An excursion of Italy with Guest Chef Giuseppe Lioce @ Westin Gurgaon's PREGO!!

This July, take an excursion of Italy, right here at The Westin Gurgaon’s Californian Style Italian Venue- PREGO with Guest Chef, Giuseppe Lioce.

So, just like you would expect in Italy, you can choose to enjoy your meal indoors or out on the open deck with a backdrop of a busy restaurant. In order to deliver the quality that he is so particular about, Giuseppe Lioce personally ensures that he buys only the best and the freshest ingredients. With certain recipes tracing back from his home town aka Bari in the south of Italy, the cuisine here finds its roots in tradition. Giuseppe takes pride in every dish served to you and ensures it is as true to its roots as he himself is with a beautifully crafted A la carte menu, for lunch and dinner.  Veritably Italian!

THE PROMOTION

To start with let me tell you this dynamic Chef Giuseppe comes with 13 years of experience, having worked in a range of boutique restaurants and 5 Star hotels throughout Europe and is currently the Italian Chef at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park specially flown in for this promotion. What do you do when you’re far away from home and you crave for Mama’s cooking? You cook like her, Giuseppe did just that, his promotional menu is concise, classic with his signature twist and his sumptuous offerings focus on taste without forgoing the presentation.

The ‘carpaccio di funghi’  which are seasonal fresh mushrooms marinated in Italian lemon dressing, mint, shaved parmesan, rucola and balsamic reduction is a great prelude of things to come. Every dish that follows from the pasta to the mains will not disappoint- a consistency of standard that adds to the dining pleasure. Try the gnocchi; it is given a fresh twist with tomato sauce, basil, baked in the oven with mozzarella sauce. Not to be missed is the  ‘Paccheri al ragu di Agnello’, here the Paccheri is filled and topped with fork tender slow cooked lamb ragout  is so beautifully cooked and tastes so divine, that it leaves you wanting for more. His specialities ‘branzino livornese’ baked sea bass, tomato sauce with olives, anchovies, capers served with fried polenta and spinach and ‘pollo alla pizzaiola’, chicken fillets cooked in tomato sauce, black olives, oregano, chilli, served with mashed potato are absolute winners. Dessert is a dip into the pool of divine decadence with chef’s version of the ‘millefoglie’, layered warm puff pastry with Italian custard, mango and vanilla ice cream … simply a sweet piece de resistance. Buon Appetito!

FAST FACTS

The promotion is on from 8^th July until 17^th July 2015

The WestIn Gurgaon, New Delhi, No 1 MG Road, Gurgaon-122002

For Reservations: 0124 4977777. Extension 7841

ROMANO'S AT THE BRAND NEW JW MARRIOTT, SAHAR IN MUMBAI

As I walked through the doors twice (yes I had a meal here on two consecutive evenings) of this Italian Adventure, I was overwhelmed with the majestic feel of a multi levelled restaurant replete with a 25 feet high ceiling , two flights of stairs, a vibrant show kitchen and exotic fragrance of Italian food. The restaurant consists a rich bar (as in the wine is excellent!) and of course I cannot talk of the bar and not mention ‘Ema’ the vivacious bartender ever ready to whip you up a heady cocktail of your choice and she keeps her bar like a Laboratory where she is forever experimenting with new flavours only to present her best and boldest creations: drinks like the Oak-aged Negroni with cherry wood smoke and the JW style spiced Old Fashioned with homemade garam masala syrup.

A visit to the kitchen revealed that there truly are a lot of specialists working in here and chef keeps them all busy. Pasta dishes are made in-house, and completely by hand, in the old artisanal way. For example to make perfect Tortellini (round shaped) one needs talent, experience, dedication, a professional environment and simply a lot time and trust me this and the rest of the handmade pasta menu that includes a wide range of delicacies like Gnocchi (made of potatoes only), a series of artfully shaped of pasta pockets like Raviolo (square-shaped) as well as noodles that vary in size from very thin ones Angel Hair to very broad ones Pappardelle are no less spectacular. 

But before that, savour the selection of antipasti, soups and chef’s salad selection. The vibe is homey, comfort Italian chow like ‘Minestrone’ and ‘Aglio olio’ are done to perfection.

Recommendations go all out for the Burrata, which means ‘buttered,’ a luscious, creamy fresh cheese made by mixing cream and unspun mozzarella curds together,  this is one simple dish which tastes good only if done right  and here kissed by sweet basil pesto alongside heirloom tomatoes was absolutely decadent to the core. The warm mushroom salad wasn’t bad either with parsley and roasted garlic, though it could have done with a little less salt.It was the exceptional sea bass baked in parchment paper, fragrant with lemon sauce and clams that was the most stellar preparation. The menu is concise and changed seasonally; in keeping with the spirit of Italian cooking, everything is fresh and the flavours are kept simple so they balance each other. Desserts, too, are exemplary especially the ‘Tiramisu’ a fluffy sponge combined with exotic flavours of espresso and cocoa ,layered with mascarpone served out of a porcelain dish which one is allowed to gorge on unlimited and trust me you may end up eating half of the bowl, so do save space.

FAST FACTS

Romano’s is at the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar, IA Project Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar, Andheri East, Mumbai

Tel: 022 33956233
Timings: Open only for dinner all days of the week.

ARTUSI RISTORANTE E BAR, DELHI

VERITABLY ITALIAN

The food is elegant while retaining the robust flavours one would expect from an Italian meal. 

LOWDOWN

The decor, the ambience and the service all reflected the warmth and care that one would expect when dining in a warm and friendly Italian home that I felt at home at once. Italian food has been adulterated and generally syncretised to a significant degree. It is therefore gratifying to dine on good, authentic Italian food. The promoter Gurpinder Balcon, an Italian citizen born in India who has exceptional knowledge and passion for fine authentic Italian food (married to an Italian) from the Emilia-Romagna region, is ever ready to explain every dish on the menu with great gusto. All in all, Artusi is utterly charming, utterly homely, utterly comfortable and utterly delicious!

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

The experience at Artusi is truly Italian. We started with a Prosecco at the before with Bruschetta before moving on to dinner. The food is elegant while retaining the robust flavours one would expect from an Italian meal. In keeping with the spirit of Italian cooking, everything is fresh and the flavours are kept simple so they balance each other. Sometimes, simplicity can be the hardest thing. Chef Romina Lugaresi takes on an emotional approach to cooking. She almost takes it as a responsibility and enjoys watching people eat. The menu is grand and extensive with faultless final products. Go for the tasting menu if you want a bit of everything. If a la carte is your choice then to whet appetites, a platter of ‘Calamari Fritti’ deep fried, served with a tangy spicy red sauce, a mild and creamy white sauce and a slice of lemon set the right mood. Not to be missed also is the homemade ‘Piadina e Crescione’ a platter of selected cured meats that includes Prosciutto di Parma that has been aged for 24 months, as well as salame, mortadella, fine cheeses and herbs. The selection of risotto and soup is a must try. ‘Risotto Ortolano’ made with the highest quality Carnaroli rice and seasonal vegetables and authentic Grana Padana cheese is decadent to the core.

Pasta is made fresh every day to guarantee the best quality. Their egg less Strozzapeti (an artisanal and rustic pasta made with flour only), is best taken plain with just tomato sauce (pomodoro). Speciality dishes run a mile long and include the likes of ‘Grigliata Mista’, a platter of premium quality mixed meat cuts and sausages - served with rosemary potatoes and grilled vegetables is rich but not overwhelming. The tiramisu is the Pride and joy of the restaurant and another good bet would be the Panna Cotta. 

As more and more Italian restaurants mushroom all over the country , Artusi has set itself apart by going authentic in its cooking. It is obvious that nothing is compromised here, from carefully engineered dishes, to impeccable service, the ambience is extremely European, and it definitely is a cut above the rest. The experience doesn’t end with the food but spreads on to the service, wines and the service under the Italian speaking General Manager Aman Chaudhry.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Romina Lugaresi Is the Executive Chef of the restaurant. Romina has been at the helm of kitchens in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and now in India. Throughout her twenty years her focus has been on the cuisine of her native land Emilia-Romagna. It does not hurt that Romina was born and grew up in the same village in Emilia-Romagna like the owners’ family! She appreciates that Artusi Ristorante e Bar does not have, nor plans to have, any other outlets. ‘I simply want to deliver the very best only, every day of the week, thus I trust my team but I also keep a close watch on every dish that leaves my kitchen’ says Romina smilingly.

Promoter Gurpinder Balcon with Executive Chef Romina Lugaresi

FAST FACTS

Address: 24, M-Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi

For Reservations: 011 4906 6666

Meal for two: INR 4,000 plus taxes.

Timings:

Lunch: 12:00pm – 3:00pm; Dinner: 6:30pm – 11:30pm

Bar: Café Bar: 8:00am – 4:00pm; Cocktail Bar: 4:00pm – 1:00am 

published in Tlf