Head Chef Andrea De Paola of Altro Zafferano resists the trappings of modern dining —fads and frivolities — and dishes out what South Italian cuisine and he has been doing so immaculately: bringing people to the table for a good time.
Congratulations on the restaurant’s 10th anniversary. Are you a chef who looks back to look forward, or do you look instead to the future?
I always look into the origins of traditional Italian dishes for inspiration and love discovering classic dishes that are rarely offered in restaurants. It’s an exciting journey for me, especially when I can extract elements from these recipes and highlight them in dishes to bring traditional flavours back to dining tables.
Quality produce from Italy, and other countries are executed with modern techniques at Altro Zafferano.
The dishes are presented in a refined style tha tappeals to today’s diners. With this in mind, we are determined to deliver wonderful dining experiences to all guests.
Do you have a candid way of describing what South Italian cuisine is?
To me, South Italian food is amore — it is about love and how we always cook with love. In the famous song about Naples by Dean Martin, he compares the beauty ofpassion and romance with a Neapolitan dish in the lyric: “When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasul, that’s amore!
Chefs usually say that childhood memories inform their food. Can you share three memories in your life — youth, adulthood, and your time inSingapore — that have influenced the new menu?
I will never forget the summer holidays with my grandmother. She was always in the kitchen, and because I wanted to spend time with her, I ended up learning to cook from her. She guided me when I made my first tomato sauce at nine years old, and this has remained one of my most precious memories. The appetiser Spaghetti with San Marzano Tomato and Oregano celebrates this memory.
Although it looks like a simple pasta dish dressed with confit tomato powder, the flavours are so intense and lively. It’s a celebration of the tomato sauce in the classic Pasta al Pomodoro.
I was back in Naples this year for my wedding, and my wife and I spen tour honeymoon travelling along the Amalfi Coast. When you have lived in a place for a long time, sometimes you miss the bigger picture and forget to appreciate home’s beauty. This time, going back home was an incredible experience after being away for the past three years while viewing my hometown from a tourist’s perspective.
I spent many days with my aunts and uncles, learning about the fruits and vegetables they grow and how they prepare them for us. The Summer Garden with Pistachio Milk and Saffron Caciotta Cheese is a collection of seasonal vegetables prepared with various techniques to harmonise textures and flavours. The vegetables are served with pistachio milk and a saffron caciotta parfait.
When my mother came to Singapore for a holiday, her visit highlighted how Neapolitans adapt wherever they go. We could not always accompany her, so she travelled around Singapore on her own, including trips to the supermarket! She bought ingredients and tried them out multiple times until she managed to prepare amazing dishes that recreated the authenticity of home.
This inspired the House-made Ravioli with Wagyu Beef Genovese and Anchovy Colatur. The ingredients used at Altro Zafferano are different from my mother’s recipe, which features Italian ingredients. Our dish offers a new experience with familiar flavours of the original Pasta alla Genovese presented with a new look.
Do you see a sudden uptick in customers in recent years? I have this theory that the whole “La Vita è Bella” trend has been going so strong thanks to the cinemaand TikTok.
It is fate that you are asking this question – “La Vita è Bella” was my march in song at the church wedding! It’s one of the most emotional songs for me as it expresses so much,even without lyrics. It is beloved because it resonates with people across nations. Life can be beautiful, and huge platforms with international reach, such as cinemas or TikTok, can help to spread this positive outlook.
We noticed that our champagne brunch became extremely popular after the circuit breaker period in 2020, an indication of people cherishing social bonds after spending time apart.
Altro Zafferano means Other Saffron; how did you come up with the name, and do you think you’re putting your stamp on it?
Since the restaurant opened in 2012, Zafferano — Italian for ‘saffron’ — has been established as the showpiece of vibrant, all-around Italian hospitality. This year, as we mark 10years of hosting joyous occasions and building beautiful relationships, we want to celebrate the milestone by creating new experiences.
We wanted to continue having Zafferano included in our name, but at the same time, share that it is anew chapter.
The new name, Altro Zafferano, which we translate as ‘the other Zafferano’, comes with refreshed interiors and new food and wine offerings. Our past regulars will enjoy the familial warmth of our team, and new guests will fall in love with the seamless gastronomy at Altro Zafferano.
What dish from the menu took a long R&D time and why?
The House-made Ravioli with Wagyu Beef Genovese and Anchovy Colatura took some time to perfect. It’s inspired by Pasta alla Genovese, specifically my mother’s recipe, which is one of my favourites. It’s made with slow-cooked beef and onion, and my mother adds her personal touch with anchovies for deeper layers of flavour.
I wanted to recreate these flavours and present them in the Altro Zafferano style that’s different from the original rustic dish. This part was challenging; when I was fine-tuning this dish, the flavours just did not taste like my mother’s. As she happened to be in Singapore, I asked her to cook her Pasta alla Genovese for me again so that I could compare the flavours.
I’m very pleased with the final product. It’s one of the dishes on our menu, which takes on a different approach from our previous chapter and is not version 2.0.
Lastly, how much of a hand did you have on the wine menu? Are you personally a new or old-world wine drinker?
Our wine menu is curated by our sommelier. My team and I work closely with him to discuss the dishes and which wines would pair well with the flavour profiles. I believe that there is no better place than Italy for wines. I also understand that it does depend on the individual wine.
While I lean towards old-world Wines, I have been trying out more new-world wines, and the more I discover, the more I appreciate them!
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