PUMPKIN SOUP!

Da Francesco is a one-star Michelin restaurant in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is located at the mansion of marquises Francassi Ratti Mentone, in Cherasco, province of Cuneo. Francesco Oberto is a self-taught chef, rewarded by a Michelin star since 2016.

Ambiance

The ambiance of the restaurant was extremely wonderful. I adore dining at places that surrounds you by history all over. The frescoes created by the painter Operti in 1772 were splendid. I couldn’t help thinking about the people who dined at that room for centuries long. Besides, it is always a great joy for me to dine at places with a high ceiling. The room was comfortably spacious with only seven tables. I loved the jazz music playing in the background. However, I dreamt of hearing some music that would intensify the sense of history which surrounds you. To be taken on a journey back in time while having amazing food would be unforgettable.

Another recommendation would be to keep the unused group of stools for the bags away from sight.

Taste

Among some options, I chose “F² Plus” menu for the degustation. Unless you choose the “F² Power” menu, it was not mandatory for all the guests to have the degustation menu.

Four different amuse bouche was served but they were mediocre. I wasn’t impressed by any of them. The first course was red prawns tartare with rocchetta cheese mousse. Red prawns tasted amazing with a very intense aroma. It felt jelly-like and I loved the feeling.

The next course was a salad of snails with avocado and manioca. This dish was another success. Manioca, an edible plant, looked and tasted nice. The crunchiness of the avocado was uplifting, a perfect combination with the snail.

The vegetable dish was my least favorite of all. All different kinds of seasonal vegetable were served with legumes, cereals and seeds. The colorful look of the dish was better than the taste.

Another dish that I wasn’t fond of at all was duck ravioli with citrus fruits butter and roasted linseed. This dish may be the least favorite duck dish I have ever had. The sauce was very heavy, the duck was distasteful and the ravioli was too thick.

The last main dish was Iberico pork presa with salted caramel. I loved the sweetened and salted combination. The saltiness of the presa, which is a specialized muscle within the shoulder, and the sweetness of the caramel played tricks on my palette.

The dessert was panna cotta with chocolate frizzy pazzy. Frizzy pazzy sweets remind me of my childhood. Therefore eating this panna cotta was so much fun for me.

Tasting menu experience was moderate. Some dishes need to be improved and duck ravioli has to be removed from the menu.

Creativity

Panna cotta with a frizzy pazzy was the only creative dish. The rest of the dishes were mediocre in terms of presentation and choice of ingredients.

Service

The level of service was satisfying. I was informed regarding the dishes with great detail. The staff were friendly and smiling all the time. I loved their attitude towards the guests.

Value

The wine list was broad and well organized. Prices were reasonable for wines and degustation menus. There were lots of local Barolo and Barbaresco wines.