After making waves in culinary circles around the world for her work at the Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria in Rome and several other ventures, the renowned chef Cristina Bowerman is taking a brief hiatus in Bangkok, lending her skills to Biscotti at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel from Nov 6 to Dec 30. The limited-time collaboration is a unique opportunity for Bangkokians, who normally only get a handful of days to try a visiting chef’s food. Bowerman’s food is known to be on the more creative side of the Italian spectrum, often blending traditional Italian techniques with foreign ingredients and ideas discovered during her extensive travels to the United States throughout her life.  

During her two-month residency, you’ll get the chance to try both tasting and a la carte menus, this includes a unique Bangkok-only version of her award-winning menu at Glass Hostaria. 

There are several standout dishes to try here: “Almost A Pizza,” in which Bowerman serves a creamy celery root pizza with pomegranate molasses; the “Sea and Earth Tartare,” where succulent beef meets chewy tuna tartare; and the ravioli stuffed with a liquified Parmigiano Reggiano and sprinkled with seasonal slices of truffle on top. Don’t forget to wrap all of this up with Bowerman’s version of a tiramisu, which comes encased in a chocolate sphere. 

There is also, of course, a wide range of wine, from burgundy Chevalier-Montrachet to Bordeaux Château Lafite Rothschild. 

Despite her success, the path to get here was far from a straight line. Born in southern Italy in the small town of Puglia, she studied foreign language and law while working as a graphic designer in the United States before doing a total 180-turn to learn culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Texas. She also took a great interest in American society, which today is reflected in her culinary style that borrows elements of American food.  

She returned to Italy in 2004, after fourteen years in the United States, to work at Convivio Troiani in Rome as a head chef of Cuoco a Domicilio. In 2005, she met Fabio Spada and Silvia Sacerdoti, owners of the World’s 50 Best restaurant Glass Hostaria, which turned out to be a huge turning point in her life. Eventually taking over control of the kitchen, it took years of hard work to realize the vision she had for the restaurant, which eventually won a Michelin star in 2010. Bowerman was the only female chef in the world to win a star that year.  It comes as  no surprise that on a recent visit to Bangkok to launch her residency, Bowerman said she aimed “to be a role model for women in the kitchen.” 

Although Italy is known to be on the more traditionalist side of the fence in terms of customer preference, Bowerman’s reinterpretation of Italian food has found a home there. That itself is an achievement, but she started earning formal accolades in short order, including “three forks” in the Italian-owned Gambero Rosso Guide in 2008 and a Michelin star in 2010. 

Bowerman’s style leans heavily on her travels and intern experiences at leading restaurants around the globe—her artistic skills also play a role, with each dish she creates having a new tinge or shade from other cultural cuisines. As would be expected, her time in Bangkok will see her sample the nation’s ingredient list as well as other countries around Asia. Take the “Our Italian Sashimi” for example, an amberjack which she infused with red beet juice, red beet miso, sea grapes, parsley, leche de tigre, and wasabi tobiko, which leads to a refreshing sweat and sour taste. 

Recently in 2023, she was included by Forbes among the 100 successful Italian women who have contributed to the growth of Italy, and she is also a valued member of the Chefs' Manifesto which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030.

In addition to her impressive culinary career, Bowerman is also a respected educator. Her story and the success of Glass Hostaria have become a case study at Bocconi University, one of Italy’s leading business schools. She has also taught cooking courses at various educational institutions, sharing her expertise and passion with the next generation of chefs. Bowerman’s travels to Asia are part of her broader vision to continue expanding her influence, with plans to open a new restaurant in the United States in the near future.

Biscotti by Cristina Bowerman is open from Mon-Sat for lunch from 12:00pm to 2:30pm and Mon-Sun for dinner from 6:00pm to 10:30pm. Visit Anantara Siam for more information