CIBVS: Northeastern Italian Comfort Food in Jing'an (Closed)

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CIBVS is a sleek Italian restaurant in Jing’an, helmed by Chef Andrea “Andy” Canciani. Northeastern Italian cuisine from chef’s hometown of Trieste in a cozy and elegant space with approachable prices.

About Chef Andy & CIBVS

CIBVS, Latin for food, is inspired by the success of Il Nascondiglio, a long-standing private dining experience that first started in 2008. Chef Andy took over menu creation at the private space some years ago, and founded CIBVS in spring 2022 to reach a broader audience. Il Nascondiglio still runs on reservations only; 5 courses, 10 seats.

Chef Andy is a second-generation chef and restaurateur. His start began 30 odd years ago in the kitchens of his family trattoria in Trieste, a city by the sea on the border of Slovenia and Croatia, northeast Italy.

Chef Andy

His China origin story is a fascinating one, which involves cycling 10,000km from Italy into the border about 10 years ago. If you’re lucky to catch him after service, pry the story out of him with a glass of Radikon, his preferred Italian natural wine.

I know Andy from his previous Shanghai restaurants, since 2014. He’s humble yet a perfectionist, and the food at CIBVS is a marriage of those traits.

The Space

Located a stone's throw away from Tonglefang, CIBVS is a small yet cozy space that seats up to 26 guests. They also have two outdoor tables available for maximum four people, which is more suitable for pre-dinner aperitivo.

The Food

Food at CIBVS is refined but approachable. It’s mostly casual, comforting, and straightforward, with secrets to flavor hiding in the laborious sauces and plenty of parmesan cheese. New on the menu are seasonal dishes for the summer.

Signature Sampler (¥188) – A sampler plate of appetizers, great for pre-dinner aperitivo. Tuna tartare with avocado salad, baccala, prawn wrapped with bacon with bell pepper sauce, mozzarella and house-dried tomatoes, house-smoked amberjack, marinated sardines with pickled onions, pine nuts, and raisins.

Cheese Plate (¥88) – House-made pickled and oven-dried tomatoes with three kinds of selected cheese. Also good for aperitivo.

Burratina (¥108) – Burrata with white asparagus, figs, prosciutto, and fig sauce.

Anchovies (¥98) – Pickled anchovies in olive oil with dill oil and balsamic, capers, and fresh basil. A refreshing summer staple that goes great with the table bread.

Beef Salad (¥118) – Thinly sliced beef tenderloin over citrus seasoned shaved fennel with white asparagus and walnuts, topped with a light honey mustard sauce. A cold appetizer that’s meaty yet light.

Fritto Misto del Golfo (¥188) – Lightly breaded and deep-fried goodies featuring a whole soft-shelled crab, cuttlefish, calamari, and dragon beans, served with tartare sauce.

Baccala Mantecato (¥88) – A classic of codfish whipped with good extra virgin olive oil and a smidge of milk served with homemade toasted bread.

Risi e Bisi Risotto (¥128) – A summery pea risotto. Carnaroli rice cooked with plenty of parmesan and pea purée topped off crispy pancetta. Delightful.

Scampi Linguine “Busara” Style (¥488) – A great dish to share. It's a heaving portion of linguine tossed in homemade tomato paste, seafood stock, and white wine, served with two whole roasted scampi.

Sous Vide Tuna (¥358) – My favorite dish. Slow-cooked tuna neck, clams, and prawns over seafood bisque thickened with house tomato paste. It’s a rich dish with tons of flavor, and melt-off-the-bone fatty tuna.

Wagyu Steak (¥298) – Uruguayan picanha cooked medium rare served with roasted peppers, baby carrots, zucchini, and potatoes, and chimichurri. It’s a crowd pleaser.

Tiramisu (¥78) – Mascarpone cream, savoiardi, whipped cream, cacao powder, amaretto Disarrano, and espresso.

Some chef specials are on rotation, which include fresh pastas of maltagliati, buckwheat pastas, spinach papperdelle, and ravioli, amongst others.

Black Angus Tenderloin

Two of the perennial signatures and popular favorites, Truffle Chicken (¥298) and Black Angus Tenderloin (¥788, 500g) require pre-order notice one day in advance.

For drinks, its mostly wine. House wine starts from ¥48/glass and ¥188/bottle, more than reasonable.

The selection, which has been recently updated, includes new and old world as well as natural wines, mostly Italian with a couple of Chinese labels. They also have a few classic cocktails from ¥58.

CIBVS is also available for private events, lunches and dinners. Call 13120748988 to inquire.

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CIBVS
Address: No. 101, Bldg 2, 55 Yuyao Lu 余姚路55号2幢沿街101号商铺
Tel: 13120748988
Hours: Tue-Fri, 5pm-11pm; Sat-Sun, 12pm-11pm; last order 9:30pm; closed Monday