Sui Generis in Saronno, review: how I wish every Michelin-starred restaurant was

When a meal inspires endless reflection, it's always a good sign, and I must warn you, they've pulled out all the stops at Sui Generis. This Saronno restaurant hit the headlines in 2023 when, just nine months after opening, it was awarded its coveted Michelin star. Chef Alfio Nicolosi is at his first solo experience. It boasts all the hallmarks of contemporary fine dining: tasting menus only, non-alcoholic pairings, an experiential approach, an open kitchen... it's all there.

What might be missing is a strong idea to support everything, but the guys are quick to prove me wrong, and from the very first passages there are many themes to explore.

I challenge anyone else to see, in this anonymous residential street in Saronno, in the spaces that once housed a cotton mill, a restaurant of material elegance, completely free of the superfluous yet full of minute details, illuminated by perfectly aligned light fixtures, where every table has a privileged vantage point of the large open kitchen. A style shaped by his studies in organizational sciences or by his experience in the visionary kitchens of Kresios? Probably both.

Just one tasting menu, thank goodness

“Love and Psyche” the tasting menu at Sui Generis, is the only, hooray! course available (3 acts of 3 courses each for 151 euros), and opens with a fried oyster (yes, cooking them isn't a crime) and a delicious club sandwich, made with sea bass, worthy of an international lounge bar, underscoring a variety of registers and an astonishing ability to identify and amplify them.

Individual bites are treated like proper courses, and this approach, and the precise structure of the menu (it's still designed by an organizational scientist), cannot help but imply the mandatory choice of a single tasting menu. You'll never convince me: in restaurants serving true signature cuisine, the menu's progression is as important as the individual dishes, and choosing à la carte is a risk to be avoided, not a privilege. In this regard, Alfio is well supported by the dining room and cellar staff, where Agata Nicolosi, Alfio's sister, leads a technical and coordinated team, and emphasizes her strong connection to the kitchen, also offering two interesting menus by the glass, one for 95 euros and one non-alcoholic for 85.

In any case, don't worry, when the dish calls for it, the bites are plentiful and generous. The first act continues with calamari ramen in katsuobushi broth, which prefers a crystalline cleanliness to the expected concentrated flavors. Then it's time for one of the chef's signature dishes, risoni with seafood reduction, lemon, and plankton. A sort of portmanteau of two of Kresios' signature dishes, spaghetti with fifty fish and pasta, it gives the illusion of being the infamous "pasta dish" so coveted by fine dining critics, and in a way, it is.

But with extreme skill and depth, Alfio doesn't just play on umami and iodine, but also underpins it with a more complex and austere note, reminiscent of cuttlefish liver and a slightly more hardcore approach to the world of seafood, creating one of those rare instances where a dish satisfies nerds and casual diners. Proof of this is the successful pairing with a kombucha (bergamot), which cleanly closes the dish's lingering notes and the intense, acetic acidity of the glass.

Is local a must?

Now, between one act and the next, it's right to indulge in another reflection. So far, we've tasted raw materials from all over the world, north, south, Japan, and yet we now discover that Sui Generis has its own garden and, as we're told over dinner, a close relationship with several local communities. So, whose side does it stand on? Fortunately, it's neither. While those who choose to rigorously focus on local produce and do so with awareness find new ways of expressing themselves in this apparent limitation, it's not a path for everyone.

From this perspective, Chef Nicolosi demonstrates his clear vision, drawing inspiration without ideology, while directly addressing the issues that distinguish modern catering: techniques and technology used to limit waste, and a focus on human resources. During dinner, we were told that when hiring staff, they sign a manifesto designed to promote work-life balance, including ongoing training.

Cupid and Psyche Act II

The second act begins again with a round of tastings, and with the feeling that a new chef is hired for each dish, whose origins make the dish so authentic it seems unbelievable, while still maintaining the rigid structure of the process. Thus, after a dim sum with kimchi and a calamari sandwich with salsa brava, the consecration arrives with the dazzling blue crab taco with finger lime and gin-infused apples. The filling, which makes a lobster roll Adriatic and sustainable, is fine, but the masterpiece lies in a seemingly innocuous element: the taco itself, which conceals a masterful work on the masa harina.

A little world tour in aperitivo format, the pairing reflecting the lighthearted spirit: a bock, a malty, all-purpose beer from the nearby Vetra brewery. The second act, the second carb: dark potato ravioli, morone lard, and Ripa di Fagnano Alto truffle. Here too, the pasta appears "merely" palatable, but it hides a surgical work on the persistence of the fatty part of the fish, yielding an aromatic and savory finish. The second act concludes with a luxurious protein, duck breast, with fermented plums and cavolo nero. Impeccable, but probably the only slightly forced part of the journey.

Finally some great coffees

The third act is that of desserts, with a dedication to Sicily of almonds, caramel, and coffee, and a playful gourmet reinterpretation of bread and Nutella, bread and hazelnut cream gelato. The end of the journey offers us the last in a seemingly endless sequence of delightful details: a meticulously curated coffee menu, beautifully illustrated with a map and with three selections to choose from, perfectly executed at the table. Sipping a Panama Geisha filter, we indulge in the last of many reflections that this "Cupid and Psyche" has inspired. Alfio and Agata Nicolosi set themselves the goal of bringing the world to Saronno, and Saronno to the world, and they succeeded: a concept, that of the "gastronomic journey," that is all too overused, but which here finds, with coherence, planning, and the right amount of "cazzimma," a complete meaning, supported by the chef's ability to effortlessly capture the most authentic stylistic elements of distant cuisines.

Opinion

It's hard not to be amazed by the breadth of inspiration in Sui Generis's cuisine. Alfio Nicolosi is an intelligent and cultured chef with a positive obsession for detail. The family relationship with the dining room, managed by his sister Agata, provides ideal support for a complex and structured menu, both in terms of service technique and well-chosen pairings.

PRO

A surprising and free cuisine, capable of truly taking us around the world with authenticity and culture.
Well-coordinated room
An interesting and meticulously planned pairing path.
The coffee menu