[Chef's Table] Re-Imagined Italian Fine Dining w/ Dario Dong

In a city where new restaurants open as quickly as trends shift, it takes something truly singular to cut through the noise. Tucked away in a quiet lane of Shanghai's buzzy Jing'an District, Cucina di Dario doesn't shout for attention – it draws you in with the soft hum of precision and passion. Here, at a chef's table with only 10 seats, a young Chinese chef is quietly redefining Italian fine dining.

At just 28, Dario Dong – raised in Qingtian County in Zhejiang Province and later grew up in Vicenza in Veneto region of Italy – has already lived a culinary life many chefs twice his age would envy. Trained under Gianluca Tomasi, coach of the Italian National Culinary Team and honored as a Chinese chef to earn the FIC (Federazione Italiana Cuochi) honorary chef title, Dario's journey has been one of grit, grind and gutsy choices.

Now back in China, he's turned a deeply personal food philosophy into Cucina di Dario, where seasonal ingredients, quietly bold flavors and story-rich dishes come together in a dining experience that feels more like being in someone's home than in a high-end restaurant.

There's no pomp or pretense here, and no overly complex seasonings or elaborate plating. Just pristine produce, precise techniques and an unwavering devotion to honoring both his Italian training and Chinese roots. This is not Italian fusion. This is something else entirely: intimate, idiosyncratic and earnestly sincere.

CNS: Dario, share with us your background.

Dario: Yes, of course. My name is Dario Dong. Before I was 5, I grew up in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province with my grandmother. She was a village chef, always cooking for big banquets. I remember following her everywhere, watching how she prepared all the dishes. Even at that young age, I started to learn many things about food, about how to cook.

Later after 6 years old, I went to school, but it was quite different for me. I spent part of my time in Vincenza, in the Veneto region of Italy, and part of my time back in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. So I grew up between two different cultures. Very different cultures. I think that experience – it really shaped how I see food, how I understand life. Eventually, when I was 12, we stopped moving, and I lived in Italy since then.

In Italy, when I began working in the culinary world, I was lucky to have a great mentor, Gianluca Tomasi. He taught me so much and brought me to many international competitions and big events.

CNS: So you grew up around food. Were there any early food memories that stuck with you?

Dario: Oh yes, from my grandma's recipes: Qingtian-style glutinous sweet rice cake. The rice flour used was ground by hand using a traditional stone mill, and then she would steam it for over 20 hours. Another favorite is shredded sweet potato rice – a simple home dish where rice is steamed together with finely shredded sweet potato, infusing it with sweetness and texture. Those two – I can still remember their flavors.

CNS: Was there a moment when you thought – okay, that's what I want to do with my life?

Dario: At that time, I was in middle school in Vicenza. It was a church school, and my homeroom teacher, she was a sister, a nun. You know, for someone like me, always moving between different schools, different places, of course, my grades were not so good. So, my teacher, she suggested some options for me to think about.

I tried mechanic repair first, but honestly, I did not like it. Then, I tried hairdressing – it wasn't my style, I didn't like it so much. Even graphic design... I tried that too, but it just didn't feel right.

But then, I tried a cooking class. I remember they gave me a piece of beef to break down. I did it, and the teacher praised me. He asked me, "Why do you enjoy this?" And I just said, "I love to eat." That's how I started my culinary training. I was just 14 years old.

CNS: Tell us about your mentor Gianluca Tomasi. He seems to have a big impact on you, right?

Dario: Gianluca... he first came to our school to teach one time. He's from Vincenza, just like where I studied. Later, I had the chance to really learn from him. Big impact, yes. He was the first person to truly show me what a "kitchen" is – not just a place to cook, but a place with its own rules, its own spirit. He taught me what it means to be a "chef," and even what a "sustainable kitchen" looks like.

He's the general manager of the Italian National Chefs Team. He leads them to gold medals in so many big competitions. But, you know, even with all this recognition, he chose to open a small deli just outside Vincenza, where he grew up. Not a fancy restaurant, just a deli. He wanted to bring back the joy of food to his hometown – good ingredients, good food, but at a price people can afford.

He doesn't chase Michelin stars. Gianluca always focused on education, on mentorship. Many young chefs he trained, they went on to earn Michelin stars themselves. But for him, the most important thing is nurturing the next generation – he believes it's the key to a sustainable future for the culinary world. That philosophy really inspired me, and I try to bring that same spirit to my kitchen here, supporting our chefs to join international competitions, to learn, to grow.

CNS: What's one piece of advice from him that you carry with you everyday in the kitchen?

Dario: He once said: "Bimbo, you need to understand one thing – a quote from the Bible, 'the greatest is also the smallest, and the smallest is also the greatest.'" That deeply inspired my philosophy in the kitchen: mutual support and love.

CNS: You've steadily built a career in Italy. What made you decide to come back to China?

Dario: I met my wife Vivi when I taught a cooking class in Shanghai in 2019. I was still living in Italy at the time, and ended up coming back to Shanghai from Italy five times during the pandemic to visit her. I was originally working at La Cucina di Crema on an Italian estate, but eventually, I came here to be with her. We got married and I decided to stay in Shanghai.

CNS: How did the idea for Cucina di Dario come about?

Dario: Before opening Cucina di Dario, I ran a private dining studio called Casa di Dario, mainly for friends, with just one table per night I budgeted for a monthly loss of 30,000 yuan (US$4,163.5), so... around 360,000 yuan a year. You could say it was like a personally funded "test run." I tested and built relationships with the suppliers I work with today, and it gave me a deep understanding of local ingredients.

Cucian di Dario officially opened at beginning of this year. My vision was to create an intimate dining experience, inspired by the Japanese omakase – face-to-face interaction between chef and guest. Only 10 seats at the bar, it's the first of its kind in China for Italian cuisine. I hope it evolves into a platform, because like my mentor, I would like to develop talented young chefs in China as well.

CNS: Tell us about the current tasting menu.

Dario: Our tasting menu, it starts with house-made olive and mustard green bread. We serve it with a Veneto-style fermented toothfish spread. It's very unique. Instead of traditional antipasti, we do something different – we serve three bite-sized "fingers": Dario's biscuit, dim sum and taco.

The idea of "fingers," it actually comes from my mentor, Gianluca. He always say that with finger food, guests can try more flavors, more ideas in just one meal. So, I want to bring that same experience here.

One of my favorite things on the menu are the 15-year Siberian sturgeon caviar with Irish scallop, sea-caught cuttlefish, Chilean green apple and Puglian burrata with soy sauce. This dish, it really shows my "five-pointed star" rule. You know, sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salty – all five, they must be balanced, like points of a star.

We even have custom-made caviar for this. The salt content, it's very carefully controlled. This way, it won't disturb the star's balance. For me, this balance is very important.

The journey continues with Dario's Gillardeau oyster, elegantly paired with Dormiti mountain water and Fujian spring water soy. A crisp, palate-cleansing salad follows, setting the stage for a saffron-infused red prawn risotto and a Fullblood M9+ Wagyu steak, seared to perfection.

To conclude, the tiramisu – a tribute to tradition with a twist. Prepared with authentic mascarpone and panettone instead of ladyfingers, it's crafted to harmonize with the Chinese palate: moist, naturally sweet, never cloying. I'll always keep it on the menu; my mentor once told me to bring the "correct" tiramisu to China.

We don't use too many complicated seasonings or fancy plating – sometimes just a little salt is enough. Of course, we want to give the best to our guests, so we use competition-grade Alvita olive oils – the yellow and green labels – from Marsicani estate, and Modena balsamic that's aged 50 to 80 years in juniper barrels.

We also focus a lot on the right temperature and the real taste of the ingredients. For me, the best part is not just cooking; it's the food itself. I believe food has its own feeling, its own warmth. Like Michelangelo said, "I only set David free from the marble."

CNS: What's the biggest difference between classic Italian fine dining and your approach on Italian cuisine?

Dario: Japanese interpretations of French cuisine are celebrated worldwide – so why not, one day, introduce a Chinese interpretation of Italian cuisine? If I simply followed the classic path like many of my Italian peers, I'd miss the chance to bring something uniquely Chinese to the table, or even reimagine the classics in a fresh way. Where's the surprise in that? My goal is to blend the best of both cultures, creating food that's not only more exciting but still deeply rooted in Italian tradition.

CNS: Where do you go in Shanghai for a meal that inspires you?

Dario: Tai'an Table and Da Vittorio Shanghai. I've learnt a lot from both – especially for their seriousness and philosophy. Da Vittorio offers a well-rounded experience with great taste, the right pacing and just the right touch. And for Tai'an Table, their approach is something every young chef should study – the frequency of menu changes and their deep understanding of ingredients are truly impressive.

If you go:

To make a reservation add their WeChat: Dario1674

Tel: 177-0212-3723

Average price: 1,580 yuan (choose fish or beef main course) / 1,980 yuan (complete journey), with a 10-percent service charge.

Address: 1101 Wuding Rd, Jing'an District

静安区武定路1101号