Well, well, well. This is an exciting and humble addition to the restaurant scene in Milan. Often when I come here, recently I am struggling with deciding where to eat. Going back and forth, with shall I, shall I not? Hmmm- Not sure about that. (Normally happens when I take a sneak peek at a restaurant’s Instagram page.) When it comes to gastronomy, I am not overly excited currently for this city, (There is one place that is flying the flag) but this feeling changed when I came to Sine by Di Ponto. For a start, as a restaurant they are unusual, and I enjoyed sitting in the dining room because of the informal service. Like most folk, having a soft spot for Napoli and pizza, I found a lot of dishes on the menu that gave subtle nods to this region, with some incredibly creative takes, on such simple and modest food- One being that important item that everybody loves- Yes it must be pizza!
Upon opening the menu, the first thing that you see is ‘chef’s special’- Fried pizza, Neapolitan broccoli, and bonito. It’s enough to make you wonder, and of course you need to take it. A charcoal, black as night pizza dough with this fascinating chew, a crust that could easily win a gold medal. Crispy, bubbly, epic. They are showing you how it is supposed to be done, and I thought it was outstanding. The broccoli and bonito were the perfect pairings for this pizza, light enough for the very beginning. We could call the people who made this the ‘Napoli dough masters.’
The aperitivo shows us what the chef is all about and he describes everything in a pleasant manner. There is a softness with an open friendliness, he is approachable, and it makes the dinner even more successful. Chefs- Don’t bring your ego! Leave it at home, we are not interested. Take a leaf out his book here. My Italian guest announced that the epi was too oily when you touch it (I did not notice this initially in the same way). All the bread was extensive with choice, bringing an element of ‘fun’ (one looked like a bone marrow) alongside this, we saw quality. The butters were up there at the very top for a restaurant of this level, some of the most exclusive I have come across.
I just could not look at anything else on this menu when I saw ‘pizza ravioli’ The pizza theme is a great strength for the kitchen here. You can really touch on people’s emotions and grab them with this. I don’t know anybody he doesn’t like pizza, to include this in gastronomy is extremely effective. There is clever thinking behind this dish, the concept based on the margherita pizza in a ravioli. I just loved everything about it. The texture, the taste, the look, for me it’s inspired.
I know I am babbling on and on about pizza, but it is one of life’s greats. I did sample some other dishes; I was able to tear myself away! The Bresse chicken was not giving me the same sensations, the pickled vegetables were too sharp but still the cookery was superb.
It was a weeknight and normally dining this way in the week after a long day might mean that we don’t have the most enjoyment than on a weekend. (This is not the restaurant’s fault but ours) The staff were trying hard with us, and we noticed, but we wanted to be swift, this is not to say that we were eager to hurry on out of there, this was just because of us. To add- We were all full from the generous aperitivo, we struggled to eat more. We skipped dessert but we had some interesting petit fours served at the end. Thought-provoking to say the least.
Sine by Di Ponto is a good one-star and chef does have a signature in his way of cooking, an identity in the flavour. The service was friendly, outgoing yet well practised. It is not stuffy or pompous here at all. The dining room brings a little bit of ‘funk’ You have a hot pink neon sign on the wall, and I was incredibly keen on the atmosphere. Have fun, make a mess, and feel free because this is more than encouraged. What a freshness, what a feeling!
