Joia restaurant

This week I was in Milan for work and I had the chance to have dinner at Joia Kitchen,  the bistro of the Michelin starred vegetarian restaurant Joia that proposes dishes by master and chef Pietro Leeman at affordable prices. I was there with my dear friend Francesca, journalist at Il Sole 24 Ore, and together we shared one of the most amazing food experience.

When I said that I was celiac, they had absolutely no problem to adapt each dish of the menu for me. At Joia, I have to say, they really know how to take care of people’s needs and I could enjoy every dish, from the beginning to the end of our 4 meals course.

The winter menu celebrated artichokes in different ways – I am a big fan of artichokes and I was very pleased to find it out.

For antipasto, we had terrina of sweet scorzonera with carpaccio of artichokes and avocado. To replace bread, I had fresh gluten free corn blinis, light and tasty. As main course, we enjoyed an excellent risotto with artichokes and small pumpkin cubes, prepared with rice from Gabriele Corti’s Cascina Caremma, freshly grinded pepper and mint. The best risotto that I have ever had.
After we ate buckwheat crepe with artichokes, radicchio, topinambour, vegan béarnaise sauce with pumpkin and orange, cannellini beans cream.
For dessert, I had a wonderful gluten free apples “tarte tatin” with buckwheat biscuit, cashew ice cream with strawberry grape and cinnamon sauce. Delicious!

This incredible menu for just 35€ per person including water + coffee, and for lunch, they tell me, the Joia Kitchen Bistro offers menus at 12€…! I don’t need to say more, all the savoir faire, the knowledge, the research of one of the greatest Italian chef at prices that are affordable: going to Joia is definitely a great joy.

Grazie Pietro Leeman!