Roman chefs both born in 1992.
In their restaurant, led together with the brigade composed of Emanuele Giunta, Edoardo De Luca, Jennifer Barba (sommelier) and Thais Torres (hospitality expert), the international soul is already perceived from the location: minimalist and with a long counter dominating the room, where bright pink of the wall contrasts in a bizarre (but effective) way with the wood, which is the other protagonist of the sign.
The cuisine
"Ours is a visually very simple cuisine, but the technique is very high, as is the study and thoroughness we put into the construction of each course on the menu. This is because we like being able to combine craftsmanship with modernity - this is the challenge we want to pursue," the two chefs recount. A culinary philosophy based on pillars such as grilling, fermentation - with an ad hoc lab in the basement - and the concept of "single," understood as a single ingredient on the plate.
"The "only-one-ingredient" in the dish was born as a challenge, partly because this philosophy mirrors us so much in life as well, and partly because we want to go against the tide with respect to the ''smokiness'' of too many ingredients. We have a lot of fun eliminating the superfluous, but it is not just a virtuosity that involves a lot of technique, but a real style," Matteo and Luigi comment.
Thus, the two chefs have fun with an a la carte proposal and a unique 8-course surprise tasting menu, where homegrown recipes, contemporary cooking techniques and great classics are mixed together to create high-profile dishes, a synthesis of Matteo Taccini and Luigi Senese's work experiences. "The time at Albert Adrià's both at Ticket and Enigma opened my mind, there they focused so much on the raw material as I want to try to do here," explains Matteo. " At Noma, on the other hand, it was a moment of transition, it was the best restaurant in the world and I wanted to understand how they worked."
However, the first encounter with Senese took place in the Capital, among the stoves of Imago at the Hassler, and it was here that they matured the idea of setting up on their own. "So I decided to return to Rome, because I see it as a starting point, there is a good situation for this sort of cuisine, and it is a challenge that attracts me."
The dishes
As we said earlier, tradition is there, but it is conveyed by the two chefs in a more international key, such as the "Airbag alla Carbonara" or the "Steamed Bun stuffed with oxtail" (a reminder of "coda alla vaccinara") that are among the top-rated amuse bouche. Before starting with the appetizers, we freshen our tastebuds with a "Liquid Salad based on a cucumber granita topped with lettuce sauce and Canino oil" (a typical olive from the Viterbo area) - very interesting - which introduces the "Asparagus", composed by a caramel extracted from the sugars of the vegetable and then reduced over the heat, and different types of asparagus in marinated, raw and barbecued versions.
"I started from the idea of a typical Spanish dessert, Flan, thus doing a twist with the recipe of eggs and asparagus," admits Matteo Taccini, who performs a nice game of textures and smokiness. As second course comes the "Potato in seven different textures and processes". A thorough investigation of the potato, with a deliberate freshness given by the citrus fruits used in the preparation, which reveals different moods and flavors with each bite.
Risotto with Red Turnip and Goji Water - one of Matthew's many fermented products, which also includes black fruits and vegetables, kombucha, garum, and misi - expresses great al dente cooking of the rice and a nice job on the turnip for a balanced dish.
Winning over all shades is the Galletto alla brace, in which the two chefs play with the ingredients of the classic Roman recipe (garlic, rosemary, olives, white wine) and then marinate the meat in Koji, and seal it over the coals, while on the side the thigh and overbelly are served with an enticing garlic sauce.
It is melon the single ingredient of the predessert: a natural melon granita, made only with the sugars of the fruit and served with a refreshing kombucha, also made of melon. The last act of this intriguing journey ends with a dessert dedicated to "Cocoa Bean", from ice cream made from the pulp to cocoa puree, paired with a Gin Tonic, perfect for tasting this dessert with bitter notes at its best.
Contacts
UMA ROMA
via Gerolamo Benzoni 34, Roma (Garbatella/Ostiense)
Phone. +39.3333855945
