“The palate must always be pampered and never upset.”Giovanni Santoro
Giovanni Santoro, Michelin-starred chef at the Shalai Etna restaurant
The starred chef of Shalai
The chef, Giovanni Santoro, was born Linguaglossa in 1983, a town on the slopes of Mount Etna, close to Catania. His hometown, on the slopes of ‘A Muntagna’ (as the locals call Mount Etna) taught him a sense of taste that draws from the harmony between the land and its products, which he has spent years refining all through his previous experiences in restaurants all over Italy and along the Sicilian coasts. In his cuisine Santoro brings together the defining elements of his hometown, dressing them in his cherished memories of cosy Sicilian Sundays with family, and his grandmother’s sauces. Santoro’s style has earned him a Michelin Star in 2015, which has been reconfirmed year after year up until today, as well as other important awards.
Tradition meets contamination
In his dishes, Giovanni Santoro tells stories of Sicilian village festivities with loved ones, of the generous and welcoming world in which he grew up. The match between this chef’s sensibility and the concepts behind Shalai was natural, almost destiny. The newly-founded restaurant offered Santoro the opportunity to continue cultivating his talent with the richness of the products offered by the slopes of Mount Etna.
