It was a mild night in November 2009. I was in Rome, on a business trip. My meeting was the next morning and I decided to have a good meal. My choice was the Imago restaurant, located on the top floor of Hassler Hotel, awarded one Michelin star. I was staying at a nearby hotel and walked the distance, passing through Via Veneto.
The view from the inside of the Imago restaurant was amazing.
To the extent than when I saw it, I started having second thoughts about the food, as one of the golden rules of the restaurant business is that when the view is stunning, the food sucks. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.
The clients of the restaurant were varied. There were visitors who came for the views and others who came for the food and the elegant atmosphere. In one of the tables there was a family with two kids, with both grandparents, celebrating the birthday of one of the kids. Wonderful “tableau vivant”, with the grandmother reminding me of one of the powerful female figures in the black and white Fellini movies.
I opted for the tasting menu. The first dish was raw fish of the day. I do not recall the name of the fish, but it was quite tender, moist and tasty. The high point was the pears infused with grappa, that matched the aggressiveness of the raw fish.
The next dish was fried scallops stuffed with mozzarella. The chef added a touch of black truffle to the finished dish, which was extremely subtle in taste and texture, a true delight.
The frying must be very quick and swift, otherwise the scallop is destroyed.
The continuation was more intense in flavors and powerful, as the chef prepared pheasant ravioli with cauliflower puree and truffle-flavored honey. Full-bodied, intense flavor, and meaty texture were the characteristics of the dish.
The dish that followed was the star of the menu. Capellini pasta with smoked eel. A divine dish, one that I would include in the Italian Gastronomic All – Time Menu, if there was ever one. A magic of textures and flavors emanates from the dish. After the dinner was served, Chef Francesco Apreda came by my table and we had a chat. He agreed that this dish is his masterpiece.
It is quite interesting, that of all the dishes in the restaurant of one of the most expensive hotels in the world, the best is one based on the humble eel of the Lazio region and capellini pasta, which you can find everywhere in Italy. The other golden rule of gastronomy, that is to use the materials of the terroir is yet again proven 100% correct! The chef had at his disposal the most expensive materials in some of the dishes. Yet his signature dish is the one that serves humbly the tradition of the Lazio region. The dish is also traditional fare in the central regions of Italy, like Umbria.
The fish and shrimp dish that followed was ok, but was overshadowed by the greatness of the capellini and eel dish.
The last dish of the menu was excellent! Roast pigeon with all the game flavor of the world! Nothing beats that! And it was roasted to perfection.
I found the serving of artichokes with the pigeon an excellent idea!
To conclude the excellent dinner, the chef offered a sweet tray, where the pistacchio canolo stole the show!
Since 2019 Chef Francesco Apreda is running the restaurant Idylio by Apreda, at the Pantheon/Iconic Rome Hotel in Rome, and has included the capellini and eel dish in his ICONIC SIGNATURE menu. The restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star.
Andrea Antonini is today the chef at Imago Restaurant.
Gastrolvios 