Giovanni Pilu was born in Sardinia and arrived in Australia in 1992 full of enthusiasm and passion for the unique flavours of his homeland. He believes Sardinian cooking should involve simple ingredients, prepared with minimum fuss, allowing the full flavour of the ingredients to speak for themselves. 

At his first restaurant, Cala Luna in Mosman, he presented a broad Italian menu, slowly introducing Sydney diners to Sardinian specialties such as oven-roasted suckling pig and bottarga (dried mullet roe). Since opening Pilu at Freshwater in 2004, he's expanded his Sardinian repertoire, cooking more of the food that's close to his heart and offering a 6-course Sardinian tasting menu with matched Sardinian wines.

Rugged, isolated, untamed Sardinia has two distinct cuisines: coastal and inland. Many Sardinians have traditionally lived in the mountains as shepherds and farmers, and so, unusually for island dwellers, their cooking has been based on meat (pork, lamb and wild game), sheep's cheese and fregola (the local couscous-like pasta). While the coastal cuisine has been influenced by many invaders, from the Phoenicians, through Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Genovese and Spanish, to the modern Italians, all of whom brought with them their ways of preparing the island's abundant seafood harvest. Pilu at Freshwater, a beautifully restored heritage-listed weatherboard beach house overlooking Freshwater Beach in Sydney's north, is an idyllic setting for food from this Mediterranean island.

Pilu makes the most of his coastal location serving spanking fresh seafood with simple Italian flavours. Sydney rock oysters from the Clyde River are shucked to order and served with white balsamic and shallot dressing and malloreddus, Sardinia's shell-shaped pasta, is tossed with vongole, bottarga and zucchini flowers. Queensland soft shell crabs, squid and school prawns are lightly battered and deep-fried in one of the best fritti misti in Sydney and super-fresh, plump scallops are sliced thinly and served raw alongside celery heart, fennel and shaved bottarga. There needs to be a serious nod to Sardinia's mountain cooking as well, and porcetto arrosto con salsa alle mele, slow-roasted suckling pig, served on the bone with scented apple sauce, is a signature dish that can never leave the menu. And to finish on a sweet note, save room for seadas ripiena di ricotta, traditional Sardinian deep-fried pastries filled with ricotta and sultanas served drizzled with warm honey and candied citrus.

In 2009, with business partner Lido Russo, Giovanni opened Cavallino, a more rustic Italian pizzeria and ristorante, reminiscent, Giovanni says, of an agriturismo (farm guesthouse) in the Italian countryside. The menu is simpler than Pilu's, running through antipasti, pizze, pasta and a few mains such as cacciucco alla Livornese, a rich, spicy tomato-based seafood casserole served with crusty, garlic-scented bread straight from the wood-fired oven. But the focus on the very best quality remains the same.

Visit www.piluatfreshwater.com.au and www.cavallino.com.au for more information.

Giovanni is teaching at Sydney Seafood School on 2 February & 24 March 2012. View more details >