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[ GOURMAND ] ANDREA APREA
From Naples to Milan. After travelling round the world the two Michelin star chef develops his vision of the contemporary Italian cuisine. He invents on the basis the flavours of tradition, surprising diners with supercreative dishes and unexpected effects by Marta Bernasconi
T
he story of Andrea Aprea developed through a long, varied
dish has to be inspired by memories if you are to cook it well. That’s
series of experiences, challenges and one risky throw of the
why I decided to innovate on the basis of things I have a visceral feel
dice. Ten years ago, opening a gourmet restaurant serving Italian
for”. Ten years later the success of the Vun Andrea Aprea restaurant
food in a hotel with an international clientele was a risky proposition.
in the Hotel Hyatt Milano, in the heart of the city, has justified the
But for someone who had grown up surrounded by the culinary
chef’s early vision. Here he offers innovative interpretations of Italian
culture and had very clear ideas on the subject, taking a daring step
cuisine, combining tradition with contemporary tastes. He gained
like this became a requirement. “During my early career I explored,
his first Michelin star less than a year after opening, with a second
broadened my knowledge and experimented. This eventually
awarded four years later. The main inspiration for these accolades is
enabled me to identify the things I liked and those that didn’t interest
in the dishes themselves, which are a feast for all five senses. From
me so much. I realised I wanted to prepare Italian food, I wanted
first to last all Andrea Aprea’s dishes are put together with great
to bring my country to the table. There’s one thing I believe in very
attention to all the elements that transform a dish into a gourmet
strongly – you can only do things well if they’re a part of you, a good
experience, and aesthetics play a very important role. “To me flavour
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From top, clockwise, Caprese…Dolce e Salato, RiSotto-Marino and Aperitivo Anni ’80. In Andrea Aprea’s restaurant in Milan, Vun, there are two tasting menus, the Percorsi Partenopei and Percorsi Signature, both featuring iconic dishes and the chef’s innovative creations
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[ GOURMAND ]
“My contemporary cuisine looks to the future without ever losing sight of its origins”
comes before everything else and I only put good things on the menu. I am an aesthete, though. What I look for in a dish is balance of forms, colours, cooking methods, they’re all linked by a search for equilibrium. My restaurant, which was designed in collaboration with the architect Flaviano Capriotti, also reflects this harmony”. It’s a minimal yet welcoming environment where sand and ivory colours predominate. Classic materials like wood, leather and fabric are complemented by a few carefully-selected decorative pieces. With warm, suffuse light everything is designed to enhance the dishes, the real stars of the show. “For the table setting I use tablecloths without a drop and exclusive plates that I create with artisans. One of my most important collaborations has been with glass artist Massimo Lunardon. He also made the vases on the table and the spherical plate for the Caprese… Dolce e Salato, my signature dish. It’s a very special version of the Caprese that combines sweet and sour, crunchiness and softness in a white sphere”. The Neapolitan spirit remains the common
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theme in Aprea’s cooking, but his special genius is to reinterpret
Chef Aprea and his restaurant’s minimal yet warm interior. He gave
this and find new means of expression.
it the name Vun, which means “one” in the Milanese dialect