With good times back again, all the city diners, big or small, are waking up from their slumber and revamping their menus to lure back patrons from the comfort of their homes. The same buzz of activity can be noticed at Hyatt Regency's luxury Italian diner, La Cucina, the city's one of the most sought after Italian restaurants. The diner has brought over Chef Gianfranco Tuttolani who has come up with some of the choicest entrees across the provinces of Italy and curated an irresistible special menu along with Dola Singh, Chef de cuisine of La Cucina.
Hailing from a small village Atri in the Abruzzo region of Italy, Chef Tuttolani always had a knack for rustling up something out of nothing. "I used to make sandwiches and other snacks out of leftovers at home from a very little age. The kitchen had always fascinated me." tells the chef, who has worked in Europe, China and Australia before taking charge of Grand Hyatt Mumbai's signature Italian diner, Celini.
The burly chef with a great sense of humour has orchestrated a great line-up of savouries to give Kolkata a taste of the culinary feats from his birthplace and other regions of Italy and the main challenge that he faced was to get the authentic spices in order to retain the original flavours. "Italians love their cheese, beef and pork and it was challenging to curate a menu that appeals to the Indian palate. Hence I have stuck to some original renditions of fish, lamb, seafood and cheese," elaborates the Chef.
But as began the feast, we were convinced of the chef's instincts, when it comes to understanding what will work here. We started off with Fritto Misto or a mixed platter of squid, prawns, fish and bell peppers wok-fried with spicy Arrabbiata sauce and generously sprinkled with lime and cracked pink pepper. We were instantly teleported to the Southern shores of Italy, where such Mediterranean preparations are extremely popular. And anyone who has been anywhere from Naples down to Sicily will give the chef a pat on his back for replicating the flavours hands down.
With our tastebuds adequately titillated, the gourmet trail continued with the sumptuous soup Minestrone Genovese made with fleshy zucchini, juicy red onions, juicy, fresh celery, carrots, leeks, pumpkin, potato, Borlotti beans and basil pesto. What makes this soup made with locally available veggies special is the addition of local basil pesto, a staple in the Liguria region of northwest Italy. As we slurped, Chef Tuttolani, told us how difficult it was for him to get the right basil. "The basil that's cultivated here is not even remotely similar to what we get in Italy. We got Thai basils, which are closer in taste and flavour for making the soup," he says.
The soup was followed by a very light yet filling dish of Lamb Scottadito, an Italian version of lamb chops that simply won our hearts for its understated play of spices. Hailing from Rome, this dish has been prepared with New Zealand lamb chops soaked in red wine jus and sauteed with rosemary, black pepper and garlic. Served with fork mash and a portion of sauteed spinach this dish nailed it with a perfect balance of texture, taste and fat content.
With no more space left for further gustatory adventure, we happily rounded off the meal with a dig into the Classic Tiramisu that was balanced in its bittersweet ratio. The five-course Melange Flavours of Italy, caringly handcrafted by Chef Tuttolani is also available in their A La Carte menu and should definitely be on your must-taste list if you are always sceptical about the local renditions of Italian fare in the city diners.
Price for Melange Flavours Of Italy: Rs 2,500+ per person. Timings: 7 pm to 11 pm (Monday to Sunday)