Italian, Japanese chefs serve up best of both worlds

For the first time in its six-year history, Opera Bombana invited a two-Michelin-starred Japanese chef to join his Italian counterpart in Beijing to create a unique fusion-dining event-all accompanied by a specially created sake menu and sake-themed cocktail list.

From Dec 5 to 7, the restaurant hosted an East-meets-West dining experience, bringing together Japanese Michelin-starred chef Kazuo Takagi and Opera Bombana's executive chef, Eugenio Iraci, working alongside sake sommelier Ueno Toshio and professional mixologist Jonny Amir.

It was the perfect escape from the cold winter winds outside as diners settled in for a meal featuring outstanding ingredients from around the world paired with warming, mellow sake.

The meal started with a selection of welcome snacks created by Iraci, including a taco-like black-olive wafer with pizza flavors, a cannoli of potato filled with Jerusalem artichoke cream, and a tonnato sauce in red-pepper jelly, each combining traditional Italian flavors with modern presentation and culinary techniques.

Both the amuse-bouche and first course were created by Takagi, demonstrating his unique presentation style and attention to detail. The steamed monkfish liver in the amuse-bouche is an ingredient rarely seen in Beijing.