Sitting in the intimate Milanese lounge where Carlotta Perilli welcome guests and taste the dishes of Eugene Boerthe magic of Bu:r comes to life. Here the good is combined with the beautiful, both aesthetically and conceptually. On the set table, the journey is in fact a journey of values in which the material is at the centre. Each dish is an experience, a story that makes each ingredient unique.
The first scent to dominate is the love for Italy, from whose lands Chef Boer captures products that he then translates into creations that become introspective interpretations. Because Eugenio Boer (the Risveglio menu confirms this) starts from tradition, but does not become a slave to it.
He is capable of moulding at will, of twisting or not touching at all as required. In short, the identity is Italian, but there is no lack of contamination and inspiration. And this is how dishes such as 'Una cima alla genovese ma non troppo', which takes the form of a Japanese roll but uses only and exclusively Italian products, are born: a local dish with an oriental feel.
Italian products as are the suppliers: farmsteads and small farmers chosen throughout the country. And here is the second scent, the ethics of choice, the pillar on which Eugenio and Carlotta's gastronomic philosophy is based. "Our will - explains Boer - is to restore dignity to every element, in the kitchen as well as in rooms. In the kitchen, every part of the material must be used wisely and intelligently. Recovering and reusing is an act of conscious choice towards products and towards the environment, understood as an ecosystem of people and territories. It is a recovery that enhances dishes even more, that gives them a deeper meaning. The raw material is a precious heritage to be understood and respected, so that not only the taste of each element arrives on the table but also the thought and history behind them'.
This is the thinking behind the decision to rely on small farmers and producers: it is a journey through supply chains, geography and ecosystems. Why Eugene Boer designs flavours, pairings, techniques and textures with respect for the territory and the people who work in it. The means, and the result of this philosophy of thought, is the complete use of each material.
From the welcome aperitif to dessert, this value thread comes to the table energetic and intense, as are the flavours, to narrate the simplicity of good things. In 'Piselli e Moscardino' the use of the ingredient, peas, is all-round. A cold extract in a cup, obtained from the peel; the fruit inside the black and then sprouts and cuticle powder: the peas are peeled and the skin is dried and pulverised.
And then, one of the great classics, the egg, declined in 'L'uovo caduto nell'orto'. This dish is not only an extraordinary reuse of material, but also a perfect fable of flavours, reminding us how gastronomic traditions are the daughters of simple and genuine gestures. Indeed, the dish is reminiscent of the peasant meal of yesteryear. The Selva egg is garnished with all the vegetables that the garden donates on that day (and therefore change all the time). Vegetables in different consistencies and a dressing made from bitter herbs and the scraps of all the vegetables. And again the waste is the protagonist of the cold extract, which is added to the dandelion and poured onto the plate, but also in the bread, which is served with the egg, those scraps find new life... A story in a plate, as only Eugene Boer can do. "The herbs and vegetables used are different every day,' emphasises the chef. 'They vary according to what the farmers harvest in the gardens, and therefore what we can find in the markets. This causes the vegetables to slightly change the flavour of the dish each time. A variability that underlines the beauty and spontaneity of market cuisine'.
But the concept of respect, appreciation, recovery and dignity does not stop in the kitchen. At Bu:r everything reflects the virtuous cornerstone of sustainability. "We have chosen every material in the room and in the dining room with care and attention," continues the chef. Many details are in eco-friendly cotton and everything, from the menu to the wine list and business cards, is in recycled paper. If you believe in values you need consistency, in every gesture and every choice, every day. Today, I am more and more convinced and aware of those values that have always inspired my gastronomic traits. Over time, they have simply found contemporaneity and continuous evolution and research'.
Research and evolution that now see Boer's 'awakening' (named after the summer menu) in a renewed style that speaks of lightness of concept and substance. "We wanted to create paths," is how the chef describes the Awakening menu, "of precise flavours, impactful yes, but light. Light as are the familiar accompanying gestures, such as the bread trolley in three stages: Ligurian focaccia made with flours from ancient wholemeal grains, rose cake typical of Mantua but savoury and with Mediterranean ingredients, and the loaf, with Italian butter from the Carena farmstead. The Awakening is a menu designed so that a second can anticipate the first courses: the protein before the carbohydrate to make it easier to finish, with a view, precisely, to lightness, but also to research"..
A selection of dishes and producers telling the story of Italy as seen through the eyes of Eugenio Boer: between memory, discovery and fantasy.
A cuisine that goes straight to the heart; because that is always the case when the flavours, together with the values, are undoubtedly true!
Ph. Credits: Marco Varoli
English 
Italian