Pasqualino Barbasso is quite a showman! He spins, twirls and floats around as he dishes out some authentic pizzas at Focaccia, the trattoria style restaurant at the Hyatt Regency. He shall be present this weekend and next one in namma Chennai at the star property and you can witness Pizza Acrobat. With some lovely electro music and amazing moves, this pizza chef will surely add joy to your evenings.


The 45 year-old pizzaiolo is among the most skillful masters of acrobatic pizza-making and  has been awarded Sicily’s Acrobatic Pizza Championship in 1998 and famed World Champion in 2001 and 2002 consecutively.

On a Saturday evening as we witnessed the chef, it was surely a spectacle not to be missed. He starts by twirling it in front of his face, then sends it into the air to catch it and the sends it in a different direction - almost defying gravity.
As he is working up the dough, it pulls and stretches and soon the base is almost a metre in diameter, spinning over his head. The 20 minute show is pumped with energy and filled with splendor. “The base I use for the show has more salt so that it can stretch easily. This is not the one we serve our diners. This one is just meant for the show. We make a different base for our patrons,” clarifies chef Barbasso, as we manage to catch up in between his performance and time in the kitchen.
This is Pasqualino’s first time in Chennai and he is already in love with the city’s vibrant culture. He has performed in Mumbai and Kolkata already. “I love the fact that Indians are extremely passionate about food and they enjoy it most with their family. It is something that is common here and in Italy,” he puts forth.
Using his home-grown unique ingredients and secret recipe, Pasqualino served his acrobatic-pizzas in varied sizes, ranging anything from a 6 inch to a foot and a half. We indulged in options like The Wrong Margherita, Trevigiana, Asparagus and Salmon, Piemontese, Tirolese and many more pizza varieties along with some fine wine through the evening.
The idea of combining acrobat with culinary skills was purely out of his passion for both. He loves performing and feeding people and Pizza Acrobat is something he plans to continue doing for as long as possible.
Location: Focaccia, Hyatt Regency, Teynampet
Date and time: Till February 10, 7 pm to 11.30 pm