Award-winning Italian chef is man with a mission

Gualtiero Marchesi, owner of the first Italian restaurant to win the coveted three-star rating in the Michelin guide, believes he has a mission to transform the traditional image of Italian cuisine. ``Italian cooking tends to be improvised and lacking in professionalism,'' he says. ``Our cuisine has a strong regional approach which needs to be refined if it is going to vie with the French.''

His dishes include ravioli stuffed with seafood, an egg tart flavored with spinach, and hake fillets in broccoli sauce. Marchesi also tries to keep costs reasonable. Diners may order a sampler plate of various types of pasta.