AUTHOR'S DINNER #13
2 December 2025

Japanese cuisine meets contemporary pizza

4-handed dinner with tasting of traditional Japanese teas and Piedmontese rice “saké

Chef:

Yucci

Yuka Cho

Pizza chef

Davide Di Bilio

Fuori Tempo, in Chieri (To) and Canale (Cn)

Tea master

Kiyoto Iba

Sencha House

Piedmontese rice “saké”

Gabriele Conte

InFermento Spirits

Live music:

Nicola Meloni

(jazz pianist)

Master of ceremony:

Danilo Poggio

(food and wine journalist)

The menu

ENTRÉE: BAO

Bao with teriyaki-glazed chicken and olive oil mayonnaise
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GREEN JAPAN“ GOURMET PIZZA”

TOPPINGburrata cheese, wasabi sauce, edamame (Japanese green soya beans), green tea sauce and dried whitebait.
PAST: sprouted barley flour, sprouted rice flour, malted wheat flour
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TAMAGO SAND“ STUFFED FOCACCIA”

Japanese sandwich with soft egg, crispy fried capers, mayonnaise and fresh parsley.
PASTspelt flour, chickpea flour and sprouted grain flour
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THE CHEF'S DISH: “SUSHI BREAD”

Three sushi bread creations, served on a mat of new oil and red egg sauce with white soya.
1. Marinated tuna with soy sauce and mirin, accompanied by stewed leeks
2. Namerou of white fish, marinated in miso and yuzu
3. Marinated raw meat with green tea and kombu seaweed
PAST: semi wholemeal flour type 1 with sencha tea
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DESSERT

Matcha tea warabimochi

Traditional Japanese cake with a soft and light texture, scented with matcha green tea.

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Tea Tasting

Tasting of 3 varieties of traditional Japanese tea, prepared and narrated by Iba Kiyoto (Sencha House).

Piedmontese rice “saké” tasting

“Nèir”, the first Piedmontese rice sake, narrated by creator Gabriele Conte (Infermento Spirits).

Coffee

Guests of the evening

Yuka Cho (Yucci)

Chef and Olive Oil Sommelier

Arrived in Italy in 2020 to explore new ways of experiencing olive oil, from 2021 it started in Tuscany the production of extra virgin oil, the “YUCCI BLEND”.”, which she created herself, designed especially to accompany Japanese cuisine. She gained her experience as a chef at La Credenza, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Turin. Today, he offers cuisine that combines Japanese elegance with authentic Italian flavours, through private dinners, events and cooking courses in Italy and Japan.

Davide Di Bilio

Fuori Tempo by Canale (Cn) and Chieri (To)

Pizza chef and certified bakery chef, Davide has always attached great importance to his training. He attended the University of Pizza, where he had the privilege of having as teachers Simone Padoan and Renato Bosco, two great masters of contemporary world pizza. Fuori Tempo is considered one of the best pizzerias in Italy, with recognition from the "Three Slices' of Gambero Rossothe presence in the ranking of 50 Top Pizza Italy and in the Pizzeria Guide of Identità Golose.

Kiyoto Iba

Sencha House

Born in Japan and raised in Italy, Kiyoto Iba has built his career through communication, design and contemporary art. He has held management positions in international agencies and galleries, in 2024 he founded “Sencha House” together with Kenta Ikeda, a Japanese tea master and producer in Kagoshima. With Sencha House, Kiyoto combines Japanese roots and Western sensibilities, project that celebrates the essence of the Japanese green tea through harmony, design and cultural innovation. Through this journey, Kiyoto explores how Japanese culture can dialogue with the modern world, transforming the gesture of tea into a universal language of beauty and awareness.

Sencha House: tea excellence

Sencha House was born from the vision to bring the authentic Japanese tea experience to the world, strengthened by the collaboration with Ikeda Seicha, a historic Kagoshima-based company founded in 1945. At the helm of the project is Kenta Ikeda, one of the world's leading authorities on tea. His experience, gained at a young age in the family workshop, fuels the ambition of Sencha House: to innovate without betraying tradition. Through well-curated products and a contemporary approach, Sencha House presents itself as a new benchmark for Japanese tea on the international scene.

Gabriele Conte

Infermento Spirits, Turin

Gabriele Conte, after years of experience in the Piedmontese rice sector, has embarked on a new adventure with Infermen.TO, a line of spirits that combines Italian tradition and innovation. This combination stems from themeeting between typical liqueurs and fermented rice, creating a unique link between East and West, without losing its roots in the Piedmont region. In 2025 he started a new project: the Brillo Distilleries in Cafasse (To). infermentospirits.co.uk distilleriebrillo.it

“Nèir”: a tribute to the thousand-year-old culture of sake

In Japan, sake literally means “alcoholic beverage”. Obtained by fermenting rice, it is a symbol of a thousand-year-old, mythological culture. The fermentation at the base of our liqueurs is not intended to imitate the oriental spirit, but to pay homage to it. The fermentation of our rice is in fact carried out using European yeasts, which, while maintaining the character of the oriental fermented product, enriches it with the typical aromas of brassic fermentation. Our precious rice ferment is blended with fine local herbs and the most exotic spices.

Nicola Meloni

Jazz pianist

Nicola Meloni studied classical piano at the Conservatory of Cagliari and jazz piano and composition at the Conservatory of Turin; at the same time, he furthered his study of keyboards, synthesisers and guitar. Alongside his experiences as a composer and multi-instrumentalist in various musical and theatrical projects, he has also worked as a composer/music producer for video works and advertisements, as well as a teacher. In 2020, he released 'De Magno Opere', a concept of original compositions, followed in 2021 by the EP Mura Domestiche.

The evening is hosted by journalist

Danilo Poggio

Danilo Poggio is not only a professional journalistbut also a oeno-enthusiastby descent, by vocation and by choice. Certified wine tasterHe serves on juries for wine and gastronomic competitions and writes in the oldest and most prestigious national wine and food magazine. For over 15 years he has been talking about food and wine on radio and TV and at many live events around Italy.