On 24 April 2024, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center Twist Roma has launched a new à la carte menu featuring 27 dishes that are distinctive from southern Italy and family-sharing platters. Fresh seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and rich herbs all come together to interpret the colorful dishes on the plate of southern Italy, so that diners in Beijing can also enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in authentic Italian tones.
The southern region of Italy is blessed with abundant sunshine and abundant produce, including high-quality olives, fruits and vegetables, herbs and seafood. In the new menu design, the chef has added a rich selection of seafood and Mediterranean specialties such as olive oil, tomatoes, red peppers, melon pomegranates and mozzarella buffalo mozzarella cheese, while simplifying the cooking methods and adding natural fruity sauces to create refreshing, healthy Mediterranean-inspired dishes suitable for spring and summer.
A feast of Italian seafood
Signature sharing "Pattern Rome" iron grilled seafood platter
From Positano to Capri to Campania, the abundance of fish, shrimp and crab in the Mediterranean is the protagonist of the entire southern Italian diet and is the focus of this menu update.
The signature "Tricks of Rome" iron grill seafood platter combines sea bass, squid, octopus, scallops and Boston lobster, where fresh seafood can be simply grilled to bring the bustling underwater world to life. Seabass with a charred skin and oily inside, tight and springy octopus and scallops, plump Boston lobster, Mediterranean herbs and fresh lemon juice, like a refreshing Mediterranean breeze.
Cold head plate octopus with small onion salad
Another recommended dish is the octopus and onion salad, which is popular with southern Italians. There is an Italian proverb that says, "Octopuses cook in their own water (il polpo si cuoce nell'acqua sua)". A deep pot, a little flavor and fishy spices, no need to add additional water, the cleaned octopus is put into the pot and simmered to one-third of its own water, maintaining the elasticity and toughness of the octopus meat, just like the Italian "slow life, quality" attitude to life. This appetizer features tender octopus and fluffy potatoes, served with parsley, onions and tomatoes, topped with the chef's sauce of extra virgin olive oil, lemon and garlic. The octopus is icy and smooth in the mouth, with a strong lemon fruit aroma and a rich garlic aroma that is not spicy, making it perfect for the hot spring and summer seasons.
The main dish is a seafood pasta with southern specialties called crab dumplings. The tender and sweet crab meat is delicately wrapped in handmade dumpling wrappers and served with a rich seafood soup that brings out the rich flavor of the sea.
Shared dishes have been added
Signature sharing "Pattern Rome" iron grill assorted meat plate
Another highlight of the menu is the sharing menu. Chef Lei Bin has studied and worked in Italy for nearly five years, and is deeply impressed by the food culture that Italians love to share at the table. "Dinner is one of the favorite social activities of Italians, much like Chinese food culture. Sharing food with family and friends and enjoying moments of joy is also the warm dining scene that Fantasia Roma hopes to create for its guests - connecting emotions with food. "
In addition to the seafood beloved in southern Italy, the chef has prepared a butterfly-style whole chicken for meat lovers, and a "Pattern of Rome" iron grilled assorted meat plate with a focus on beef and mutton.
Sicilian frittle
Similarly, a new family-sharing dessert - Sicilian Cream Roll has been added to the dessert category. Said to be 1,000 years old, this Sicilian street food has become famous in the classic movie "The Godfather" and is a must-have for locals at their dinner parties. Fry the tubular dough until golden brown and crispy, cool and squeeze in creamy but grainy ricotta cheese and serve with chopped pistachios.
Afternoon by the river
Australian Angus Beef Carpaccio served cold
In addition to the main meal menu for lunch and dinner, there is also a "Wine Accompaniment" menu with 7 special Italian tapas. A few smoked olives, delicate artichokes with a refreshing glass of sparkling wine, or honeydew melon ham with a glass of chilled white wine, are the perfect choice for a cosy afternoon on the banks of the Liangma River.