Gusto Imports La Dolce Vita to Taipei
I will always remember the moment I fell in love with Italian cuisine. It happened five summers ago over a hearty bowl of cacio e pepe at a no fuss, no frill restaurant in Todi, a small village nestled on a hill in the Umbria region of central Italy. The al dente tonnarelli, pecorino cheese, razor-thin truffle shavings, and fresh pepper made me wonder how a dish with only four components could be so wholesomely delicious. I’ve been a changed person ever since.
Nowadays I find myself in Taipei, which is over 9,000 kilometers (6,000 miles for you Americans) away from the Mediterranean boot. I’m lucky to be surrounded by endless options of eats in my neighborhood, but my stomach still carries an unrelenting appetite for la dolce vita. So when it came to grocery shopping to recreate tagliatelle bolognese, I thought ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes or semolina flour would be hard to come by. Much to my relief, I was wrong.
Gusto Market of Taste is the mecca for all things Italian in the capital city. Located by the Taipei Fish Market, it sits on a quiet street adjacent to the main road heavily concentrated with fishmonger stalls, making it a hidden gem that can sometimes be easy to miss. The Italian good distributor operates as part deli and part restaurant, serving fresh panini and a large selections of cold cuts and cheeses. Shelves are stocked with all of your familiar and classic Italian staples: Genovese pesto, canned carciofi, dried artisanal pasta, regional wines, and so much more. You can order at the counter and enjoy your meal in an informal dining setting consisting of bar stools and foldable tables with checkered red and white tablecloths.
Owner and founder William Di Nardo has been running this Italian specialty shop since 2016. Born in Lombardy, he’s a man with a seasoned culinary background, having completed cooking school in Liguria and worked as an executive chef in Shanghai before settling down in Taipei to run Gusto. Since the shop’s opening, Taiwanese locals have flocked to Gusto to satisfy their Italian cravings, a true testament to Italian cuisine’s unwavering popularity overseas.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Di Nardo recently to learn more about Gusto, his rise to the culinary scene, and more.
William, tell me about your backstory. Where did you grow up, and how did you end up in Taipei?
W: First of all, I am Italian.
V: Ahah yes, of course.
W: I grew up in a small town called Somma Lombardo in northern Italy, close to Milan. But no one ever knows about it, so I just say I’m from Milan. But my father is from Puglia, and my mother is from the north. I then moved to Liguria for culinary school, where I studied there for five years to become a chef.
V: What did you do after?
W: One of my biggest goals in life was to learn how to speak English. In Italy, they taught English at school, but not enough to make us speak it properly, you know? I thought about going to the UK, but it’s too expensive there. So when I was 24, I moved to Florida, in the U.S. I worked at a New York pizza place managed by a Sicilian. But my English didn’t improve that much anyway because the pizza place was pretty much just full of Italians. I then worked in Washington, DC for two and a half years and tried to apply for a green card, but I couldn’t. So within seven days, I decided to move to Asia. This was in 2007.
V: Which part of Asia, specifically?
W: It was Shanghai first for three years — I worked there as an executive chef. Then Jakarta, Indonesia for five years. And then, with the help of some friends, I came to Taipei in May 2015.
What made Taipei so attractive to you as an expat?
W: Taipei is a city, but it feels like a small town, compared to Shanghai and Jakarta. Shanghai was so fast-paced and Jakarta was super undeveloped. Taipei felt just right, and people are really nice. There are lots of business opportunities here, too. And on this island, you have the mountains, the sea, beaches… I’m planning on going to Kenting later this month, so I’m really excited. I used to dive in Indonesia and I want to try diving here as well. But yeah, it’s been six years since I moved here. My business is going well. There’s a good community of Italians here, too. I really love it here. I also just got my APARC.
V: That’s amazing, congratulations.
W: Thank you, thank you!
How did Gusto start? Was your goal to make Italian specialties accessible in Taiwan?
W: We started conceptualizing Gusto in 2015 and opened in 2016 with friends and partners. I’ve always liked the idea of starting an imported goods business. When I was still working full-time as a chef in Taipei, I noticed it was always difficult to order perishable Italian specialties, like cheese. There’s a super niche market for these kinds of products. At first, Gusto opened as a B2B company to distribute Italian goods to restaurants and hotels. But we wanted more people to know about us, so we eventually turned it into a deli house, which would allow me to create my own menu and serve directly to customers. At first, I was the one running the entire show, doing all the operational management. But now I have eight staff members working for me, and we’re adapting to the growth of our business. It’s been a journey.
What got you into cooking and food in the first place?
W: Well, food is a huge part of family life and heritage in Italy. We get close to our families through making food together, so I’ve been cooking since I was a kid. Plus, I love food — maybe that’s why I used to be so chubby as a kid. Growing up, I had two passions: electronics and cooking. Of course I picked the latter. When I realized I wanted to cook, I moved to Genoa for culinary school, which helped me become independent because I was forced to be away from family. Then by 16, I was working in restaurants, first as a dishwasher before doing anything cooking related. And my mom inspired me to cook, even though she wasn’t the best.
V: Hold on, did you literally just say that your mom isn’t the best cook?
W: I know, I know, this is funny to say. She’d laugh with me, too. I mean, she made great food. Her tiramisu was the best because she uses marsala wine instead of coffee in it. She made simple and amazing things like lasagna and risotto. But she made me want to be a better cook because she wasn’t always consistent with her food.
What can you tell me about the demand for Italian cuisine in Taiwan these days?
W: It’s actually getting very popular! There are lots of Italian restaurants in Taipei these days with a strong community of Italian chefs here working for restaurants or running their own businesses. Taiwanese people who’ve traveled to Italy want to find real Italian food in the city, not the “revised” version of Italian food made by Taiwanese people. That’s why Gusto is great because we serve the simple but high-quality, familiar, authentic foods.
Not everyone knows the term in Italian cuisine al dente. What does al dente mean to you?
W: In English, al dente means “hard to bite.” Like, it has to have a bite to it. This is how Italians cook their food. It’s not supposed to be chewy and soggy. Al dente has to almost have a crunch, must be delicate, for pasta or risotto. Taiwanese congee for example is not at all al dente because the texture is soupy. Locals always complained when I served pasta or risotto al dente in Asia because they thought the pasta is too “hard.” But funnily enough, my dad didn’t like al dente either. He preferred his pasta to be softer. So I guess everyone likes their pasta to be cooked differently.
V: Do you think people actually have different ideas of what al dente means?
W: Al dente only means one thing. But as a chef, I will always have to continue educating people about what al dente is. It’s a big part of Italian cuisine.
V: What would you say or do if a customer tells you their pasta is still too raw?
W: Ha. I mean, we’ll cook it longer for you. But that won’t stop me from explaining to you what al dente is.
What are some of your best selling products?
W: We are best known for our panini. We’ve got your classic caprese to pancetta with ricotta, rocket and truffle. I also did a small pop up selling Italian cheese on the street a couple years ago and was surprised to learn how much Taiwanese people here love cheese. And I’m talking about the older locals, too. They love cheese, especially the stinky ones like taleggio, gorgonzola, fontina, you know? I would let them sample the cheese with some honey. But Italian deli food in general works with the people here — it’s easy, comfort food but still authentic with good ingredients.
Can you tell me a little about your wine collection at Gusto?
W: Yes, we exclusively sell Italian wine at Gusto and are proud to be their “ambassadors.” We have wines from all over Italy, from Venice to Piedmont, Tuscany, and wines from Puglia, Sicilia. The only region we’re missing wine from is Sardinia, though. But we have pretty much everything from Italy. Bottles start from 500 NTD and can go up to 5000 NTD.
V: Do you have any personal favorites?
W: Oh yes. Nerello Mascalese, which is a red wine from Siciliy. Kind of like a Pinot Noir from California. I love it, because when you pour it out, it’s more of a “clear” red than a full dark red, super nice. I fell in love. Another one is a Chardonnay from Trentino — the Maso Toresella. I usually don’t like Chardonnay because it’s too light, but this is aged wine (2018).
You also host a monthly “mingle” event at the deli shop. How did that come about? From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like a real party, not to mention a great marketing stunt.
W: We’ve been doing this mingle every month at Gusto since 2017 actually. I’d say it’s a social party to market not only Italian culture but also our business so people in Taipei can know about us. I remember we just had 12 people show up to our very first mingle. Now usually we have almost 70 people show up on the guest list, and we have a DJ playing live music, too. It’s $1500 NTD for all you can eat, buffet-style with three glasses of wine.
V: Wow, that’s honestly a really good deal for $1500 NTD.
W: Right? Super affordable. Funny though, because most people already get full by the time they finish appetizers, so I always try to tell them to pace theirselves! It’s a great way to enjoy authentic Italian food and meet new people in fun vibes.
What’s something you still struggle with as an expat here in Taipei?
W: Language (Mandarin) is still a barrier here for me. I was first exposed to a completely Chinese-speaking environment when I was working as an executive chef in Shanghai. Took me three years to finally start understanding the language a little bit. But my biggest issue is not finding enough time to study Chinese, because I was working 14 hours a day in the service industry. I’m trying to make it a goal this year for me to take Chinese classes somewhere, so we’ll see.
What do you miss about Italy the most?
W: My mom! My father passed away when Gusto opened. But my mom is in Italy all by herself now. I don’t have siblings. She managed to visit me here once, but with the pandemic right now, it’s just too hard. We keep in touch everyday through Skype, but yeah, I miss her a lot.
Which Italian region would you recommend visiting?
W: People always tell me about visiting Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome and Naples. But they never actually visit the south south of Italy. I’m talking about places like Puglia, Calabria, Sardinia, or Sicily. Why skip these places? The old south is warm, beautiful. You have that slow-paced laid back feeling you won’t get in Milan. People should look there for vacation and look at agriturismi to appreciate where Italian ingredients come from. Sicily and Sardegna, those islands have some of the best foods. Campagna is a gem. These are places people never really go, not even Italians in general. Italy has so many small places off the map that are worth discovering.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Gusto’s Sicilian cannoli dusted with icing sugar. A perfect sweetener to end a three-course Italian meal.
Gusto Market of Taste Co. Ltd.
No. 47, Lane 370, Longjiang Road
Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 10491
Tuesday — Sunday: 9am to 5pm
Monday: Closed
+886225180458
Order online for takeout or delivery here.
