From MySea Bistrot in Prato, the property, the clientele and the chef are Italian and Chinese media. A novelty, but the real story is that you eat really well and that the Catalan lobster brings everyone together.
Davide Chen is the face of Meadow today, and a little bit of today's Italy. She has almond-shaped eyes, yellow skin and when she looks at him, this handsome boy has a Chinese face. It is only in appearance though, because it arrived in Italy still in its infancy in the Eighties and it is enough to hear him speak because the Florentine accent betrays a marked Tuscanity. At home he grew up in Chianina and ribollita, professionally cooking at the Essenziale restaurant, at the Osteria di Passignano, a Michelin star, and moved from Florence just to fly a year in London to Berners Taverns and Marc Company. A Prato has just arrived, called by four partners for the opening of their MySea "fusion" project, and found himself confronted with a culinary and culinary experiment – which is yielding excellent results.
"I pretend to be Chinese, I don't speak a word of Mandarin, I always say that they were so good that they managed to copy even themselves" Davide jokes. Davide is really called Davide, as his adoptive parents called him, while Marco is the name chosen by Mr. Hu, another Italian of Chinese origin and partner of this project together with his wife Yammy Zheng. He arrived in Milan in 1987 and grew up in a family of restaurateurs, opened premises first in Milan, Florence and then arrived in Prato, looking for the best place to do business. Alongside the MySea, their gigantic Yammy Wok grind covered with the formula all you can eat: now they wanted to do something different, better, and to make their own contribution to the thorny issue of integration, in the city where they chose to live.
The Italian-Chinese management, the first in Prato
Friends of their accountant, Carla Fanelli from Prato joined the company and opened the first Italian-Chinese restaurant in Prato. A small management revolution in this sector that is the sign of the times, is reflected in the menu and in the choice of the chef. MySea is a place where looking for boundaries, belonging and differences is impossible, but where you feel good is easy, whoever you are.
Play with the appearance, more than a double belonging, chef Davide, who thanks to his Tuscan background, international experiences and a beautiful brigade, interprets the concept of fish bistro in a creative way and to meet the favors of two types of visits . "Our mission is to find the common elements between these two cultures and cook things that both of them like. The only difference is that the Chinese clientele is mainly prevalent during the week, the Italians prefer to come over the weekend, everyone likes oysters, lobsters and spaghetti – but it is enough to drain them al dente only for Italians! ".
The Catalan that puts everyone in agreement
Raw, coquillage and top quality oysters, not the usual ones found around, for sumptuous plateaus with Fine de Claire, Sandalia from the Mediterranean, Special de Claire, fasolari, almonds, truffles, sea urchins, red prawns, scampi and tartare. The aquarium has sea water, the daily arrival, guaranteed freshness.
The mussels au gratin with parsley panura arrive with a roasted lemon and suck from ceramic shells, the ravioli stuffed with sea bass tartare are served on a liquid "Panzanella" and salicornia, the pasta is all homemade (more or less cooked) , depending on who sits at the table), Cacciucco is "instantaneous", the gnocchi are plated and seasoned with Parmesan cream, anchovies in saor, crunchy dried tomatoes and taralli. Crabs, lobsters and lobsters come out of the tank, as used in the East where the fish is chosen alive and per kg. The lobster can be ordered in different ways, but for everyone the favorite recipe is the Catalan lobster – surprisingly the most loved dish by the people of Prato. And on these, whether they are of Chinese or Tuscan origin, there seems to be no difference whatsoever. In the end, fruit, just like it is made in China, but with the mediation of having made it a real dessert: from the province of Salerno come the little fruits of Gelateria Matteo, an original recipe. And always to put everyone in agreement, we drink Italian bubbles and Champagne.
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