Here's an ideal weekend destination for an authentic Italian dining experience in Chennai

Chennai’s gastronomes have a great opportunity to experience the flavours of Northern Italy in this ongoing limited-time food festival in the city.

Celebrating thirty years of Hyatt Regency Delhi’s popular Italian spot La Piazza, Chef Fabrizio Berretta has flown down to Chennai from the capital to curate a celebratory menu of mouth-watering and authentic dishes.

First up, we were served the Rucola salad. If you’re a mushroom person, this will be an exciting kick-off for you! Containing the sharp tartness of Arugula leaves, along with the freshness of cherry tomato,  and other ingredients like Parmesan, button mushroom carpaccio and lemon dressing, this European and Mediterranean dish was a great start.

The Zuppa di asparagi graced our table next. With a hint of the nutty flavour of the parmesan cheese coming through, and despite the mildly overpowering flavour of Asparagus, this soup was quite appetising. The creamy texture was executed perfectly as we sipped the bowl of soup clean.

For our main course, we were started off with the La Piazza pizza. This in-house special pizza was a celebration of the Italian favourites with some simple yet delectable ingredients. 

Each slice of this pizza  produced a cacophony of flavours. The mozzarella and basil pesto blended perfectly giving us hints of the creamy and tangy taste notes.  Chunks of the  sundried tomato along with the roasted garlic produced a flavourful mix of smokey and hot and piquant flavours. The additional softness of the goat cheese introduced a melt-in-the-mouth flavour. Be sure to spruce up the flavours with a variety of oils that can additionally by paired with the pizzas.

After this filling portion of pizza, we moved on tho the Melanzane al forno, verdure, armigiano, pomodoro basilico. This was a baked eggplant dish that introduced a variety of lesser known yet lip-smacking flavours. With a sliver of smoky taste notes, this dish consisted of vegetables that were scooped into eggplant and the dressing also included some cherry tomatoes that went quite well, introducing a sharp creamy and sweet tinge, with each bite of the baked goodness of the main dish. A small slice of parmesan cheese added tartness and a creamy texture that our taste buds were yearning for. We found ourselves going back to this dish for more as we relished the variety of flavours that it produced.

The Saltimbocca di pollo alla romana was served next. This was the other highlight from the menu after the pizza. This Roman dish produced mild yet flavourful taste notes with its tender Sautéed chicken breasts, layered with prosciutto, in this case the Parma ham. The sage used in this dish produced the much appreciated earthy flavours while the potato puree acted as a palette cleanser for us to enjoy the flacours of this dish again, until it was over. 

This culinary celebration finally concluded with the perfect sweet condiment. The Tiramisù, with its creamy mascarpone custard hit the spot for us. Our sweet tooth was much satisfied as we discovered from the chunks of the espresso and liquor-soaked Savoiardi cookie. The blended texture of the the crunchy cookie, the smoky and flavour taste of the espresso and the sweet yet relishing bitter hints of cocoa dust brought this lunch meal home for us. 

Our verdict? As the festival nears its ending date, we couldnt urge you more to try out this menu. With its authentic ingredients, one can see the earnest and truthful craft of Chef Fabrizio, as he brings his home to our plates, making us part of his journey and him a part of ours. 

Meal for two: INR 3,000.
On till June 16, Sunday.
Available for lunch and dinner.
At Hyatt Regency Chennai, Teynampet.