Paolo Donei

Chef Paolo Donei's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in the gastronomic culture of Trentino, yet it is simultaneously modern and open to innovative experimentation. His approach is defined by a rigorous search for meaning that extends beyond the personal, embracing his family's heritage, the local community, and the very land itself. He sees his kitchen as a "personal revision" of tradition, strongly anchored in the tastes of memory, but always striving towards a future that is yet to be shaped. A cornerstone of Donei's ethos is his unwavering commitment to the guest, believing that "the customer is the star," not the chef. This philosophy drives initiatives like his "inclusive" six-course menu priced at 20 euros, a deliberate "provocation" designed to challenge the egocentric tendencies of high gastronomy and recenter the focus on hospitality and accessibility. He famously offers to prepare "the best Carbonara in the world" if a guest doesn't find something appealing on his menu, a testament to his belief that "I am not the chef who has to tell you what to eat." This guest-first mindset, inherited from his family's history of transforming Malga Panna from an alpine pasture to a simple trattoria built on "simplicity, love, and resilience," ensures that satisfaction and happiness are the ultimate goals of his cooking. Ingredient sourcing is intrinsically tied to his mountain environment. Donei "nobilitates" what his mountain offers, appropriating typical products such as cheeses, mushrooms (drawing on his father's expertise), game, wild herbs, and berries. He also leverages traditional preservation methods like smoking, brining, preserving under fat, and drying. However, his connection to the territory does not impose limits; while profoundly local, he doesn't shy away from incorporating ingredients like sea fish if they enhance the culinary experience. He challenges culinary fads like "foraging," asserting that it's an ancient necessity for mountain dwellers, not a novel trend, reflecting his pragmatic and respectful understanding of nature's bounty. Chef Paolo Donei's technical mastery lies in his ability to reinterpret Trentino's gastronomic heritage with a refined, modern sensibility, always prioritizing the "substance that the mountain legitimizes." His style eschews "pyrotechnic extravagances" in favor of dishes that offer immediate enjoyment and profound flavor. He expertly applies traditional preservation techniques—smoking meats and cheeses, brining, confit, and drying—to local products, while simultaneously integrating innovative methods and global ingredients to create a unique culinary narrative. His plating is characterized by elegance and a natural aesthetic, subtly complementing the art within the restaurant space. Donei's approach to flavor is marked by sophisticated balance and unexpected contrasts. He orchestrates a symphony of tastes, ranging from the pungent notes of horseradish and pepper, the subtle bitterness of bay leaf, and the refreshing zest of yogurt and citrus, to the rich umami found in sweetbreads and marrow. His dishes demonstrate an acute awareness of texture, such as the skin-crisped trout or the quinoa-crusted venison, adding layers of complexity to each bite. He embraces contemporary pairings, offering a selection of indigenous and French wines alongside thoughtful non-alcoholic options, like the vibrant Red Moon sparkling apple juice. Among his most legendary signature dishes, which exemplify his artistry and technical finesse, are: * **Seducing Malga Butter**: Accompanied by an emulsion of speck and potatoes, crackers, and bread, served alongside a "deceptive" tomato of burrata and stracciatella enrobed in a transparent gelatine of tomato and extra virgin olive oil. * **Mountain Trout with Cabbage and Strawberry Salad**: Trout cooked skin-side for a burnt-crisp texture, its succulent flesh embraced by a lively salad of cabbage and strawberries bathed in a captivating broth of milk, pepper, and pungent horseradish. * **Fusilloni Monograno Felicetti with Cuttlefish**: A dish celebrating mountain-sourced pasta, dressed with a creamy sauce of cuttlefish ink and sardine roe, enriched with butter, and adorned with delicate slivers of cuttlefish simply seasoned with Garda olive oil and salt. * **Risotto with Buttermilk and Watercress**: A nuanced risotto with the gentle flavor of radish, balanced by the bitter press of bay leaf powder and olive oil, freshened by yogurt, and finished with umami-rich sweetbreads and marrow brushed with roast jus. * **Blue Moena Macaron**: A creative savory macaron featuring a soy meringue, beetroot, and vinegar, encapsulating a slice of local Blue Moena cheese from Agriturismo El Mas, served with fermented grapes and apple cubes. * **Venison Fillet with Puffed Quinoa**: A precisely cooked venison fillet, one side coated in a crunchy puffed quinoa crust for a nutty accent, served with a rich Pinot Noir reduction, a vibrant stripe of apricot cream, and a smooth celery cream. * **Moscow Mule "by the Spoon"**: A deconstructed cocktail presented as a granita of lime and other citrus fruits, topped with a foam of ginger beer and vodka in a classic Martini glass. * **"Amnesia" Dessert**: A dessert of profound freshness and balsamic notes, featuring honey and eucalyptus cream, a wild fennel sorbet, all veiled under a tonic foam, hiding lemon meringues, and adorned with gin pearls. * **Chamomile Semifreddo with Peach Gelée**: An aesthetically refined semifreddo with a delicate chamomile base, crowned with a shimmering peach gelée, accompanied by a white chocolate mousse, fermented peaches, and geometrically perfect, transparent cubes of peach liqueur gelatine. * **Mountain Hay and Flower Tisane**: An iconic closing flourish, composed of slow, light-free dried levisticum celery, horsetail, clover flowers, yarrow, calendula, mallow, elderflower, dandelion, chamomile, and orange, served alongside a selection of exquisite small pastries.

Career

• Chef-Owner at Malga Panna, Moena

Mentored by His mother, His grandmother, His parents.