LESS IS BETTER: THE OLDANI FORMULA AND THE D’O PHILOSOPHY

                   
It is not easy to eat in Davide Oldani restaurant: surely for its famous caramelized onions, but also for his cooking philosophy. The D’O Restaurant in Cornaredo (Milano) has now waiting time of 4-5 months, but the beauty is that in times of Master Chef (as a popularity that a tv show has given to high-level chefs) Davide is remained realistic. In practice: eating by him is a luxury, but not for what it says on the final bill, indeed. Oldani, you know, is the champion of the Cucina POP (pop cuisine), an high level cuisine, that can reach many people. It’s a question of philosophy: the kitchen brigade is shared of the local successes and everything goes in the sense of traditional cuisine made with seasonal ingredients. The real luxury of D’Or is this fact: eat what you eat at the right time, eat less but eat better, as Davide is used to say: “We live in an age where we eat too much, four times more than what we should be. We have to go back to our mothers cuisine, our grandmothers even, obviously with techniques that we have learned over all these years. Rediscovering taste for food and put things right.” Which means, for example, that in Autumn he uses the pumpkin and not the tomato, “because nature has its course, just follow him.” So, that’s why the D’O Restaurant changes from season to season menu: “My Cucina POP – Oldani explaines on his websites – comes from the desire to blend the essential with the well-made, to create something good that is accessible, to combine tradition with innovation. I am convinced that the greatness of Italian cuisine lies – not only in the variety and flavours – but also because it is open to continuous re-interpretation: I have done this with simplicity, giving importance to each ingredient and having seasonal products and quality as the foundation of my cuisine. On these two cornerstones I have added the principle that guides me in the preparation of each dish: the search for harmony by balancing contrasting elements, which for me means not only the promise of sweetness in something savoury and a “memory” of savoury in something sweet, but also the harmonious co-existence in each dish of elements that stimulate the palate, crisp, soft, hot, cold, sweet, bitter…”. And the philosophy? Here it is in 10 points:

1. The importance of the balance of contrasts, in the kitchen and in life.
2. In the art of cooking, design is the “container” which must enhance the contents.
3. Every business should be profitable, but prices have to be fair.
4. Curiosity and observation are the best tools to understand and interpret your guests’ needs.
5. There is an opportunity in each mistake, you just need to look for it.
6. The health and well-being of your guests is a chef’s priority.
7. Every ingredient, from the most humble to the most expensive, deserve the same respect and treatment.
8. Wine must be given its due: not too much, not too little.
9. Never buy food when you are hungry, it will reduce waste.
10. The brand should be easy to remember and have impact.

A different way of luxury at the table, therefore, that you will find in the next D’O, which will open across the square to complete the idea of Davide.
(Cover Image, Credits Lavazza)