It's really a huge passion that binds Claudio Marchisio, the former Juventus midfielder to Sushi, one of the most famous and ancient Japanese culinary concepts, a philosophy introduced in the land of the rising sun in the XNUMXth century by some Buddhist monks who returned from China. According to the dictates of tradition during the first two years, a Sushi apprentice can only watch his own work shokunin and also carry out duties of washing dishes or cleaning floors. Later he will begin to learn the rice cooking technique and only after four years will he be able to learn the art of cutting fish and composing sushi. During this same period you will also learn to buy fish at the market, which requires a lot of experience.
Being a sushi chef was originally a profession barred to women: it was in fact believed that female hands had a higher temperature than male ones, and therefore could ruin the fish during handling.
The atmosphere that reigns starting this month will certainly not be so rigorous Bergamo where the former Juventus champion opened the Legami Sushi&More restaurant, the first in Lombardy, of the chain of four restaurants that the former footballer and his wife Roberta Sinopoli have opened throughout Italy. The new venue is located in the renowned Terrazza Fausti, in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, one of the most exclusive locations in the center of the Bergamo city. Opened by Ezio Gritti, the place was then taken over by Tiziana Fausti and last summer the baton was passed to Roberto Proto with his starry Saraceno sign.
The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner, from Tuesday to Sunday, with approx 70 seats inside and over 80 outside, where you can taste traditional Italian dishes contaminated by Asian culture. In addition there will also be an area dedicated to aperitifs and tastings. As for the prices, a dinner the complete menu (including sushi itineraries), is attested between the 50 and the 70 euro, lunch instead the work menu between the 14 and 20 euro. Leading the kitchen brigade will be the winner of Masterchef 4, Stefano Callegaro.
Claudio Marchisio, who definitively hung up his boots in October 2019, decided to focus on the world of catering some time ago by opening his first Legami Sushi&More in 2016. So with that of Bergamo, the premises belonging to the company founded by Marchisio with three Piedmontese partners rise to 4: the first was opened in Vinovo, in the province of Turin, near the home and the training ground, the second in Arzachena in Sardinia and the third in Rome. And for the future? Another one should open in Emilia Romagna in October, but due to confidentiality issues there are still no details on the matter.
“I had a passion for sushi and I didn't want to travel miles to eat it properly – said the former footballer in reference to the first restaurant -. It was an extraordinary experience, also a professional school, a parallel activity that gradually involved me more and more, especially naturally when I stopped playing".
“Certainly, from there we started by developing a concept that also makes use of an internal training school, also in Vinovo, where both the cooks and the dining room staff are trained, who are assigned roles of responsibility. The rest of the staff is recruited locally as are the suppliers of fresh produce and desserts, the only sector of the menu that we do not produce directly ", added the black and white number 8 who chose the Dario pastry shop in Grumello del Monte.
Following are the first 3 Sushi&More Links:
- Turin, in Vinovo. Just 30 minutes from the historic center of Turin, a few steps from the Juventus Center and the Mondo Juve shopping centre. The first Legami offers the best of Japanese cuisine with a touch of refined modernity. The environment is made up of refined furnishings in a warm setting with oriental scents. Thanks to the open counter, it is possible to enjoy every movement of the Chefs as they make their own creations: edamame, cirashi, sashimi and nigiri.
- Sardinia, in Poltu Quatu on the Costa Smeralda the second Legami is found. Unlike the other 3, the one in Porto Cervo is a seasonal restaurant, open from June to September and only for dinner. At the center always creative fusion recipes. An elegant but intimate space, with attention to every detail that overlooks a natural inlet in front of La Maddalena, between pink granite and Mediterranean vegetation. The location offers a view of a magnificent fjord, where the cliff plunges into the crystalline sea.
- Rome in Via Po 2/A. A prestigious location a few steps from the Villa Borghese garden, the space is spread over 2 floors for a total of 320 m91 and seats 16 in the restaurant and over XNUMX in the lounge bar. The design was studied and created by the Vmaison group. On the ground floor, the brass chandeliers with agate stone inserts blend perfectly with the tropical wallpaper, the oak of the furnishings, the acid green and sand color of the seats. Instead, on the first floor the rooms are more captivating, with black, blackberry and gold that embellish the chandeliers and decorations. There is also a secret room for more reserved customers and the lounge bar, with low armchairs where you can sip your drinks.
A passion that brought the former Juventus star into the world of catering, totally immersed in his business. But not so far from his first love: football. So much so that he will be part of the team of Rai commentators for the European Championships. Marchisio, however, is not the only one to have immersed himself in this sector at the end of his football career. Another example is Alessandro Del Piero, the former world champion opened his restaurant in Los Angeles, naming it with the shirt number that marked his career "N10". Even the former Inter captain, Javier Zanetti, converted to catering by opening the "Bolinero" in Milan. And finally, Papu Gomez (former Atalanta striker) recently opened the "Boedo" in Bergamo, offering the typical dishes of his beloved Argentina.
