Guglielmo Paolucci

He's one of the pillars at Gong Oriental Attitude almost since the start: he joined in 2017 and is now the executive chef guiding an international brigade of 12 collaborators, many of whom from China, Malaysia and Europe.

Born in Rome in 1984, Paolucci started his career at restaurant Mirabelle inside 5-star luxury hotel Splendid Royal. His most significant experiences include two years as chef de partie at Il Pellicano with two-starred Antonio Guida, one year with starred Michelino Gioia at La Posta Vecchia and one year as sous chef at starred Damiano Nigro in Villa d’Amelia.

A lover of travels, he found his home in this restaurant whose goal is to create a “cultural and gastronomic bridge” between the East and West. Years of research have led him to join two worlds that are only seemingly distant. And so here is a mix of Italian excellences and Oriental ingredients, the use of extra virgin olive oil as well as of complex sauces with fermented soy. He uses fine dining techniques, but the result is simple and elegant on the palate.

«He's our Italian soul, a living encyclopaedia of regional recipes and a careful keeper of the aesthetics of the dish, which are very important for us» owner Giulia Liu, always beside him to discuss Chinese traditions, often says of him.

Among his specialties, raw fish paired with oriental citrus fruits – yuzu, qumquat, and sudachi, an Asian lime – making marinades that are remarkable both in terms of elegance and of lightness.

Among his signature dishes, one he created with Giulia Liu, which fully sums up the philosophy of the restaurant: Golden Raviolo – A tribute to Milano. Here the saffron risotto, “enters” a dim sum with a unique mix of nuances. This results in ravioli made with rice aromatised with saffron, enclosing a soft and tasty sauce with ossobuco. On the base, a cream of saffron risotto. To garnish, a reduction of the jus from the ossobuco and sprouts for a fresh touch. A unique – and delicious way– to enjoy, in a “mouthful”, the Milanese tradition embraced by that of China.