Mohammed Alshoaiby Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Park Hyatt hotel's Nafoura restaurant launched its Taste of Sicily festival on Tuesday with an open buffet of authentic Sicilian cuisine by world-renowned chef Angelo Pumilia. Pumilia is an estate chef at Planenta, a Sicilian olive oil producer that distributes exclusively to the Park Hyatt in Saudi Arabia, and will be preparing his flair of Sicilian cuisine at the hotel until Feb. 28. Hotel staff welcomed guests at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, starting with a serving of Pumilia's unique blend of non-alcoholic wine, prepared with a fresh assortment of berries. The Nafoura restaurant overlooks its namesake, the monumental Jeddah fountain, and paints a soothing atmosphere with low ambient lighting, subtle music and candlelit tables waited on by the Park Hyatt's most seasoned professionals. Pumilia introduced himself to the attendees and escorted them to the buffet where they were greeted by the sous-chefs, who hail from all parts of the Mediterranean, Asian and Arab world. “Cooking is communication,” said Pumilia, commending his sous-chefs. “They care about the food. It's perfect. It's teamwork.” Pumilia then described the various antipasti, an array of salads peppered with fresh organic produce. “Sicilian food is simple,” he added. “All the ingredients grow around us and everything is absolutely organic. “If we need lemons, for example, we go out to the garden and pick them off the trees.” Pumilia and his sous-chefs then invited the guests to the pasta station, where they served a variety of fresh pastas, ravioli and risotto prepared à la minute with a traditional Sicilian sauce made of cauliflower, cream cheese and a hint of fresh tomatoes. The hot plate items included a grilled chicken breast garnished with oregano in true Sicilian tradition; prawn skewers peppered with chili and cloves and garnished with oregano; lamb chops served with a vegetable cream sauce; a medium-cooked beef tenderloin, scented with rosemary and served with a parsley and anchovy sauce; and a grilled grouper fish crisped with herbs and served with a red vinaigrette sauce. A variety of sweets and fresh fruits were available for dessert along with a selection of Italian cheeses and freshly made marmalades and jams. Two of the cheeses, pecorino and cacio cavallo, stood out in texture and flavor, the latter being strong and balanced with a topping of marmallata di fragole (homemade strawberry jam). Reactions to the food and setting were mostly positive. Renato Catania, Commercial Attaché at the General Italian Consulate in Jeddah, said, “I would like something more” of the main dishes. “But the cheese was amazing,” he added. The Park Hyatt's Nafoura restaurant hosts a variety of themed dining events, of which the Taste of Sicily is the latest. “We've been working on this for two months,” said Asif Raza, Director of Sales at Park Hyatt Jeddah. “Our turnout normally doubles during events.” Raza added that Nafoura will host another event in May. The Nafoura restaurant serves its tastes of Sicily everyday from 6:30 p.m. until midnight, ending on Feb. 28.
