sui generis.
Saronno, Italy
⭐1 Star
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
A modern dining-room with an open-view kitchen where young Alfio Nicolosi can be observed at work, ably assisted by friendly and attentive staff front of house. When you book, you’ll be asked if you have any food allergies or intolerances, or any ingredients that you don’t like, as there is just one surprise tasting menu served here. The truly extraordinary dishes are inspired by the chef’s remarkable knowledge of culinary traditions from Italy and further afield (strong Asian and South American influences are obvious), resulting in highly personalised dishes. Nicolosi is one of the most interesting young chefs in Italy at the moment and his exciting cuisine is full of intense flavours, including grilled dishes with a hint of street food and other influences apparent throughout.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
Here are three unique and unconventional aspects of the Michelin-starred restaurant sui generis. in Saronno:
1. Cuisine as a Story and Emotional Journey
Sui generis. offers more than just food; it provides a sensory experience where each dish is crafted as a narrative blending memory, emotion, and journey. The chef Alfio Nicolosi creates dishes that combine local ingredients with global influences, ancient techniques with modern tools, and familiar flavors with surprising elements that invite guests to see ingredients in new ways. For example, a dessert made from stale bread transformed into ice cream with hazelnut cream exemplifies this creative storytelling approach on the plate.
2. Unique Blind Tasting Menu and Personalized Experience
The restaurant serves only one surprise tasting menu, designed to showcase the chef’s creativity and culinary philosophy. Guests are asked about allergies or dislikes beforehand, ensuring a highly personalized dining experience. This approach emphasizes discovery and trust in the chef’s vision, making the meal a unique journey rather than a predictable selection.
3. Integration of Sustainability and Kitchen Garden
Sui generis. places strong emphasis on biodiversity, careful supplier selection, and minimizing food waste. The restaurant even cultivates its own edible plants and flowers in a kitchen garden, which allows it to meet many of its ingredient needs directly. This commitment to sustainability is integrated into the haute cuisine experience, blending environmental consciousness with artistic culinary expression.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
The most honored or signature ingredients at the Michelin-starred restaurant sui generis. in Saronno include:
Stale bread: Transformed into a surprising dessert of stale bread ice cream paired with hazelnut cream, this ingredient exemplifies the restaurant's philosophy of enhancing humble elements and connecting childhood memories with culinary technique.
Smoked eel: Featured in the rice mantecato with smoked eel and bittersweet onion, this ingredient adds deep, earthy flavors and a refined touch to the dish, reflecting the chef's skill in balancing intensity and grace.
Chickpeas: Used in preparations that highlight the chef's creativity and global influences, chickpeas bring texture and a subtle earthiness to the menu.
Purple shrimp and oyster: These seafood ingredients are part of the unique tasting menu, contributing freshness and a nod to both local and oriental flavors, often paired with elements like oriental mayonnaise and umeboshi for complexity.
Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum): This ingredient adds a distinctive tangy and salty note, showcasing the Asian influences in the cuisine and enhancing the balance of flavors in various dishes.
These ingredients are significant as they illustrate the restaurant's approach of blending local Italian tradition with Asian and South American influences, using both humble and luxurious elements to craft dishes full of memory, emotion, and surprise.
Menu & Pricing
Current Offerings & Prices
Sui Generis. Menu Summary
Tasting Menu
- 8 Courses: €250 (price not specified)
A La Carte
- Blue Lobster: €95 (price not specified)
Note: Prices are not available for all dishes, and the menu is subject to change.