I’d only spent a few seconds in Sergio and Pasquale Cinotti’s warm Italian eatery in Newport when I felt transported to their hometown of Caserta, nestled between Rome and Naples. It is unmistakably Italian - a picture of sophistication, a low-lit cosy space with elegant furniture, gallons of wine, and an art-covered ceiling in the style of the Sistine Chapel.
That was until Pasquale showed me their dishes. They are fun, really fun - they’ve just seen the restaurant crowned the best in Wales at the AA Hospitality Awards - and they are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. “Is this authentically Italian?” I ask head chef of Gem 42 Sergio in amazement as Pasquale clinks the edible sherry sphere with a hammer around a mascarpone, chocolate and fermented pear. The dessert arrives at the table with the little hammer. It’s a sort of game - an experience of unbeatable indulgence for all the senses.
“No, it isn’t,” Sergio responds proudly. “A lot of the dishes are around the idea of molecular gastronomy. I saw it for the first time when I travelled to El Bulli restaurant in the south of Spain while completing my course at a food academy in Teano. The restaurant now has three Michelin stars.
