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Grace Brewer

At Primo Posto Ristoro, newly opened on Shin Hing Street, head chef Gabriele Fusi brings an authentic taste of Milanese home cooking to Hong Kong with his pumpkin gnocchi, a surprising signature on the dinner à la carte menu.
The restaurant itself is a vibrant homage to Milan’s contrasts as historic charm meets contemporary design. Fusi’s kitchen philosophy fits perfectly here too: a pursuit of mastery through discipline and love for the craft, that marries tradition with creativity.
The pumpkin gnocchi embodies the spirit of northern Italy, being homestyle, simple and created with a respect for quality ingredients. It is made using a variety of sweet butter pumpkin that Fusi selects for its natural sweetness and creamy texture.
Roasted whole, wrapped in foil alongside sprigs of thyme and rosemary, the pumpkin steams in its own juices and the aromatic herbs. After roasting and cooling, the pumpkin’s flesh is carefully wrung dry to remove excess water. That water is then preserved and reduced with butter to create a flavourful stock concentrate.
The dry pumpkin pulp is combined with flour, eggs and 24-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano imported from northern Italy. The cheese is used both in the gnocchi dough and the accompanying cream sauce.
Fusi hand-rolls the dough using a classic gnocchi board to create the familiar ridged shape. The dumplings are then boiled for three minutes and pan-fried in the reduced pumpkin and butter stock. This final step intensifies the flavour and lends a textured bite to each dumpling. “They are then served in a velvety Parmigiano cream sauce and finished with roasted pine nuts and fresh sage as garnish,” chef Fusi explains.

His vision for this dish mirrors the restaurant’s broader culinary philosophy, shaped by his northern Italian upbringing and apprenticeships under renowned chefs such as Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana.
Every decision – from the particular pumpkin to the choice of aged Parmigiano – is rooted in recreating the essence of Milanese home cooking without unnecessary complexity. “This dish, for me, is the taste of home. It’s a beautiful contrast of flavours and textures: the sweet, soft gnocchi against the sharp, salty bite of the aged Parmigiano cream. Then the earthy sage and the crunchy pine nuts. It’s humble but sophisticated, and it represents the soul of northern Italian cooking on a single plate,” he says.
For diners unfamiliar with pumpkin gnocchi, the ingredients often come as a surprise. “Many guests are genuinely surprised to learn there’s no potato,” notes Fusi. “The gnocchi is made with 100 per cent pumpkin, which is the reason for its unique sweetness and soft texture. For some, that prominent sweetness is a shock, while others like it so much that they return specifically for this dish.”
To complement the richness of the creamy sauce, Fusi recommends ordering the tuna marinato with fennel and orange salad as a refreshing side, particularly during the hotter Hong Kong months, as its crispness and slight bitterness balance the creamy pasta.
For wine lovers, a glass of Ca’ dei Frati from Lombardy is the ideal choice, as “it’s a complex white wine with subtle sweetness and excellent acidity, making it very easy to drink. It complements the sweet and savoury notes of the pumpkin gnocchi without overpowering the dish”.
The restaurant’s warmth and unpretentious service create the ideal stage for dishes like the pumpkin gnocchi to shine, inviting guests to experience the soul of Milan, one plate at a time.

Anatomy of a Dish
Name: Pumpkin gnocchi
Restaurant: Primo Posto
Price: HK$178
Main ingredients: Sweet butter pumpkin, flour, eggs, 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh sage, roasted pine nuts, thyme, rosemary
Presentation: Chef Fusi chose a simple, colourful bowl to highlight the golden tones of the gnocchi swimming in creamy white sauce, in a homage to an Italian tradition. “It’s a very familiar, homely style of presentation in Italy,” says Fusi. “I wanted to bring that sense of comfort and generosity directly to Hong Kong. It’s visually inviting, and the first bite confirms that warm feeling,” he says.
Flavours: Natural pumpkin sweetness balanced with sharp and salty Parmigiano cream, earthy sage and crunchy pine nuts, delivering a humble Milanese comfort food experience.


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At Primo Posto, head chef Gabriele Fusi celebrates Milanese heritage with his handcrafted pumpkin gnocchi


At Primo Posto, head chef Gabriele Fusi celebrates Milanese heritage with his handcrafted pumpkin gnocchi.


Dish in Focus: Pumpkin gnocchi at Primo Posto

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}At Primo Posto, head chef Gabriele Fusi celebrates Milanese heritage with his handcrafted pumpkin gnocchi

At Primo Posto, head chef Gabriele Fusi celebrates Milanese heritage with his handcrafted pumpkin gnocchi