Il Nascondiglio: Venetian Private Dining

You probably already read about Il Nascondiglio already from Dumplings and Donuts and Sugar and Spiced, but Frenzied Palate still has a say!

Il Nascondiglio - meaning the "hideaway" - was conceived by Fabrizio Pizzioli, the chef, and his partner, Ting, the lovely hostess. They declared Il Nascondiglio to be a project of theirs to show their passion for food and a unique dining experience. SmartShangahi advertised "Venetian private dining" and this night was the first of three test dinners for 100RMB per person. This spot is tucked away up a dark staircase on the corner of Xiangyang Lu and Yongjia Lu. When the door opened, you are bathed in warm light and the preserved interior of an old lane house. Fabrizio and Ting informed us that they also shared the same address as their private dining room. The mismatched antique furniture added charm to the room that also held a two-burner stove and prep area, indicating the food would be prepared right in front of the guests. As it was January, the room was a bit chilly and I was wondering how the hot dishes will stay warm from kitchen to table.


When introducing the menu, Fabrizio said he went to the local markets earlier that day to find what was fresh and available before constructing the menu which was emailed out later that afternoon. First appetizer was the bruschette classiche or classic bruschetta served on communal plates. Everyone politely waited for wine to be poured before indulging in the first course. The bread was toasted and had the aroma of cut cloves of garlic rubbed onto its surface. The size of the tomatoes cut was large enough to ask the mouth to open a bit wider than normal, but was still juicy. The second appetizer was the "rotolini di melanzane ripieni" or aubergine wrapped around halved grape tomatoes and ham. The aubergine looked nicely grilled, but for some reason lacked any distinguishing flavor. It would have been better served freshly grilled to contrast the raw tomato and cool ham.

The first main dish was the farfalle al funghi al gin or butterfly pasta with mushroom and gin. The mushrooms were sauteed with gin and thrown into a creme sauce before the pasta was placed on top to finish cooking. Fabrizio went around to each guest's plate to freshly grate cheese atop. As the favored porcini mushrooms were not available in Shanghai produce markets, king oyster mushrooms were used instead, still maintaining that earthy flavor. The sauce was creamy and light. The consistency of the creme sauce did not allow the farfalle to become a solid mass when cool as the chilliness of the room did not permit the dishes to stay warm for more than five minutes.

The second main dish was the arrosto di manzo or "beef in melting sauce," which was accompanied by "patate in tecia" or "typical potatoes," "piselli triestini" or "typical green beans," and "peperonata" or "red bell pepper sauce." The beef was incredibly tender and fell apart easily with the introduction of the fork as a cutting utensil. It carried a lot of flavor from the sauce the beef cut was cooked in showing the whole day of preparation the beef dish required. Fabrizio marinated the beef in the morning puncturing holes in the cut to ensure the flavors would reach deep inside the layers of flesh. The accompanying sides added texture to the beef, but, again, were cold on consumption. Fabrizio also offered extra bottles of wine (at an extra price) to supplement the glass that came with the meal.

"Palancinche" or sweet crepes made to order concluded the meal. Each diner had the option to have the crepe rolled or folded into a triangle with either jam, chocolate (Nutella), or plain filling (butter and lemon). The crepes were cooked in front of the diners allowing the chef and hostess to converse with the diners about the meal and life in Shanghai in general.

The dining experience at Il Nascondiglio was thoroughly enjoyable and intimate allowing the diners (as well as chef and hostess) to share conversation and enjoy Italian food. It is great for diners wanting to avoid interruptions and have the night completely catered to their needs. The drawback of the dinner was that most of the dishes ended up being cold on the plate, most likely from the common etiquette of waiting for everyone to be served before taking the first bite. And why was there an overflowing punch-worthy size bowl of farfalle on the prep counter? Was that for the following night? Another item for consideration is that the dinner was advertised as "Venetian private dining," but there was little in the menu that was characteristic of Venetian cuisine such as polenta, risotto and seafood. Is private dining particularly a Venetian culinary tradition or is the meal itself supposed to reflect not just Italian, but Venetian food? Perhaps when Il Nascondiglio moves past its guinea pig stage will we come to learn if "Venetian" applies to the dining experience or the food itself.


Il Nascondiglio. 311 Xiangyang nan Lu (near Yongjia Lu), 襄阳南路311号，近永嘉路, Shanghai, China. Tel: 02134612036. Mob: 13166014282.