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We were greeted by Chef David Bassan who started off our gastronomic odyssey with an amuse bouche of tiny thin crust pizzas baked at their wood fired oven. With toppings of sundried tomatoes, basil, asparagus and mozzarella cheese, they were perfectly done and we were told that it was merely to whet the appetite. Perhaps the imported Italian flour made all the difference.
The menu was chosen by Suresh in advance and so we started with -
Insalata di carciofi, pere e formaggio di capra con lame di tartufo nero. Salad of artichokes, pears and goat cheese with black truffle shavings.
The artichoke was tender and well done while the alternating textures and flavours of crisp lightly caramelized pear, tart cheese and musky undertones of truffles certainly hit the spot. One salivated for more truffles but hesitated from asking, given the latest international pricing of the black truffle from Northern Italy’s Piedmont Province registering at 3000 euros per kilo.
Millefoglie di granchio con pomodoro e sedano, acetosella all’arancia. Crab meat “mille feuille” with tomato and celery served with orange dressing
This arrived as a dome of crabmeat, chopped tomatoes and celery on a pastry base. The orange dressing complimented the buttery crabmeat and was of a melt in the mouth consistency. The chef when complimented, proudly spoke of how he personally inspects the day’s purchases for freshness and the necessity for the right amount of cooking time and temperature.
Noci di cappesante in manto di petto d’oca affumicato e foglie di idivia appena scottata. Baked sea scallops, wrapped in smoked duck breast, served on endive leaves
The texture was creamy with a nutty undertone and a hint of sweetness. The saltiness of the smoked duck breast wrapped around the scallops seemed to make the latter still taste a little of the sea.
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Ravioli di salmone con crema agli asparagi. Fresh salmon ravioli with asparagus sauce
The previous dishes having set a rather high benchmark, this one proved to be a little bit of a disappointment for while the Salmon was fresh and well done and the asparagus sauce coating the ravioli complimented the delicate flavour, the dough seemed a bit tough around the edges.
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Lutiano Dorato arrosto con crosta di pistacchi, al melograno e balsamico invecchiato. Roasted red snapper with pistachio crust, pomegranate and aged balsamic vinegar
The pistachio encrusted fillet of Red Snapper was just fork tender and the 10 years aged Balsamic vinegar and pomegranate helped add the highlights to the moist fish. As the Italians themselves would say – Molto Buono
Carré di agnello in crosta di erbe mediterranee con scalogni caramellati, salsa al basilico e cracker al pecorino. Rack of lamb in a crust of Mediterranean herbs, caramelized shallots and basil sauce with Pecorino cheese flavoured cracker
Tender chops flown in from New Zealand surrounded by the sweetness of caramelized shallots. My protests of the meat not done well enough at the bone were brushed aside by Suresh who averred that my palate had been spoilt by too much of Indian style chops. I mutely nodded and proceeded to demolish the last slivers of meat on my plate.
We paused for a breather to take in the interiors of the Aloro,which though appealing, seemed plain compared to the rest of the hotel. The only concession to a theme based décor would have been the mosaic floors and the brick lined walls of the live pizza counter which was faintly reminiscent of a country style Italian kitchen. Perhaps the emphasis was meant to be deliberately on the food and the beautiful food sculpture.
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Though by this stage we were completely sated we proceeded further to the dolce, dessert as a nice closing paranthesis to the meal - tiramisu served in a glass, chocolate cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese and coffee crème brulee,
Lastly Coffee and a smorgasbord of decadent moulded chocolates were placed before us but we remembered that the wages of gluttony is breadth and wisely refrained!
We left with the satisfaction of having had a true fine dining experience. Some of the chefs have honed their skills at the best hotels across the globe.The service was exemplary and the waiters seemed well informed of all aspects of the dishes.
Would we go again? Given that most of the restaurants in the city dole out standard (mis) representations of excessively seasoned and sauce slathered pasta in the name of Italian cuisine and that the food here is light, almost ephemeral, made with olive oils, vinegars, flours, condiments sourced from artisinal producers, we certainly would.
Average meal for two would come upto Rs. 2000 /-
A selection of wines and liquor available.
Usha Vijayaraghavan
Edited by Suresh Hinduja, 28 April 2009 - 08:22 PM.
added photos
Usha, nice review of Aloro restaurant with fantastic pictures...beautiful artistic presentation of each dish...creates instant desire to dine in this restaurant.
