EDITOR’S Note

More than a quarter of the foreign residents in China live in Shanghai, with many of them calling the city their second home. Foreigners have long had an impact on the cultural history and diversity of Shanghai. Their presence offers fascinating glimpses into the differences and similarities of cultural influences. Every month, iDeal talks with some of those expats about the fun and frustrations of living in a different culture.

This month our attention turns to Italy, where the Milan World Expo has just opened. There are around 5,000 Italian expats living in Shanghai. Most of them work for Italian companies or corporations from other countries.

To many Chinese, Italy is synonymous with sun-kissed vineyards, Mediterranean cuisine, creative fashion design, music, art and architecture. An increasing number of authentic Italian restaurants, wine lounges and gelato shops have opened in the city, offering Shanghai residents a taste of the renowned “boot of Europe.”

We explore the delights of Italy in a tale of two cities: Milan and Naples.

City’s contrasts charm architect

“I found Shanghai big, loud, chaotic and also profound, charming, intense, mysterious and exciting,” she said. “I was not overwhelmed by the size of Shanghai per se. I love big cities. What intrigued me most was the extraordinary contrast of Shanghai’s street life, like butcher shops displaying hanging meats and Buddhist temples where people burn incense and eat vegetarian food. I was even amazed by the thousands of people who stood at a crossing at People’s Square, waiting for the green walk light.”

She was also taken with the city’s art. The first work she bought was by contemporary Chinese artist Xu Zhen, entitled “29 Question Marks.” The work, she said, visualizes that emotion and evokes the intimacy and silence of the city’s back lanes.

Carbone said she has found some of the architecture in the city fascinating.

“My favorite buildings are the World Financial Center and the new Shanghai Tower in Pudong New Area,” she said. “I also like the older structures of the Longhua Temple and Jade Temple. The Children’s Palace on Yan’an Road and Yongfu Elite on Yongfu Road are also charming places.”

Asked about the food and wine scene in the city, Carbone said it’s often difficult to find excellent Italian ingredients such as extra-virgin olive oil, premium wines and Italian durum wheat pasta.

“The quality of the Italian cheeses, salamis and prosciuttos are not quite the same ­­— yet,” she said.

For her, Italian cuisine is about simplicity and directness, intensifying the flavor of each ingredient.

“When I am at home, I really like to cook for friends,” Carbone said. “I love to make special dishes with home-made pasta, cuttlefish or risotto with saffron and golden leaf.”

Carbone opened her own architectural studio Dedodesign in Shanghai in 2001. Her firm has been designing Maserati showrooms in China and East Asia.

“I’m also very interested in urban farming and sustainable agriculture,” she said. “Dedodesign is acting as a consultant for Anhui Province in designing eco-cities and smart buildings. We are also developing some innovative and sustainable urban farming projects to create a green network in a place called Edible Cities.”

Carbone said she spends weekends walking around Shanghai’s small streets and picturesque lanes, especially in leafy neighborhoods.

“I love the plane trees and the fragrance of magnolias and camellias,” she said. “They remind me of home.”

Q: What’s the biggest difference between living in Shanghai and Milan?

A: Scale and speed.

Q: What’s your impression of Shanghai people?

A: I have many friends and family, and I feel I belong here. I like to say and think that some of my ancestors were Shanghainese.

Q: What do you find most difficult about living in Shanghai?

A: The local dialect. I am struggling to learn it.

Q: What’s most convenient aspect of the city?

A: The variety and availability of foods and good restaurants that are open day and night.

Q: What’s your favorite Shanghai food?

A: Hongshaorou, the drunken chicken and crab when it’s in season.

Q: What do you tell your Chinese friends about your hometown?

A: Milan is a very elegant city, with beautiful old and modern architecture. Its museums are first class, as are its design and fashion industries. The city is full of very creative people, and the aperitivo time of day is truly amazing.

Q: What do you miss most about home?

A: The light of the Mediterranean Sea. It is so intense and unique.

Where do you find artworks and books in Shanghai?

I support artists working with Aike Dellarco Gallery, ShangArt and James Cohan Gallery. I buy books and magazines from small independent bookstores, such as 1984 Bookstore on Hunan Road.

Where do you source furniture?

For furniture I like Moroso, Cappellini and Knoll classics. I also like to visit the old antique dealers on Yongjia Road and Wuyuan Road.

Where do you go shopping?

I buy my clothes anywhere I see something I like. In Shanghai I like to have things custom made by my friend Han Feng in her studio.

Chef serves up Neapolitan delights

Sitting amid the modern, industrial design of MYLK, or My Little Italian Kitchen, Vincenzo Giustino is passionate about the food of his native country and proud to share it with Italian food lovers in Shanghai. He now operates two branches of the restaurant.

His eyes sparkled when he talked about buffalo mozzarella from Naples, tomato sauce from Scafati, a small town near Salerno where the tastiest tomatoes are grown, and gorgonzola cheese that is very hard to find in Shanghai. Only the best and most authentic ingredients will do.

Giustino moved to Shanghai with his wife Cecilia two-and-a-half years ago. He opened his first MYLK on Daxue Road and then a second branch in the Kerry Center on Nanjing Road W.

“One of the things that most surprised me at first was the huge variety of international restaurants in Shanghai,” he said. “Even in Italian cuisine, there were so many choices. But I quickly realized that many lacked authenticity and reasonable prices.”

His timing was impeccable. He opened his first restaurant just as Italian and other international cuisines were becoming the hot trend on the dining scene in Shanghai. His specialty is, of course, Neapolitan cuisine.

“We are offering a new, modern and fresh concept of Italian dining,” he said. “Italian cuisine is typical of the Mediterranean diet. My wife is from Turin, a beautiful city in the North, and their Piedmont cuisine is based especially on beef, whereas Neapolitan cuisine favors fish-based dishes. And like Chinese cuisine, we have a strong tradition of fried food.”

Naples and Shanghai, apart from their seaside locations, are melting pots of foreign cultures and, to some degree, cities that are a bit chaotic in nature.

“It is easy to understand what I mean if you tour Naples neighborhoods like those near the port or the old town,” Giustino said. “The Piazza Mercato market square is reminiscent of the bustling streets and crazy traffic of Shanghai. Beyond that, both are cities of great charm that have provided inspiration to artists, poets and musicians.’’

Giustino admitted that it’s sometimes hard in Shanghai to find the same fresh fruits and vegetables at the heart of Neapolitan dining.

Still, he said, he and his family are enjoying their stay in the city.

“Shanghai will always remain in our hearts even after our experience in China ends some day,” he said. “It is in this city where I became a father, and we will certainly be back in the future to show our son Domenico his birth place.”

Weather permitting, he said the family enjoys outdoor walks, especially in the leafy former French concession area. It’s a great place, he said, to stop for a bite to eat. On weekends, he and his wife enjoy evenings with friends. Having a cocktail on a terrace overlooking the Bund is a memory that will linger for life, he said.

Q: What do you think is the most charming aspect of Shanghai?

A: The skyline of the Bund.

Q: What’s the biggest difference between living in Shanghai and in Naples?

A: The culture that surrounds you in daily life.

Q: What are your impressions about Shanghai people?

A: Very positive. I like their dynamism, and I love to watch how they cope with all the changes that are always altering the city.

Q: What do you find most difficult about living in Shanghai?

A: The air pollution, especially if you are raising a baby.

Q: What do you find surprisingly convenient?

A: Job opportunities.

Q: What’s your favorite Shanghai food?

A: Dumplings.

Q: What do you tell your Chinese friends about your hometown?

A: Italy is definitely the most beautiful country in the world.

Q: What do you miss most about home?

A: Summer weekends.

Torta caprese

A traditional chocolate and almond cake from the island of Capri off Naples

Ingredients:

- 250 grams white sugar

- 250 grams butter

- 5 eggs

- 250 grams almond powder

- 200 grams dark melted chocolate

Procedure:

Step 1

Mix the butter and sugar for 20 minutes;

Step 2

Add eggs, beating in for 15 minutes;

Step 3

Add the chocolate and almond, stirring for 10 minutes;

Step 4

Fold batter into a buttered pan and bake in a 180-grade oven for 65 to 75 minutes.