Bocca di Lupo

I was lucky enough to live in Italy for about two years, with an extensive amount of time spent in Tuscany and Rome. Half this time was spent eating. Trust me. The exposure it had on my cooking style and taste buds are more than I can even begin to explain, but because of this exposure, I can and do recognize incredibly good Italian restaurants when see them. Bocca di Lupo is one of them. I came across this place by a good friend who is married to an Italian and with whom I take Italian classes with in fact. We have foodie conversations in Italian, which is quite funny as we both know all the weird crazy specialty Italian dishes. So when she mentioned this place, I had a hunch it would be pretty incredible…so another friend and I decided to do the truffle tasting, which she had highly recommended. We could only book the bar, but that turned out to be the best seat in the house really, as the food theatre that was going on couldn’t have been cooler. I also really like the simplicity and chillness of the place- no pretence and superficialness anywhere in sight. Even the pots and pans had uniformity to them, all silver and shining and noticeably inexpensive. The chefs at work had a sort of calmness that was pretty impressive, considering the incredibly bustling crowd. All very slick and all very Roman.

Bocca actually allows you to bring in your own truffle and then highlights on its menu which dishes goes best with the shaved bits of pure pleasure. How cool is that? My friend had purchased a rather lovely one, and we gave it to our waiter whom whisked it off, washed it, and added it to our dishes as they were presented. Truly awesome. Sadly truffle season has passed, and when I came back the menu had changed. But I think it might have even been more than delicious than the first time I came.

Bocca is an Italian restaurant that does primarily small plates, or something like the Venetian Cichetti. What is so delightful about the menu is you can order either a small tapa or a large tapa. This allows you to really walk through many dishes, which is an absolute foodie delight. Also, beside each dish it is labelled as to where in Italy it comes from. For any of you who have lived in Italy or are Italian, you can understand how diverse the cuisine is and it’s not all about Spaghetti Bolognese and Pizza. In fact there is no Pizza or Spaghetti Bolognese on this menu. It’s really fun to learn where each dish originates. They also do very clever dishes that are so distinct to the region only a true insider would know that dish. Its as if each dish is handpicked not only for its deliciousness but also its uniqueness. Jacob Kenedy is the mastermind chef behind this wonderful place, and I had the pleasure of watching him whip out these beautiful little dishes. His confidence and quiet focus were really impressive and captivated all of us at the bar, quite frankly.

When you arrive you are served with a tiny bowl of huge green olives, which are soft and perfect. Also arriving are extremely delicious little bites of foccacia made with onion. It’s a perfect intro of what is to come.

My favourite dish in all of Bocca is the take on the Roman Artichoke “alla Guida” or Jewish, which only comes from the Jewish district in a small are of Rome. The artichokes are squashed and fried whole. It sounds humble and maybe a little boring, but it is probably one of the most delicious Italian dishes that exist. Normally they are huge and as a starter almost to big to eat the whole thing. At Bocca they do the baby ones and it is the perfect size for a little tasting. They are delicate and crisp and look like little golden flowers. The inside is soft and silky, a great contrast to the crunchy fried leaves.

There is an outstanding tartar they do out of very lean venison that is made incredibly simple, with capers, parmesan, and bits of polenta for texture. I had this with the truffle the first time and almost fell off the bar stool it was so sublime. They do a little fried section and we had the fried squid with those baby Sicilian red prawns, that are quite rare. They even bother to give you extra fried shrimp heads, which for some of us is real treat. The batter is delicate and light and the squid and prawns soft and fresh. There were also tiny slivers of fried orange that had a lovely citrus contrast to the seafood and perked it up perfectly. Almost everything is served with a wedge of lemon only, which I really liked the cleanness and simplicity of.

The sea bream Carpaccio is fresh, silky, and interesting. It is served with what tasted like rosemary oil and orange zest shaved on top. Also, Bocca obviously understands the importance of good Olive Oil, as it shines through everything you eat, and in a subtle way that only enhances, not disrupts.

Another dish I have ordered both times I have visited is the Puntarelle. This is a very rare dish and have seen it only on menus in Rome and once in Milan. It’s a seasonal lettuce type vegetable that you cannot get in London, so when I see it I cant resist it. It has a bitter aftertaste but somehow is strangely very addictive, and most Italians adore it. It is made with crushed anchovies so it is a little salty and fishy but not in a bad way- trust me.

They also have an assortment of seasonal birds on the Winter menu. I saw a perfectly roasted Quail, and although I didn’t try it, I was quite envious of the person that did. In fact all the dishes that were coming out were rather beautiful, all looking simple and perfectly cooked- which for me is when true Italian food is done at its best.

I am dying to try the braised Escarole with anchovy, pine nuts, and raisins and the Cime di Rapa with garlic and chilli, which is a dish from Puglia that is also very hard to find if at all here in London. It is a lovely bitter green that is sort of like broccoli rabe. Again, a dish chosen for its uniqueness and speciality. I simply love that this is a side dish. A little boy and his father sat next to us and I spied him happily slurping down a small plate of perfect looking Spaghettini (little spaghetti) with a side of steaming mussels served with big chunks of celery, fennel, and thyme. I cant wait to keep coming back and trying all the little dishes as there are so many to choose from and each seem so special and well thought out.

I am happy to say this has to be one of the best Italian Restaurants in London. We are lucky to have it in our city, and I am absolutely excited for my next experience there. That being said, I had better hurry before they change the menu again.