Good things come to those who wait. This is also the case with Stüva Colani in Madulain. The Michelin-starred restaurant had been on our radar for a while, and this summer it finally worked out! Since we have a puppy with us, we are allowed to dine in the separate room or in the wine room. What an ambiance! And what a menu! We decide on the four-course menu and are curious about the creations of chef Paolo Casanova. Even the prelude deserves respect: a deer tartare hidden under a wafer-thin rice cake recreated as an Engadine valley. What a spectacle. And what a delight! We find more on the plate, including a quail egg marinated in chilli vinegar or, say, lychee – coherent and full of ideas, the tartare 1A. Next comes the Minestrone al Bosco, which we definitely want to try: A fine celeriac foam floats on top, we fish mushrooms and root vegetables out of a finely seasoned deer broth (for vegetarians there is a mushroom broth), which is only infused at the table. This minestrone will remain in our memories! The subsequent char cooked on pine needles makes a good trap on the plate arranged like a work of art. This plate is also colourful (thanks to fermented raspberries, among other things).
The forest fruit soup for dessert is served with meringues and a special chocolate, the paprika sorbet is also a novelty for us, along with mint, almonds and a whole lot of bliss for the stomach.
The wines in the wine set are mainly from Switzerland, only once we let ourselves be persuaded to have an additional glass of rosé from the Rhone Valley – a good investment. We also like the fact that chef Paolo Casanova stops by several times to ask if everything is alright. He willingly provides information about the preparation of the dishes. The wafer-thin rice cake from the starter, for example, is dried for 24 hours before it is deep-fried. The price-performance ratio seems very fair by Engadine standards (4 courses cost 120 Swiss francs). Since we have discovered many more dishes on the menu that we want to try: A revair!
Hotel Chesa Stüva Colani, Via Principela 20, 7523 Madulain
www.hotelchesacolani.com