It's said that our tongue is known to more than four basic flavours and indeed that stood true when we stepped into the newly opened cafe — Nove-The Italian Kitchen. Located in Banjara Hills, the café offers pastas, pizzas, paninos and more — all done with the Italian ethos of using simple and fresh ingredients, arranged in sophisticated presentation for the ultimate gastronomical pleasure. We walked into the café on a sunny Wednesday and noticed that the 70-seater cozy space was divided into indoor and outdoor seating. We chose the outdoors as it emanated the bucolic calm of an Italian Al Fresco dining space with wood patio furniture and hanging plants for visual allure.
It transported us to Tuscany’s beautiful outdoor cafés, all thanks to Hyderabadi restaurateur and founder Suma Chereddi’s eye for detail. Sharing with us how she conceptualised Nove, Suma says, “Nove is a first-of-its-kind Italian dine-in experience in Hyderabad. Translating to the number 9 in Italian, it represents the nine fundamentals of food and hospitality— authenticity, simplicity, freshness, nutrition, locally sourced, zero waste, seasonal, low environmental impact and exceptional service.” And we couldn’t wait to explore.
Fruity aperitivos
We were served detox mint water with lemon essence that cleaned our palate. We then started in the traditional Italian way by ordering aperitivos; we went for the Pomegranate and Orange Punch instead of the usual wine.
The coral pink juice was a refreshing hit with citrusy fruits squeezed together and garnished with a slice of lemon. After the sweet-tangy fruit punch, we ordered the Berry Smoothie to mellow down the sensations on the tongue. We relished the mildly sweet notes of strawberry and blueberry blended with creamy yoghurt and were happy to have started the meal on a healthy note.
Say cheese
We were quick to fold our sleeves and dig into some cheesy delicacies to explore Italians’ love for the fermented dairy product. And what’s better than pasta and pizza for the primo? We ordered their speciality — The Meat Lovers Pizza.
It came loaded with cheese, grilled chicken, smoked chicken and frankfurt sausage, topped with basil, onions and zucchini. From the creamy cheese and smoky meats to tarty sauces and mint-hinted basil, we knew we were enjoying a slice of Italy. Their signature Maccheroni Pasta in an oval shallow tub was served next. The handcrafted cheesy marconi gratin pasta with a sprinkle of finely chopped fried onions and basil landed us into a food coma for its creamy flavour.
We helped ourselves with 3-4 servings and noted it didn’t feel heavy, all thanks to the fresh ingredients used. However, we did pepper some oregano and chilli powder to spice things up. Together the moistness of pasta and the crispness of pizza made a heavenly combination making us ready for some antipastos. We went for Fish Skewers.The marinated fish came with tartare sauce and leafy side-on of cabbage and spinach tossed with baked potatoes. The fish melted into our mouth in a jiffy but wowed more with its texture than taste.
La Dolce Vita
Before we put our forks down, we wanted to satiate ourselves with dessert and ordered their speciality — the Nove Sundae.Not to exaggerate, but it transported us to a galaxy of colours and sweet flavours with brown chocolate ice cream, pink tinted strawberry scoop, topped with golden caramelised popcorns and multicoloured pearl sugar — all enclosed in a thin crust of artisanal biscuit.
We gorged on this visual and delicious treat and mopped the last drop of ice cream from the plate, before we left.
Rs.15,00 for two. At Banjara Hills.
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