Holy smoke!

Holy smoke!

Fresh from Phuket comes The Smokaccia

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Holy smoke!

Chef Ruggero Luca Mascolo's smoked focaccia was a hit when he worked as chef at Amanpuri's Italian restaurant, Arva, in Phuket. Early this year, the Italian chef branched out and turned to making his signature bread a brand.

"Smokaccia is a completely new type of sourdough, made from natural yeast," he says. The bread takes 50 hours from start to finish and what one tastes is beautifully cold-smoked focaccia. The structure is different compared to other breads; it is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a melt-your-mouth sensation when dipped in chef Mascolo's housemade infused olive oils. The light cold smoke and Italian herbs add to the flavour.

When chef Mascolo decided to go solo, he first wanted to set up a wholesale company to sell Smokaccia's to hotels and restaurants, however in the search for a warehouse he stumbled upon a coffeehouse that was for sale. "It made me change my mind and I decided it would be better to introduce The Smokaccia in a more personal setting and to give people the best Smokaccia experience possible," he adds. The Smokaccia houses a trendy Italian café, restaurant and a "laboratory" with an open kitchen, which gives diners an insight into how the bread is made, with it usually being smoked tableside.

The Smokaccia with chef's favourite local burrata (B370) is an Apulian-style half-cut Smokaccia, artisan-made Nonthaburi burrata, 24 months-aged Parma ham and wild rocket. The Smokaccia al peperoni (B370) is a half-cut white sesame Smokaccia bun, Caciocavallo cheese DOP, Capocollo ham DOP and a spicy roasted homemade red bell pepper cream. "It is a combination of ingredients that complement each other well. The sesame bun is inspired by the hamburger buns, which are popular," adds chef Mascolo.

The café also serves the Smokaccia with cold cuts, cheese, local dried fruit, house-made marmalade and jam, burrata dressing and nuts. All washed down with coffee, healthy juices, coffee mocktails and a few Italian wines. "I also make specials like Tiramisu at the moment and a few other dishes," says chef Mascolo.

If you're not in Phuket to savour this bread, fear not. Smokaccia delivers nationwide. The Four Smokaccia gift box (B860) is great and is delivered in a temperature-controlled package with extra virgin homemade infused olive oils, though there are larger gift boxes, too. The boxes arrive with warming instructions in English and Thai, and retains its smoky aroma and taste.


The Smokaccia, 116/4 Moo 3, Cherng Thalay, Phuket / Open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 12-3pm and delivery on Thursday from 8am-8pm / Call 093-113-1201, email info@thesmokaccia.com, visit thesmokaccia.com.

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