Just the other day we declared that one of our favourite pizza spot sat unabashedly on the corner of Whale and Bree streets in Cape Town’s CBD.

Yes, yes, Bocca is once again on our minds and this time we wanted to find out more about the menu itself.

There has been a lot of buzz around the venue as the restaurant’s hand-built pizza oven from Naples happens to create the most delicious Neapolitan pizzas around – but that doesn’t mean they are staunch Italian traditionalists.

Instead, famed owner Neil Grant insists the menu has a modern twist, while retaining an Italian feel.

To learn about what modern Italian cooking means, we caught up with their head chef, Tamara Ulrich. Here’s what she had to say:

Tell us something no-one knows about you?

Many people wouldn’t know that I originally wanted to study Fine Art. I’m a creative person and I love to draw and paint, but as I got a little older my passion for food took centre stage and I decided to combine my love for art and cooking; and study the culinary arts.

What does modern Italian cooking mean to you?

Letting fresh ingredients speak for themselves, uncomplicated, but full-flavoured dishes that evoke nostalgia with every bite yet are packaged in a new fun way.

What are some of your favourite spring ingredients and how are you using them at Bocca?

I love the fresh flavour that citrus fruit brings to any dish, like how it zests up my lemon and ricotta gnocchi.

Bocca’s must-try dish of the moment?

The dish that screams spring has sprung is the trout with parsnip and vanilla purée, served with a fennel, red onion and lemon salad. It’s light, it’s fresh and has some of the finest ingredients that both spring and summer have to offer.

Wine and food pairing must-try at Bocca?

A great wine and food pairing in my humble opinion would be our sautéed squid paired with the Dorrance Chardonnay.

We are pretty lucky to have the likes of Neil Grant making his mark in Cape Town. As a a founding member and past chairman of the South African Sommeliers Association, you can bet that a visit to Burrata, Bocca or Open Door will find the cellars stocked with both familiar favourites and lesser-known gems.

Tamara wasn’t joking when she suggested the Dorrance Chardonnay.