Acquired Taste

The newly opened 80-seater restaurant,ChaoBella at Hotel Crowne Plaza in Okhla Phase I promised to serve authentic Chinese and Italian fare,yet it was quite a struggle to find a dinner companion once they knew of the drive across town,along pot-holed roads and peak hour traffic to the primarily industrial area. Once we reached the venue,things did not seem to be improving. There isn’t a clear cut entrance to the restaurant and the architecture is a puzzling mix of modern day edginess and Byzantine era grandeur. The flaming torches in the outside smoking area,juxtaposed with flowing water fountains seem unnecessary,and the live jazz duo in the lobby created more noise than music. The floor is large with various seating permutations,including private booths,so the service is a little scattered.

But once the food arrives,all our gripes are quickly put to rest. We started the meal with the chef’s special two piece Chengdu chicken jiaozi (Rs 250),which are the thinner,more delicate and translucent version of roadside steamed momos and not as hot or spicy. The jiaozi were sitting on a bed of dark soya sauce,garlic,toasted sesame seeds and chilli oil,which enhanced the Chengdu flavour of the chicken.

Next,from the Italian section of the menu,we ordered the hand rolled tagliatelle (Rs 700),tossed with prawns,Spanish chorizo,fresh basil and garlic. Sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese on top,the tagliatelle ribbons were generously long and wide,and a little messy to eat. But when cheese,basil,prawns and spicy chorizo combine with the pasta for a delightful rush of flavours,you can afford to look a little unrefined.

From the Chinese section,we ordered the roasted crispy duck (Rs 825),which instantly transported us to Peking of the imperial era,where the flavours hadn’t been diluted. The food is cooked in an open kitchen on the floor itself,where you can watch the chefs prepare your meal.The duck was crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside and served on a bed of broccoli,Chinese cabbage,pok choy,and asparagus stir fried with coriander sauce. Surprisingly,we didn’t have to be told to eat our veggies — cooked like that,even children wouldn’t protest.

For dessert we ordered the Nougatin Parfait with raspberry sauce (Rs 375) which was harder to eat,but not as sugary as most meringues,and therefore a good end to the meal. And just to completely win our hearts over,the chef threw in a complimentary second dessert — cassatta sicilliana with sour cherry compote. The chocolate flavoured sponge cake,layered with creamy liquor infused ricotta cheese was generous in size. I could see the appreciative glimmer in my companion’s eye. The trek,it seemed,was worth it.