New Head Chef Marco Erba Brings the Culinary Flair of his Homeland to Boccalino at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul announces the appointment of Milanese culinary artist Marco Erba as Head Chef of its Italian restaurant Boccalino. Combining dazzling expertise honed across the globe with an Italian passion for storytelling through ingredients, Chef Erba is set to bring an uplifting dose of la dolce vita to the city that never sleeps.

“As a veteran chef with more than ten years of experience at Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels in Europe and Asia, Chef Erba is well known for his talent in the industry and we’re delighted to have him with us,” comments Alejandro Bernabé, General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. “Merging that innate skill with his ability to successfully lead a team as showcased time and again, I have no doubt he will take Boccalino’s offerings to the next level.”

Chef Erba’s stellar career began at ALMA – The International School of Italian Cuisine, before his ambition and talent saw him landing his first training positions in Italian Michelin-starred restaurants, La Madia (2 Michelin stars) and La Cassolette at Mont Blanc Hotel Village (1 Michelin star).

As Sous Chef at Al Pont de Ferr Restaurant in Milan, Chef Erba further honed his skills under what he describes as the “wise guidance” of Michelin starred Chef Vittorio Fusari. He then stepped confidently into head chef roles in five-star luxury hotels in China and, most recently, in Qatar leading a pre-opening team at Il Galante Italian Restaurant at Banyan Tree Hotel, Doha. Having travelled extensively in Asia, Chef Erba is excited to return and share his creative dedication to the food of his homeland.

Italian cuisine is renowned for an extraordinary depth of flavour gained through just a few high quality ingredients. For Chef Erba, that means sourcing seasonally from local suppliers to ensure the freshest tastes. “Korea’s four distinct seasons are a perfect match for Italian cooking,” he says. “From vibrant vegetables to beef and pork, it’s a pleasure to craft Italian dishes that embody this natural and versatile abundance.”

Having lived in different regions across Italy, Chef Erba weaves unique flavours and variety from each into his authentic recipes. It’s this insight and expertise he’ll be sharing with the Boccalino team, but his most important feedback comes from the guests themselves. “Whenever I get the time I come out of the kitchen and talk directly to guests," he says with his characteristic warm smile. “My philosophy is to only serve food that I enjoy, and I want to know that they’re enjoying it too.“

Bringing the tantalising tastes of Italy’s sun-kissed shores to Seoul, highlights of Chef Erba’s fresh new menus include:

• Carpaccio Tonnato – an artful merging of two Italian favourites: Vitello Tonnato (cold sliced veal) and carpaccio cuisine from the Northwestern Piedmont region.
• Gnocchi alla Siciliana - a traditional Sicilian dish of macaroni pasta in rich tomato sauce with eggplant, cheese, and basil in a gnocchi style.
• Guancia di Manzo alla Milanese – melt-in-the-mouth braised beef cheek in homage to Chef Erba’s hometown of Milan.

Showcasing these seasonal dishes and many more, Boccalino’s à la carte menus are available from March 23 to June 21, 2022 with prices ranging from KRW 34,000 to KRW 120,000 (including VAT).

Located on the 2nd floor of Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Boccalino’s sun-drenched marble walls, gleaming metal accents and cognac leather banquettes echo the warm luxury of Italy’s elegant palazzos and buzzing piazzas. Enhancing the lively feel, guests can enjoy the chef’s dynamic creativity through the restaurant’s open kitchen.