In the plush modern interior of the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel’s Marco Polo restaurant, which overlooks Taipei from the 38th floor, chef Antonio Tardi evokes memories of his mother cooking minestra maritatata in the family kitchen. The dish, which translates as “wedding soup,” is not something that is served at weddings; it gets its name from the flawless marriage of flavors, brought together in a clear, consomme-like soup made from chicken, pork and vegetables.
Tardi has created a series of activities, including cooking demonstrations, that draw on his culinary upbringing in the Neapolitan countryside to show diners another side of Italian cuisine.
Minestra maritatata takes seven or eight hours to prepare, Tardi explained. Even with a full kitchen staff on hand, it is still laborious. The dark amber liquid is rich with a multitude of flavors, and with its simple presentation, accompanied by a few green leaves and three small meatballs, it is a thing of great beauty. “What I make here looks better than what is served at home,” he said with a laugh, “but my mother’s version tastes even better.” While Tardi’s minestra maritatata is more elegant than anything that might be found in a country kitchen, he believes that the traditions of the Neapolitan working class have much to offer the world of fine dining.
Photos courtesy of Far Eastern Plaza Hotel
In mining the experiences that led him to become a chef, Tardi quickly changes the perception of what Neapolitan, and indeed Italian, food is all about. The baccala (salted cod) served with potato and artichoke is linked with the history of Naples, its importance as a Mediterranean port, and the growth of the naval empires of Portugal and Venice. Baccala was poor man’s food, created by those who found the cost of fresh fish prohibitive, and at a time when refrigeration did not exist.
Such dishes, with their long curing process, are making a comeback. The similar Portuguese dish bacalhau has become something of a must-try for anyone visiting Macau. Tardi pointed out that while salted cod is not common on the menu of Italian restaurants, it has an important place in the home cuisine of working people all around Italy.
Tardi’s new menu for this culinary trip down memory lane also includes upmarket takes on simple home fare such as braciola Napoletana. Tardi said that this dish was made by his mother from thin slices of topside beef, an unfashionable cut from the rear end of the cow, wrapped up around a mixture of cheese and basil and served in a rich gravy of tomato and beef juices. He has replaced the topside with tenderloin to bring this dish to Marco Polo, but has retained a rustic edge with the sharp basil crust that tops the steak.
Photos courtesy of Far Eastern Plaza Hotel
Tardi, who has been at the Marco Polo for one year, felt it was time to show something of his own culinary background, and for foodies, this has resulted in a menu, available from May 4, that takes an unusual detour into some of the less traveled regions of southern Italian cuisine.
From May 4 to May 7, Tardi will also be demonstrating two personal favorites — cured tuna served with creme fraiche, quail eggs and caviar, and scialatielli (a fat homemade pasta) served with calamari and clam sauce — between 11am and noon, after which these dishes will be served as part of a four-course lunch set.
Tardi’s Neapolitan menu of childhood favorites will be available from May 4 at the Marco Polo restaurant as part of the a la carte menu. For reservations or more information, call the hotel at (02) 2376-3156.
Last week, Viola Zhou published a marvelous deep dive into the culture clash between Taiwanese boss mentality and American labor practices at the Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) plant in Arizona in Rest of World. “The American engineers complained of rigid, counterproductive hierarchies at the company,” while the Taiwanese said American workers aren’t dedicated. The article is a delight, but what it is depicting is the clash between a work culture that offers employee autonomy and at least nods at work-life balance, and one that runs on hierarchical discipline enforced by chickenshit. And it runs on chickenshit because chickenshit is a cultural
By far the most jarring of the new appointments for the incoming administration is that of Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to head the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). That is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tseng has one of the most impressive resumes in the party. He was very active during the Wild Lily Movement and his generation is now the one taking power. He has served in many of the requisite government, party and elected positions to build out a solid political profile. Elected as mayor of Taoyuan as part of the
Moritz Mieg, 22, lay face down in the rubble, the ground shaking violently beneath him. Boulders crashed down around him, some stones hitting his back. “I just hoped that it would be one big hit and over, because I did not want to be hit nearly to death and then have to slowly die,” the student from Germany tells Taipei Times. MORNING WALK Early on April 3, Mieg set out on a scenic hike through Taroko Gorge in Hualien County (花蓮). It was a fine day for it. Little did he know that the complex intersection of tectonic plates Taiwan sits
When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan. Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities. Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases