Pidgin’s Adolfo De Cecco to open London restaurant

The former head chef of Hackney-based restaurant Pidgin is to open his first solo venture, called Casa Fofó, in Clapton.

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Casa Fofó follows De Cecco’s tenure at Pidgin, which was opened by James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy in Hackney in 2015.

Named after De Cecco’s grandfather, Casa Fofó will serve a five to seven course tasting menu that changes daily, with dishes influenced by cuisines from across the globe.

Served on ceramics made by Sam Marks, a menu of small bites will offer diners dishes such as beef fat pommes darphin, and a tempura shiso leaf with retired dairy cow beef tartare and XO sabayon.

The main menu will feature dishes such as: almond tortello in cock crab; brown butter “tom yum” broth; a yeast and shoaxing wine glazed Middle White pork; tomato sambal-marinated lettuce and sweet-and-sour peanut jus; and a Mah Kwan pepper croqueline with shio koji mascarpone, lovage and berries.

The 28-cover restaurant will open on the site formerly occupied by Pizzeria Lardo Bebbe, with the main room offering seats for sixteen guests and a communal table in the basement seating a further twelve.

Beginning his career as a kitchen porter at an Italian restaurant in Amsterdam, De Cecco has worked at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Perbellini in Verona, Tetsuya’s in Sydney and Galvin at Windows in London.

On opening Casa Fofó, De Cecco said it will be a “very challenging” but “exciting moment” in his career.

Casa Fofó will open in April.