We'd been planning our Italy trip for close to a year. Arriving from opposites of the globe (us in Hong Kong and our friends in Boston), we landed in Milan for 48 hours before heading to Modena and Alba for the next part of our trip.
Our dinner that first night in Milan was at Andrea Aprea, a 2-Michelin starred restaurant located inside the Luigi Rovati Foundation (an Etruscan art museum). Originally from Naples, Chef Aprea was the first to earn a Michelin star for a hotel restaurant in Milan back in 2011. Today, he holds two stars and focuses on taking traditional Neapolitan flavors and reimagining them using modern techniques.
We opted for the Signature 8-course "Prolong Experience" (€290). While we waited for our table, we grabbed a drink at their more casual Caffè Bistrot downstairs, which they kindly brought up for us when our table was ready.
Chef Aprea focuses a lot on “the fusion of memories”. A lot of our experiences involved the memory of a particular dish, but experienced in a new way, perhaps a new texture or form that is only made possible with modern techniques.
The Welcome & Snacks
Case in point: the meal started with a playful nod to childhood. We had a snack featuring pop rocks, orange, and savory oyster leaf. It was a total surprise—the popping sensation definitely brought back "memories," but the flavor was sophisticated and refined.
Cheesy Pillows: These were a huge hit with my friend's family. What I nicknamed “Bolobao” (because it reminds me of a Hong Kong pineapple bun!), was a crunchy, sweet-and-savory bite that was absolutely delicious.
Olive Bomb: A burst of olive flavor perched on top of a delicate pie shell.
The "Burrata"
This dish was brilliant. It looked like a standard burrata, but it was actually a light burrata foam encased in a thin candy shell to give it shape without the heaviness. Served with an intense tomato "paste" and basil, it was a completely different textural take on a classic Caprese salad.
Seafood and Land
Smoked Duck Pastrami & Raw Langoustine: Thin, delicate slices of smoked duck pastrami came topped with a cube of apple sauce and a cube of raw langoustine. On the perimeter, meticulously placed dots of walnut and lovage leaf. Lovely dish, though I would have preferred the dish with just a bit less apple sauce (a bit too sweet).
Duck Liver Mousse: Served with a perfect, buttery brioche. (not pictured)
Cuttlefish “Diabola Style”: This was intense! It featured a dark, mole-like sauce with a good kick of chili heat (thus the "Diabola" style) and a thin slice of apple on top to cut through the richness.
The "Silver" Potato: This looked exactly like a baked potato . . .
. . but was actually a mini potato coated in silver leaf.
Inside, it was creamy and savory—very tasty.
The Middle Courses (The "Heavy" Part)
The middle of the meal felt a bit more polarizing.
We had the Submarine Risotto, which was served half-and-half: one side savory with mussels and scallops, and the other side "sweet" with candied orange peels. The rice was very al dente—slightly under for my taste—and the sweet/savory combo was a bit hit-or-miss.
We also had a Tortellino with guanciale and ricotta. The sauce was incredibly intense and a bit too salty for us, though it was served with a side of cube pork fat bread which was dangerously good.
The Main Events
The meal smoothed out again with the main proteins:
Turbot: Perfectly cooked. Bryan said it strangely (but fondly) reminded him of biscuits and gravy.
Pigeon: This was a standout—perfectly cooked and paired with a lovely almond cream and orange sauce.
Palate Cleanser + Dessert
To clear our palates, we had a 🍋lemon sorbet served with a lemon fragrance via dry ice. It came in these cool magnetic lemon-shaped containers. (Note: Ziva actually found a hair in her dish, but the staff replaced it immediately with no issues).
The final dessert was a beautiful mix of vanilla ice cream, cheesy dollops, and raspberry. It was salty, sweet, and crunchy without being overly heavy, which was exactly what we needed after such a big meal.
Andrea Aprea - Final Thoughts
The tasting menu at Andrea Aprea was designed to showcase some of Chef Aprea's most famous dishes through the years. Although I won't disagree that the individual dishes were very impressive, the flow of the meal was a little choppy. The meal started with an impressive sequence of snacks and also ended on a very strong note. The middle felt a little weighed down by heavy sauces, making it feel more like a collection of "greatest hits" rather than one fluid story. However, overall we still very much enjoyed the meal. The creativity and the stunning museum setting make it a very cool Milanese experience overall.
Andrea Aprea Milan Italy
Corso Venezia 52, 20122 Milano
Presso Fondazione Luigi Rovati
