On June 18 and 19, Turin becomes a crossroads of experiences and cultures. Against the backdrop of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants week, Piano35 hosts Bridging Worlds: two exclusive events that bring together six bartenders from some of the world’s top bars, two chefs with complementary visions, and the artisanal spirits of The Orientalist Spirits.
At the heart of it all, a double encounter between mixology and fine dining that weaves connections between Asia, South America, Norway, and Italy. The program includes a night shift spanning three continents, and a lunch experience where dishes and cocktails engage in a single narrative shaped by exchange and collaboration.
When Taste Unites Continents with Bridging Worlds
A multi-voice score seeking harmony between distinct tones. Each element holds its own, contributes to the balance, enters at the right moment, and knows when to give space. High above Turin, just beneath the sky, Bridging Worlds takes shape like a melody composed of cocktails, spirits, and signature cuisine.
The goal? To build a bridge between gastronomic cultures and international bar scenes without forcing affinities—relying instead on the tools of the trade and the voice of raw ingredients. “The mission of The Orientalist Spirits has always been to celebrate the richness of Asian craftsmanship and promote dialogue between cultures. Bridging Worlds is an expression of this mission: a series of experiences that transcend borders, where culinary and cocktail arts come together to honor heritage, creativity, and human connection,” says Michel Lu, founder of The Orientalist Spirits and creator of events like Barstars and Bridging Worlds.
Two Days to Remember at Piano35
That mission comes to life in Turin through two encounters designed to showcase the dialogue between worlds that The Orientalist Spirits has championed from the start. “During the week of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, we are proud to present two unique events in Turin: Act One, a night odyssey of cocktails featuring visionary bartenders from Asia, South America, and China; and Act Two, a lunch experience curated by award-winning chefs from Norway and Italy, enhanced by elegant spirit pairings from a renowned Chinese bartender.”
Coqtail – for fine drinkers joins as media partner for this celebration of global hospitality, shared stories, and the universal language of taste. “We look forward to welcoming the world to Turin and continuing this journey of building bridges through spirit and soul,” adds Michel Lu.
Bridging Worlds, the Bar as a Common Language
The first event unfolds behind the bar. On Wednesday, June 18, the Lounge Bar of Piano35, led by resident head of mixology Simone Sacco and bar manager Ansony Murcia, hosts a multi-handed guest shift that looks well beyond European borders.
Demie Kim and Byung Seok Lee from Zest in Seoul (ranked ninth in the World’s 50 Best Bars), Charly Aguinsky and Joaquin Buquicchio from Tres Monos in Buenos Aires (seventh in the global ranking), and Chinese bartender Lola Lau will lead the evening, interpreting The Orientalist Spirits through a series of miniature narratives rooted in technique, memory, and aromatic balance.
Bridging Worlds Lunch, a Culinary Conversation
Act Two of the event unfolds on Thursday, June 19, in the main dining room of Piano35, where a midday table is set for fifty guests. Taking the lead are two chefs who speak different culinary languages but listen intently to one another.
Matthew Leong, a three-Michelin-star chef based in Norway, brings a near-musical rigor to his creations. Christian Balzo, resident chef at Piano35, takes a more grounded approach rooted in Piedmontese tradition. Together, they compose a menu rich in distinctive notes and harmonious dialogue. Each course is paired with a cocktail by Lola Lau from Beijing, a leading voice in Chinese mixology. Her creations echo each dish like a second voice—amplifying, contrasting, or supporting without ever overpowering.
Leong, Balzo and Lau: Three Visions in Dialogue
The meal opens with two snacks: a grilled lamb belly tartlet with wild garlic by Leong—dense yet precise—and Balzo’s warm, savory anchovy pastry, evoking the structured simplicity of Mediterranean antipasti. Each is paired with a cocktail by Lola Lau: Oriental Spring, made with Orientalist Origin Vodka, grape, jasmine tea, gentian, and apple.
The first course juxtaposes two approaches without overlapping. Leong presents lightly cured mackerel with kaffir lime, wasabi, and salted white currants—an aromatic structure that flirts with crudo but rises above it with carefully calibrated contrasts. Paired is the Wild Lady: a dry, elegant cocktail of Orientalist Gunpowder Gin, French liqueur, olive, and coconut, echoing the dish with saline and creamy notes.
Next comes Piano35’s signature Carbonara au Koque: tagliolini tossed with egg yolk, 42-month-aged prosciutto, cheese, and a fragrant reduction made with Orientalist Gunpowder Gin. It is served with the Penicillin Martini, a cocktail featuring Orientalist Dragon Whisky, ginger, honey, verjus, and soda.
Celebrating the Lunch Through Pairings
The third course by Leong features saddle of lamb with sweet peas, lamb jus, grilled lemon, and thyme oil. A dish where technique becomes structure and flavor builds in layers. The pairing, also by Lau, is Chocolate Red Wine: Orientalist Imperial Rum, red wine, strawberries, chocolate, and clarified milk.
The finale is a delicate dessert by Leong: apricot and lavender with a reduction of milk ice cream. Paired is Maybe Peachy, an enveloping, floral cocktail made with Orientalist Gunpowder Gin, curry leaves, lime, peach, and Earl Grey tea—a meditative, balanced close to the journey.
Artisanal Spirits, Combined Geographies
Tying together the night shift and the lunch is The Orientalist Spirits: a line of fine spirits crafted to express Asian flavor with method and refinement. Each bottle begins with carefully selected ingredients, crafted with precision and balance. Origin Vodka blends longan honey, Tibetan barley, and nine varieties of fermented potato with Kagoshima spring water—a full-bodied vodka meant to be sipped neat.
Gunpowder Gin uses 23 botanicals distilled at low temperatures, including gunpowder tea, Kampot pepper, and Siberian ginseng. Dragon Whisky is a blend of Japanese, Taiwanese, and Indian whiskies aged in bourbon and sherry casks for a deep, layered profile. The newest expression, Imperial Solera 23 Rum, combines spirits from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, aged via the Solera method in Pedro Ximenez casks.
Each sip follows the dish with precision and intention. In this harmony, Bridging Worlds reveals its truest meaning: an interweaving of knowledge, ingredients, and sensibilities that crosses borders and turns them into relationships. Taste becomes a common language, and geography a map to explore together.
Images courtesy of The Orientalist Spirits e Piano35
