Putting on the Ritz in Sanya- Celebrity Chef Massimo Miglietta is Serving His Signature Italian with an International Twist

The Chef de Cuisine, chef Massimo Miglietta at ‘Sophia’ restaurant at The Ritz in Sanya is bringing world-class cuisine to southern China’s first international luxury lifestyle resort. The Ritz was designed by WAT&G Design, The Ritz-Carlton, drawing inspiration from Beijing’s Summer Palace with high pitched ceilings, dark rich wood, intricate carvings and mosaic detailing, coupled with grand water features and opulent furnishings.

Chef Massimo Miglietta is a perfect match for the Ritz resort having trained under legendary restaurateur chef Marco Pierre White in London and is a protégé of acclaimed 3 Michelin star Italian chef Gualterio Marchesi.

He knows his way around a well-heeled table, as he has been the personal chef to Italy’s Agnelli family, former owners of Ferrari, the Sultan of Brunei, and England and Chelsea football star Frank Lampard.

Heading the resorts signature restaurant ‘Sophia’ at The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya the stage is set for him to take diners on the tropical island of Hainan on an exceptional and authentic journey through the cuisine of southern Italy.

 â€œThe restaurant is a dining destination in its own right,” said the distinguished chef, who returns to his roots presenting the authentic regional cuisine of his southern Italian hometown of Lecce in Puglia.

 â€œWe use only the finest local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, meaning ‘Sophia’ presents a truly sensual gastronomic experience. A restaurant with its own personality, it is the perfect place for celebrations and relaxation for food and wine lovers as well as corporate decision-makers.”

 Fronting distinguished culinary finesse, the principal design feature of the cozy and friendly fine dining restaurant is a huge Italian wall mosaic. The a la carte dinner menu features a refined selection of creative and innovative appetizers, soups, meat and poultry, seafood, vegetarian and grill dishes.

Signature dishes include handmade pastas such as pigeon ravioli, pan fried sea bass with marinated fennel and orange vinaigrette and osso bucco, low temperature braised beef cooked for thirty six hours with tomato sauce and citrus, and served with soft polenta. 

Complementing the menu is a selection of desserts, traditional Italian cheeses and 25 types of grappa; there is also a walk-in wine cellar housing over 320 new and old world wines and champagnes and a prestigious ‘connoisseur list’ of exceptional vintages.

A ‘Chef’s Table provides a unique opportunity for a maximum of eight guests to join the chef over a 5-course menu matched with wines and sparkling prosecco.
The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya General Manager, Michel Goget, said: “Massimo is a great coup for the hotel, as perhaps the most accomplished European chef in all of southern China.”
“He has great respect for tradition and is unrelenting when it comes to freshness of produce and quality ingredients. His cuisine reflects unwavering passion and stringent quality control.”

In total, ‘Sophia’ seats 110 including 68 indoors and 28 on an alfresco outdoor terrace, plus 14 in the private room. The restaurants open daily at 5:30pm-10:00pm including Sundays and public holidays (lunch hours only for special events).

Open for dinner, the restaurant has become a Mecca for local and visiting wine and food lovers, corporate parties and expatriate professionals.

The culinary shell at The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya is an odyssey of unique dining experiences that follows the principles of S.P.I.C.E: simple, pure, innovative, consistent and engaging.

The hotel features 450 rooms including 33 pool villas, each with their own private butlers, in addition to 21 luxury suites. Being nestled between the pristine white sand beach of Yalong Bay on one side and a mangrove reserve on the other, views from all guest rooms and conference spaces are breathtaking.

Lagoon guest rooms have the added luxury of a private Jacuzzi and steps down to one of the resort’s lagoon swimming pools, whilst delegates staying in one the 66 Club rooms and suites, located in an exclusive wing and accessible by private keycard, enjoy a personalized concierge service and private ocean view from the Club Lounge serving all-day complimentary gourmet food and beverage.

 All hotel guests enjoy spacious guest rooms measuring more than 60 square metres, oversized private balconies and marble-tiled five-fixture bathrooms with rain shower and stand-alone bathtub. The room amenities include plush Frette terry robes, flat panel high-definition LCD televisions, in-room cappuccino/coffee/tea makers, and iPOD docking stations.

 The hotel is also a premiere new MICE destination with 1,700 sq meters of flexible space for meetings, conferences and special social events. Facilities include a grand ballroom divisible by four, plus nine meeting rooms seating from 50 to 1,200, with an executive boardroom.

The hotel also boasts a private lawn for garden parties and amphitheatre style courtyard, which lends itself well to business or social functions.

With direct flights to Sanya Phoenix International Airport from many of the key cities in China including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, its location makes it a convenient option with airport transfers to the resort in a comfortable 40 minutes. 
Resort facilities include four swimming pools, a full-service fitness center, neighboring golf courses, tennis courts with night lighting and designer brand shopping including Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tod’s, Paul & Shark and Zegna.

It also boasts the region’s largest ESPA spa, with cool mist showers, jade steam showers, outdoor vitality pools, plus a number of relaxation and fitness studios.

For reservations call (86 898) 8898 8888 or email [email protected].
Or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

By Karen Loftus