By Joseph Steele.
Boutique pastries and desserts are fast becoming a luxury item in today’s culinary world. None produce such refined confections as Chef Valentina Mora of Bottega Coco.
She is, after all, from Italy where the art of moreish desserts has become part of the national identity. Who can look past a silky sliver of tiramisu? Or a perfectly balanced cannolo?
From sumptuous tarts to Delizia al Limone, Valentina does it all with meticulous precision and a passion that is imbued in every plate.
Valentina’s passion for the sweet started in the historic Gelateria Giavazzi of Rivolta d’Adda. Renowned for brioche and cornetto, the humble beginnings were deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Italian dessert-making, flourishing into a formal education at the prestigious Pica Pastry School of Milan.
Founded by maestro Massimo Pica, Valentina had the opportunity to rub shoulders with dessert juggernauts Karim Bourgi and Johan Martin, all while shaping her culinary prowess under world-class supervision - an experience that benefits Sydney-siders greatly through her outstanding work at Bottega Coco.
The world was calling and Valentina answered - making her way to Ireland where she enriched her skills at the 5-star hotel, Ashford Castle, before the harbour city of Galway beckoned. With it, came the opportunity to work at the 2 Michelin-starred Aniar.
Wild, foraged and uniquely Irish this exceptional venue plays host to an immersive dining experience. Blending her rich Italian roots with global influences and Michelin-worthy techniques, you begin to understand the ethos driving Valentina’s gastronomic career.
Fortunately, the siren song of Australia’s sun-drenched shores was too strong to resist and Valentina landed in Sydney with the promise of delivering humble Italian delights, executed with precision and boy does she deliver.
Bottega Coco has found in Valentina not just a Pastry Chef, but an artist who brings a vision marrying Italian authenticity with the pulsating vibrancy of Sydney’s dining scene. Taking Bottega’s passion for sustainability and fusing it with her promise of memorable, quality-driven desserts is a match made in gastronomic heaven.
It goes without saying Valentina’s confections are the pièce de resistance at the end of a stunning meal at Bottega Coco. Perfectly balanced in every way, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by ordering just one.
The tiramisu, crafted from housemade lady fingers, soaked in a rich coffee syrup and so devilishly shrouded in velvety mascarpone goes hand-in-hand with the cannolo Siciliano. Sweetened sheep ricotta, pistachio, chocolate and candied orange encased in a pastry tube blistered to perfection…it sounds ever-so-indulgent, but believe me, it’s worth every second.
The patisserie menu is a veritable feast of Italian icons and the desire to start at the top and work your way to the bottom is strong. It can be said with confidence, there are worse endeavours to undertake.
Even for those of us who are not lovers of the saccharine, there is always room for Valentina’s desserts.
