Piazza Duomo
Piazza Duomo, the only Michelin three-starred establishment in Alba, is a must-visit, with white truffles that must be fully savored, though a second visit is out of the question.
This restaurant is almost impossible to book during the white truffle season each year. My trip to Italy was planned around a reservation here, prioritizing it over other activities. Yet, the experience fell short of expectations. The white truffles were overpriced; while other restaurants in the area charge 4-6 euros per gram, here they are sold at 14 euros per gram and must be purchased whole, resulting in an average cost of six hundred euros per person. It's not a matter of cost, but the value wasn't there. The white truffle I ordered did not differ significantly in aroma or texture from those I've had for six euros elsewhere. I don't believe this to be the so-called "best white truffle in the world." Local suppliers tell me: almost all restaurants in Alba accept truffles brought by customers, except Piazza Duomo, as this is a key source of profit for them.
The white truffle menu is priced at 290 euros per person, excluding the truffles. This set menu seemed rather perfunctory, identical to last year's, with no significant technical content, and not all dishes were suited for white truffles; several clearly did not pair well.
The environment, though clean and bright, has a layout common to many Italian three-star restaurants, where all seats face a virtual center, unlike the more scattered seating found in domestic restaurants. I also did not find the service particularly professional; my main course arrived while I was in the restroom. After paying, I casually mentioned this to the server, who immediately defended: it's because our dishes are so complex, delicate, and artistic, it's impossible to adjust serving times. I didn't bother to argue, being in a foreign country.
I suspect the only reason this restaurant has three stars is that Alba, with its excellent white truffles and wines, must have a Michelin three-starred restaurant from a list-maker's perspective, and this is the only establishment in town that can be considered fine dining. The owner also owns a large local winery, ensuring the quality of the wine. With the right timing, location, and people, it had to be this one if there had to be one. But in reality, I believe it barely reaches the Michelin 1.5-star level.
The meal began with the selection of truffles. After choosing, pre-meal snacks arrived: soft cheese crackers, meat sauce mashed potatoes, flan, and tenderly stewed cauliflower with sour egg yolk sauce. The meat sauce mashed potatoes were enhanced by the white truffles, elevating the dish from salty to aromatic; the rest could do without.
The first course, "The Sea," was a basic butter scallop stew with vegetables, unremarkable, with or without white truffles.
The second course, "June 18, 1815, mont-saint-jean," references Napoleon's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. The dish's main component was a beef patty layered with chopped mushrooms and meat, a thin omelet, crispbread, and a meaty black truffle sauce with a hint of herbs. Perhaps a dish of sentiment, it didn't complement the white truffle.
The third course, "The Garden," artichoke paired with a cream sauce, was simple but perfectly complemented by white truffles, which elevated the otherwise bland dish.
The fourth course, "The Soil," a thick French-style stewed egg cocotte, a local favorite paired with white truffles, was slightly optimized using quail eggs for a more concentrated flavor, topped with smoked powder. Although it did not significantly enhance the flavor, the dish was cute, and it graces the display section of the Alba White Truffle Museum.
The fifth course, "The Mill," Italian dumplings bursting with juice, paired with raw matsutake sashimi, was also complemented by white truffles.
The sixth course, "The Mountain," veal with beef sauce and a clear beef and mushroom soup, was standard fare for a Michelin-starred restaurant, not particularly suited for truffles.
The seventh course, "2005-2023 evolution milk," had an impressive name but was just various forms of milk ice cream, unmemorable. Additionally, I ordered a chestnut Mont Blanc on the side, which was overly sweet and lacking depth, akin to any streetside dessert shop.
The eighth course, post-meal sweets, employed a quantity over quality strategy with little crisps, hazelnut chocolate balls, chocolate, pure milk, and lemon-flavored treats.
Clearly, this restaurant's menu is standard for a French establishment, requiring little technical skill to replicate. Without innovation or reform in white
truffle cuisine, I felt there was no need to visit.
Some gourmets argue that the white truffle menu's simplicity is meant to highlight the truffles. I find such comforting rhetoric hard to believe, as several dishes on the menu simply do not pair with truffles; they are just plain and simple. Piazza Duomo's three-star status solely illustrates the importance of a good ecological niche.
