Malocchio in the city centre has been a sensation since opening 13 months ago.
It’s only been open for a year and is the hottest Italian spot in the country – but Malocchio has just unveiled a fourth new menu.
Owner and concept creator Romano Perella admits he never intended to change things up so frequently.
But he says he and the team at Malocchio have found the small plates take on modern Italian food so much fun that they enjoy playing around with dishes and surprising customers.
Romano said: “The whole small plates thing is a different world. Obviously I grew into the industry with traditional Italian heritage and our restaurant Amore.
“But taking authentic Italian food to a modern concept and then further twisting it to small plates has been a revelation for us – the customers love it but for us it has been an absolute game changer.
“It’s just so much fun for the entire team, there’s a whole other dimension added.
“I honestly love nothing more than seeing people’s eyes light up when all the small plates come to their table, they see all these stunning dishes and ideas brought to life, and they see lots of them in one meal.
“I never intended to have menu changes four times a year, if anything we thought it would be a settled menu with the odd minor tweak.
“But we are loving experimenting, building on what we see get big reactions and refining things – it’s incredibly enjoyable and rewarding for the team and myself.”
Romano is thrilled his concept has been such a huge hit and recently revealed he is launching two new – very different – concepts in empty units in the city centre.
He still won’t let slip what they are but his passion for the world of food opened up by his small plates idea at Malocchio is perhaps a hint.
“It’s brilliant – the team we have there now is phenomenal. We were good when we opened but now it’s next level, it’s a very different way of working and an adjustment.
“Now we have a truly stellar group of chefs and front of house all working together very, very well – the core is right and that just takes time.
“So they are always coming up with ideas and so am I – that’s where the new menus come from.
“Really though it’s just about us trying to be better every day, every menu. The goal is to be better than the previous version.”
There are some big changes in menu 4.0, with dishes like cheesecake going, the much-loved carrots having a new twist and a slightly out-there salad dropping.
“On our cicchetti section, we have Cerignola olives with bloody mary sugo which gives the olives we had on previously a bit of a fresh twist – spices it up.
“Capocollo Toscana with Guindilla peppers is a different platter dish with these great peppers alongside capocollo.
“The spiced pumpkin and fennel salad with ricotta salata and buttermilk dressing is something we came up with here blending classical elements in a fresh way.
“And it comes with pane carasau which is a beautiful Sardinian dry bread – takes me back there right away.
“We have introduced Arancini, a dish everyone knows and loves, with porcini mushroom, sherry vinegar, parmesan. We did this as a special and it flew so here it is.
“Another new one is our roasted cauliflower wedge, honey glazed with brown butter, chilli, mascarpone – it’s the same dish as the carrots, we have just switched up the vegetable to cauliflower, a big chunky wedge which works so well.”
The carbonara from menu one returns but in a really different way with Parma ham crumb
“On to the fresh house made pasta – the carbonara from menu one returns but in a really different way with Parma ham crumb.
“We have also added handmade cappellacci parcels with papalina filling, which was created as a tribute to the pope in a little place in Rome a long time ago.
“It’s not that well known but I tried it and it stayed in my head so we have done our own take on it.
“It’s really good – San Daniele Parma ham, truffle butter and this unusual pasta shape.
“Our gnocchi return but this time with a really classic combination of gorgonzola dolce and Sorrento walnuts .
“We have switched up our ragu to slow cooked lamb shoulder. This is beautiful and just the thing for this colder time – sugo, Barolo wine, Sicilian agrodolce, pappardelle and meltingly tender lamb.
“On our proteins, there’s a new fried cheese dish which is stunning. Fried provolone with sugo and basil oil.
“Everywhere fries mozzarella – this is a different level and a much, much better cheese to build the dish around.
“And we have brought in a beautiful scallop dish using these sensational hand-dived Scottish scallops and serving simply with romesco sauce, basil oil, crispy capers.”
As well as the general concept, two real key elements of the Malocchio experience are the pizzettes and the desserts.
These pop up on every socials post with good reason – but they’re still not safe from change.
“On the pizzettes we bring in a very simple but delicious confit garlic, basil oil and charred sweetcorn option.
“Also the fried pizzette with confit grapes marsala, San Daniele parma ham – that dish was previously a burrata plate but we’ve twisted it up Glasgow-style and put it on our fried pizzette.
“And the one I may get a bit of grief for – the cheesecake is no more but we have replaced it with something I think is even more special. So try it first!
“It’s a superb chocolate cremo with Italian meringue, salted caramel, cacao crumb. Trust me.”
And you can see almost every dish on their website at https://malocchio.co.uk/food.
