Flavoursome fare

Chef Roberto Boggio,celebrity chef from Piedmont,northern Italy,says,“The thing about Italian food is that the recipes have survived the test of time due to their variety. Also,the cuisine in Italy is very different in the north and south. And that has allowed us to present an array of dishes to Pune’s foodies.” The first dish we tried was the Pizza in Tazza (R 200). This soup had a thick consistency and was a lovely blend of tomato,basil and cheese,with bread crumbs on top. A full portion of the soup (R275) can make for a complete meal in itself! “The difference between north and south Italian cuisine is that in the south,people use a lot of sea food,while the north leans towards pastries and tomato sauces.”

For the main course,we tried the Pollo alla Diavola (R 425) and the Torta di Patate con salsa di taleggio (R 450). While the first one was a non-vegetarian chicken dish,the second was a potato dish in cheese sauce. The Pollo alla Diavola was served with a side dish of mashed potatoes,mixed vegetables,and fresh chilli,all cooked in a cream and tomato sauce. The quantity of the sauce could be less as it overpowered the meat,but on the whole,it receives a thumbs-up. The Torta di Patate con salsa di taleggio was a potato cake served with taleggio cheese sauce. A good option for those with a good appetite and there are few who could resist this platter of veggies.

The show stealer of the tasting was the dessert section. Chef Boggio left no stone unturned in whipping up delicacies. We absolutely pigged out on the Macedonia di frutta con gelato (R 225) – a fresh fruit salad served with chopped peppermint and vanilla ice-cream; the Pastiera di ricotta e limone con salsa di lampioni (R 245) – a lemon cheese cake served with raspberry sauce; and the Panna cotta con salsa ai lampioni (R 200) – panna cotta served with raspberry sauce. While all the flavours were delicious,the Panna cotta was the best if you have to choose.