When I watched the second season of "Master of None" on Netflix, I wanted to hop on a plane and go to Italy. It filmed in a small town called Modena, showing the true backbones of the country. I am not ashamed to admit that my husband and I decided to add Modena to our Italy itinerary because of this show. Modena has an amazing food culture so we decided to dine at one Michelin star restaurant, Antica Moka.
Antica Moka is a family-run restaurant with the mother, Anna Maria in the kitchen and her son in front of the house. Anna Maria comes from a family of cheesemakers while her husband, Giuseppe is the founder of Giuseppe balsamic vinegar, one of the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. If that doesn't impress you, Antica Moka has one of the most extensive wine cellars boasting over 900 wines.
There are two tasting menus: the "Our Tradition" and the "All at Sea." Although I wanted to try both, we ordered the seafood option.
We started dinner with tuttocrudo. Call me Asian, but I like to think of this as Italian sushi. Finished with extra virgin olive oil, the course was fresh and light.
The second course was my favorite of the night, lobster burrata. You can never go wrong with creamy burrata, fresh tomatoes, steamed lobster and basil.
Next, we had squid ink pasta with scallops, mullet roe, and cream of shellfish. The pasta was perfectly cooked and although it was paired with a creamy sauce, the dish did not feel heavy.
The tortellini in brodo was the dish to order at Antica Moka. Unfortunately, tortellini in brodo is not on the seafood tasting menu. However, we did have the opportunity to taste the fish tortellini. I will say, I am still curious to try the tortellini in brodo if we return.
Following the tortellini was mackerel with kalamata olives, lemon, and cabbage.
The last course before the desserts was a grilled tuna in pistachio crust with venus rice and bergamot mayonnaise.
A bonus dessert of chocolate macaron with chocolate and lemon sauce.
And we come to the final course, a semifreddo with lime and ginger yogurt and rhubarb soup.
The highlight of the night was when the chef, Anna Maria came to greet all of the guests. You can tell that her passion for food has not dulled even after many years.
And that concludes our experience at Antica Moka. Stay tuned for the next adventure, Venice in 1 Day.
Next up: Venice in 1 Day.
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