Taste of Puglia - Straight from the heart @ Bene, Sheraton Grand Bangalore

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It's been a while since I've written about the food at Sheraton Grand Bangalore and is my first time I'm writing about the food at Chef Giuseppe's table. At the helm of Bene - the signature Italian restaurant; Chef Giuseppe hailing from Puglia is hosting a food festival showcasing the cuisine from his region placed in Southern parts of Italy. The food from here is rustic and earthy and Chef with his team at Bene left no stone unturned. Read on to know how the evening transpired.

As we took to our seats, our table was set up with breads baked in-house with the focaccia being a favorite. The texture of this bread was brilliant with a crispy outer shell and the airy centre. The flavor of extra virgin olive oil was evident and was a perfect accompaniment to every course of the meal. Hard to imagine an Italian meal without breads.

Olives were imported from Italy and were stuffed with either capers or almonds. The wine for the evening was from the Grover's produce. I generally love red wine and hence stuck to the Grover Shiraz. Must say, "I'm quite turning into a fan of their wine produce off late." The wine paired wonderfully with the food and before this could be concluded the olives paired with the wine did really enhance the wine experience.

Moving on, soon arrived the 'Bruschetta Pugliese' (missing picture) which was assembled to offer the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, saltiness from the sun-dried tomato, pepper notes from the young arugula. This married brilliantly with the extra virgin olive oil and shaved parmesan drizzle; all topped on perfectly toasted Puglia bread. There was also 'Panzerotti Pugliese' fried mini folded pizzas stuffed with burrito cheese, tomato and basil. These were mini parcels of good ness reiterating the saying, "Good things come in small packages."

'Caprese Alla Barese' can easily make a comforting and satiating meal. The flavors and textures of the ingredients of this cold salad were a treat to the palate. This dish comprised of Bocconcini mozzarella, fresh basil pesto and sundries tomato tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh oregano and drizzle of Modena balsamic Vinegar. Most Italian restaurants offer this salad and so does Bene at Sheraton on its regular menu. But this preparation was an excellent representation of the region Chef hails from and by far the best I've had.

Each course that arrives had higher expectations to beat and the next one at task was 'Ciambotto' a seafood soup which includes the catch of the day cooked in bisque and fish stock and served with the Focaccia dipped in it. The flavors were earthy; sorry oceanic, the texture rich and I was a happy foodie again realising why I've loved Bene through these years.

'Orecchiette Alla Ragu' is a home made pasta originating from the Puglia region. This comes tossed in 48 hours slow cooked lamb ragout and pecorino cheese. I loved the bite that this pasta provided, the ragout it was tossed in and the slow cooked lamb was succulent and packed with flavor as a result. I swept this clean with no guilt what so ever.

The main course was plated with - (1) 'Branzino in Costa Di Palate' - a Chilean sea bass fish topped with potato crust placed on a bed of cherry tomato asparagus and garden salad. (2) 'Zucchine Al Tonno' - Zucchini stuffed with tuna capers and garlic. Both had a brilliant flavor profile but for me; of the two the Chilean sea bass stole the show for its simplicity in preparation, the perfect balance in cooking the fish and the accompanying salad and the cherry tomatoes clearly elevated the experience of eating this fish.

Next course was the final one and was the dessert. 'Biscotti di Mandorla' made and appearance. This was a warm South Italian short bread tart stuffed with home made nutella and came topped with again a homemade Mascarpone cheese ice cream'. While the table was filled with discussions during each course for their sheer excellence; during this it was a silent heavenly abode. No words were needed for the silence as everyone clean swept their plates spoke it all. I'm no dessert fan and I left no trace of this dessert on my plate.

So if you've been following me on my social media channels you'd have seen the buzz around this dinner already which has been pleasing dinners since 4th November. While this comes to an end as I write these lines, let me tell you this is clearly a reminder that Bene stands out as my go to restaurant in the city for excellent Italian food and hospitality and also a restaurant I will time and again recommend you to hit for a fantastic experience. 

The best way to experience it all is to go in for a 6 course experiential dining that was offered on the menu for Rs 2000 + taxes and charges. Absolutely worth the price and for those who wanted to go the a la carte way, a special menu was on offer with lots to choose from for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. 

While this festival may have run through the duration planned for, this review only clearly hints that Sheraton will only work again towards going beyond the expectations this food festival has already set. So while I look forward to more meals here, do watch this space for upcoming food promotions and festivals.

Quick Tip:

When you are at Bene and you happen to catch Chef Giuseppe, let yourself in his hands and he will walk you through an experience you will remember for a long time to come.

Address: Bene, Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000

Exotic Pizzas at Mezzaluna, Movenpick Hotel, Bengaluru

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"Breads are holy to Italians", Said Chef Armando of Mezzaluna at Movenpick Hotel Bangalore in the very first minutes of my interaction with him.

For many, the word 'bread' brings imaginations of different kinds of foods to different ethnic groups across the world. For some it might be sandwiches and burgers, for some - pita bread, bagels; for some pav and so on. Of it all, the most common response will likely be Pizza.

It's a crowd favorite in India too and keeping this in mind, Chef Armando and team has come up with a special menu dedicated to Italian pizzas which is being offered at Mezzaluna; the specialty Italian restaurant at Movenpick hotel. This special menu dedicated to Pizzas and calzones has a listing of 13 pizzas – 6 vegetarian and 7 non-vegetarian; so there’s aplenty to choose from. You have a choice to have it in the form of a pizza or as a calzone. What will you pick? Moving on, to take it a step further with every pizza / calzone ordered, you also receive a house pour of chilled draught beer unlike the usual glass of wine that gets paired at an Italian restaurant when they come to think of food and beverage pairing.

Coming straight from the brick oven are pizzas topped with the soul of Italy expressing in every bite freshness, simplicity and uniqueness in the sauce and toppings. Yet at the heart of it all is the light and thin crust of bread.

While the pizzas were being readied to be plated, we sampled different forms of bread made out of the very same dough but yielding different taste and texture. The bread sampler on the table was soon enjoyed in the company of the traditional olive oil with a Balsamic drizzle. At Mezzaluna, I was recommended to try it with a sprinkling of salt and pepper too in the olive oil and I loved it. Once the tray holding the breads was swept clean, the refills came arrived as if it was tacit. Acknowledging this gesture to Chef Armando, I was explained, “In Italy, a table will always have bread available all through the meal.” I’d clearly love such a table. 

I knew we were moving closer to the pizzas when the Anti Pasto arrived which is also considered the official beginning of an Italian meal. There was the traditional Bruschetta, Aranchi, pickles and more. It was nice but I didn’t want to fill myself up as the starts for the day were slated to arrive next.

It started with a vegetarian pizza – ‘TRINITA’ DEI MONTI – Ricotta, tartufo e olive’. Toppings of truffle, olives, ricotta cheese made for a great combination. The topping as you see in the image was present and surely there but in apt portions to add the required flavor to go along on a bread that was thin, light and perfectly baked to not make it to crisp or soft.

The first one set expectations from what was to arrive next and when it did arrive, it for me was the star from the vegetarian selection of the pizza. ‘PIAZZA DEL POPOLO – Carciofi ed asparagi’ came on bread with a sauce made of asparagus, topped with artichoke hearts, asparagus and cheese. I’m surely heading back to Mezzaluna and from vegetarian this one is gonna be back on my table. I highly recommend to you to visit Mezzaluna and when there this master piece and a few more of the pizzas have got to make it to your table. Read on.

Up next was a pizza topped with linguine pasta. I was skeptical but this one ended up being the best of both the worlds – creamy pasta and a Italian pizza. Need I say more?

Switching gears, we moved on to select non-vegetarian pizzas from the menu. Humble lamb and pecorino cheese arrived topped on yet again a bread that I’m now at a loss of words to write any further. This toppings on each pizza were clearly present to enhance the flavors but still there was not an overload to steal the show away from the bread or make the pizza really heavy like what happens with the New York style pizzas. So is this also the difference between the humble Italian pizza and the overloaded New York style pizza? Leaving you with some food for thought.

‘PINCIO – Rucola, prosciutto e fichi’ swept me off the floor. Read it slow and steady – Parma Ham, Rucola salad, figs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Again! Parma Ham, Rucola salad, figs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This combination of freshness from the salad, saltiness from the Parmesan cheese, Salty-sweet profile of the perfectly sliced ham and the sweetness from the fig was magical. The experience of actually eating it is the only way to do justice to this wonderful creation and in the non-vegetarian section, this one is the brightest star of this galaxy named Mezzaluna.

While we had a choice to get a pizza or a calzone on the table, so far it was just pizza’s but the last two for the evening – one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian were brought in the form of a calzone from the very same brick oven. Vegetarian one was ‘VIA DEL CORSO – Crema di peperoni e zucchini’ filled with cream of bell pepper and zucchini and the non-vegetarian one was ‘FONTANA DI TREVI – Acciughe e gamberi e fiori di zucca’ denoting anchovies and prawns. Crisp bread casing and the gooey stuffing; here’s and image of the non-veggie one.

Dessert was the Italian classic Tiramisu served with a twist from Chef Armando’s kitchen. This one was light and smooth. One of the really good tiramisu’s I’ve eaten in Bangalore.

Moving back to the stars of the evening – pizzas here are excellent with some breaking barriers and creating new standards which can be hard to match up to. I highly recommend you to visit Mezzaluna at Movenpick Hotels; for this kitchen dishes out  an outstanding pizza and the tap pours out draught beer, all of it at a fair price of Rs. 699 exclusive of taxes. I’m going to go back here for their pizzas and I do hope to see you too at Mezzaluna.

Cheers!

Address: Movenpick Hotels & Spa Bangalore, 115, Gokula Extension, HMT Road (Near BEL Circle), Bangalore - 560054

Phone Number: +91 80 4300 1000 


Note: This visit to Movenpick Hotels & Spa, Bengaluru was on invitation but the opinions expressed are solely mine and are absolutely unbiased nor influenced by the brand in any way.

Time Travel through the Food @ Ottimo - ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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With over a year into operations, the highly acclaimed and award winning restaurant has been a delight to visit. With memories of my first meal here still fresh and alive on my mind; I was most certain that this visit will only create more memories. Expectations were set knowing that Chef Vittorio Greco was at the helm of things and a festival was curated to specifically make diners travel through time; from classic to contemporary.

At Ottimo, ITC Gardenia; it is hard to decide if the restaurant brings out the vibrancy in Chef Greco or it is Chef Greco's vibrancy that results in the vibrancy of the restaurant. 'Vibrancy' a term most often used in relation to ambiance; here seamlessly extends to the service, food being dished out of the kitchen, the plating and the complete experience itself.

Getting back to the food at this festival aptly named 'The Art of Time Travel', Chef Vittorio works his magic in a whole new way by curating two experiences on one single plate - the traditional versus the modern or reinvented new-age Italian cuisine. Every course that arrived was a delight in every sense and also to every sense one can experience at a steal price of Rs. 2250 ++ which also includes a glass of domestic wine or beer.

With a special menu crafted and personalized for me, I couldn't help but just looked forward to starting the experience with 'Antipasto' which was 'Insalata di Pollo' - a classic and a modern take on this signature Italian salad. This was one dish that gave me a hard time deciding which was better. One version was just topped with capers providing for a nice salty and briny zing to the subtle chicken salad and the other was topped with pickled vegetables like asparagus, broccoli and more for that nice crunch in every bite. 

'Primi Piatti' or 'Primo' is a course known to have a pasta preparation and is usually a course served hot. My pick from the non-vegetarian choices in this course was Lamb Ravioli artistically prepared and presented to showcase a classic and modern take of this Italian favorite. The lamb in the ravioli was clearly treated with a lot of love. The contemporary version was served as a long roll of lamb ravioli topped with the broccoli coulis or sauce and a drizzle of garlic dusting.

In vegetarian, I got to try the classic spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed ravioli. A quick look at it and you might just not spot the difference but a closer look and you realize that the classic had just the one pocket that contained the stuffing of spinach and ricotta cheese prepared together while the modern had 2 compartments - one for the spinach and the other for the ricotta. The difference might seem really subtle but making this wasn't a cake walk. Likewise, the modern and classic versions also felt very different in terms of taste and texture. While the classic version is a favorite world over, I loved the modern take for the dense texture and clearly different flavors of the ricotta and spinach being prominently felt.

The wines we stuck to all through the evening was the smooth and creamy Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco and the rich and oaky Fratelli Sangiovese.

The next course 'Secondo Piatto' is considered the main dish of an Italian meal structure. There was a classic and reinvented version of 'Seabass Livornese. While both were great and the flavor composition was really different, I loved the modern take on this dish for the flavors of the prime ingredients - fish and the deconstructed sauce were distinctly felt on the palate. 

The difference between the two versions? The classic version of this dish came as fish fillet and the delicious sauce of tomato, olives, pepper, olive oil cooked together while the modern came as a deconstructed version with the sauce topped with olives, herbs, and other ingredients with the fish cooked all by itself which helped it retain the flavors of the sea. 

Another non-vegetarian option for those who do not enjoy seafood as much was the 'Chicken Caccaitora' where again the modern version stood out for me. It was chicken stuffed with vegetables and base ingredients like tomato, onion and garlic which make the sauce. Served on a bed of velvety mashed potatoes; I absolutely enjoyed this dish.

Continuing on 'Secondo' was also a vegetarian classic 'Puttanesca' a dish famed in South of Italy. A classic version uses spaghetti as the pasta tossed in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, olive oil, capers and olives that give it a salty flavor. The modern take used risotto instead of the spaghetti and was again a deconstructed form. This is inspired from the food habits of North Italy where risotto is widely consumed. While I love risotto and this deconstructed form tasted as delicious as the classic; I'll go the classic way on this dish.

The classic & my pick

Dolce was something I waited for through my meal. There was coffee written all over it. 2 versions of the ever delicious 'Tiramisu'; It couldn't have gotten better. The modern take was a deconstructed version served as a dome filled essentials to make a delicious tiramisu and surrounded with espresso, coffee beans, crumbed lady finger biscuits etc. Which was better? Both... It contained coffee. :)

If you thought this was the end of our meal; it clearly wasn't. We had to finish it with a coffee made the way Italians make it each day at home - Espresso made in moka pots. Simply delicious!

Dining at Ottimo is an experience and with the festival being hosted by Chef Vittorio; it's clearly an icing on the cake. Do make sure you manage a visit by the 2nd of June as the festival is till the mentioned date. This time travel through the cuisine of Italy comes at a lovely price of Rs. 2,250++ which also includes a glass of wine or beer.

Address: ITC Gardenia, 1, Residency Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4345 5140 

A New Brunch in town - B:Brunch at Bene, Sheraton Bangalore

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I'm always on a lookout for new and interesting experiences. What I get even more excited about is; sharing with you a new and exciting experience that I really enjoyed. Sheraton is probably a hotel I frequent often for it houses splendid dining options in the form of Feast, Bene and Persian Terrace.

Last week, Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway launched not just the newest and the coolest brunch in town but also an exclusive and unique brunch in various ways viz..

 - While every brunch focuses on world cuisines, this one is exclusively; I repeat exclusively an Italian and Mediterranean brunch.

 - This brunch at Sheraton is a lavish spread of food with 80% or more coming from live counters; the way you'd like it prepared.

A perfect outdoor setting with the lovely Bangalore weather, live music and DJ, 3 bar counters (Main bar, martini & Mojito Bar, Bubbly bar), activities to keep the kids entertained and live counters dishing out freshly prepared food. The ambiance and set up is perfect for a relaxed and leisurely Sunday Brunch.

We were welcomed with shots of different liquor base setting the mood for the rest of the brunch.

There is loads of food and drinks laid out all the way from where you enter (indoors) to the end of the Al-Fresco (outdoors) section. It begins indoor with soups, salads and dips, live counters serving up customised salads, cold cuts, cheese platters, desserts at the heart and extending outdoors to the live Persian and Italian mains and grills. All of this, well alternated with different bar counters.

The salads and dips as always were delicious and aplenty to choose from. Puja loves the cheese platter with crackers, nuts and fruits by the side to accompany. We sat outdoors, enjoying the lovely weather of Bangalore, the fresh salads, delicious dips, cheese and sipping on Kir Royale (a sparkling cocktail) and wine.

My new favorite was the finely sliced Parma ham with Parmesan cheese strips. A really simple combination of cured and thinly sliced parma ham with cheese slivers and that's all it takes to enjoy this lovely dish with a glass of medium bodied red wine.

On the weber grills were assorted starters for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I tried the chicken sausages and the fish from the non-vegetarian section and cottage cheese and mix veg sticks from the vegetarian. Except for the sausages which were perfect, i found the marinade on the rest to be quite bland for my liking. I'd have preferred it to be a little more robust in flavor.

All through the brunch, I tried various beverages like the Kir Royale - a champagne/sparkling wine based cocktail, the very innovative Paan martini, mojito and some good wine as well. The cocktails were well concocted and made for a good company for the day. My personal favorite of them all was the Paan martini which apparently also made for a great finisher after a complete meal - Well, that's the paan lover in me speaking. 

Moving on to the next course or the mains if they may be called - It again primarily comprised of live counters for burgers, Italian and Persian food. We settled down with pasta of mix sauce, pizza from the wood fired oven, and also some delicious Persian rice and kababs - both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Like always, they all tasted good but would have preferred to have more options to choose from bot in terms of dishes and the meats offered.

Desserts were inviting right from the the very beginning and our eyes were all set on them. So when we arrives to this final course, we were in a fix on what to eat. We settled for an assortment that we plated ourselves from a really generous selection. Oh Boy! I absolutely loved their Banana-Walnut cake, carrot cake and the subtly flavored coconut cake.

Tiramisu at Bene has always been a signature creation and it wouldn't be justified to not have dug my spoon into it.

To sum it up - it was a lovely day, perfect weather, great ambiance, live music, fabulous spread of delicious food and the premium beverages and interesting cocktail concoctions to add to the zing. For the kids, there was tattoo art, interesting balloon creations and more. Memories are to be treasured and hence, Sheraton goes the extra mile to get you photographed during the brunch and as you are all set to call it a day and step out; Surprise! the you'll spot your picture printed and ready for you to take back home.

Address: 4th Floor, Sheraton @ Brigade Gateway, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055
Landmark: Adjacent to Orion Mall in the same campus

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000