The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is bringing timeless ingredients of Tuscan flavors back to the dining table with freshly made pasta and mouth-watering melted cheese during  Saturday Brunch, Lasagna & Lunch at Villa Toscana. Executive Chef Stefano Viola tells us what to expect for the latest weekend experience in an exclusive interview.

1. Can you tell us more about the success of the Lasagna Saturday Brunch?

Lasagna is one of the most popular and loved dishes of Italian cuisine. With this in mind, I decided to fuse traditional lasagna recipes with interesting combinations including lamb, rocket pesto, and fish. This has received a wide positive feedback among our guests at Villa Toscana, which followed our Lasagna Festival last September, 2018.

1. What makes Villa Toscana's homemade lasagnas and Italian offerings truly exceptional? 

St. Regis Abu Dhabi specialize in showcasing quality ingredients among our culinary creations. From homemade pastas to premium cheeses, we excel in bringing the freshest products to the dining scene. Apart from that, Villa Toscana remains unique for offering more than seven different types of lasagnas which can be savored and enjoyed with friends and families.

1. What significance does Tuscan and Arabian ingredients hold during the creative process?

Hailing from the region of Tuscany myself, our first agenda in establishing Villa Toscana as an authentic Italian dining venue is to extend the experience of Tuscan flavors within a five-star destination in Abu Dhabi. This has been achieved over the years of planning and creative production, with the help of locally sourced ingredients.

1. What is the concept behind the revamped Saturday brunch?

The concept behind the launched Saturday Brunch has always been to capture the warmth of weekend family lunches, where lasagna is primarily one of the distinct aromas that emanates throughout each household and satiates every family. After the great run of the Lasagna Festival, we decided to combine the best that this exceptional cuisine has to offer with our delectable gastronomies for Saturday Brunch.

1. Can you name a few crowd favorites that we can expect for the Saturday Brunch?

At Villa Toscana, we always want to renew and create new things for our guests. Aside from the array of lasagna offered, we have a luscious mozzarella station, Tuscan recipe-crafted breads, and a selection of desserts originating from Sicilian traditions which includes freshly baked cannoli and jam-filled Italian pies.

1. What other themed dining experiences are in store for food aficionados at Villa Toscana?

During this month, we have unveiled another pasta-centric festival, which is the Tortelli Festival. Developed with Chef Rosario, each tortelli cuisine is packed with flavorful fillings and sumptuous sauces, paired with lavish appetizers, desserts and beverage for the full Italian experience.

On March, guests can look forward to a week dedicated for meat lovers, highlighting a distinct Italian meat called Buttero. This special themed dining will see the preparation of different types of meats that will be cooked and marinated to perfection and will be served with distinctive combinations.