It
looks like every five star hotel worth its salt, needs to have an Italian
restaurant to cater to our new found love of Italian cuisine. You can’t blame
them after all, the Indians have taken with gusto to pasta as if it were dal
chawal! Ottimo (which means excellent in Italian) has steered away from the carb-heavy
renditions of Italian cuisine and bravely presented a lighter fare with
emphasis on nutrition and fresh ingredients. Chef Vittorio Grecco has also
indulged his love for molecular gastronomy here and his experience in Michelin starred restaurants across Italy has helped him nudge us towards
trying something which looks unfamiliar, but in the end is an excellent tribute
to the flavors of Italy.
Ottimo
stands in place of the erstwhile West View Grill and has an air of relaxed
luxury. The restaurant itself wraps around the main kitchen which displays a
row of terrariums (Micro gardens within their own eco-system, sitting pretty
within glass containers). While I am not personally a fan of velvet sofas (this
one has a coat of arms of essential herbs!), I loved the beautiful pictures of
plants and herbs shot by Magda Indigo that hung above it. The red tinted
glasses offer a beautiful shot of color in the otherwise subdued theme. However,
after sampling the dishes on offer, I was tempted to suggest that the restaurant
needed to present a more light and airy atmosphere to go with Chef Greco’s
beautifully plated dishes.
We
settled down comfortably with a glass of Fratelli wine and nibbled on olive focaccia
to wait for the magic to unfold. Chef Greco handed over a platter of Ferrero
Rocher to us. For a moment there, I was stumped – why were we starting with
store bought chocolates?? His cheeky smile revealed his little ploy. This was
one of the Aperitivo – Foie Gras Rocher. Inspired by the original, this had a
hazelnut kernel ensconced by foie gras which then was wrapped in a sheet of
chocolate rolled in more hazelnut. It was a perfect copy! I thought it was an interesting
combination of flavors – both rich and decadent. However, in the tussle for
lingering on the palate, the chocolate wins and it defeats the purpose of making
the foie gras shine.
The
second apertivo was so pretty, that I really didn’t want to eat it. The colors
were absolutely ethereal and the beautiful pink flower echoed the blush on one
side of the mini sphere. The Parmigiana di Melanzane was a deconstructed
aubergine parmigiana – think aubergines, tomato sauce and parmesan. This is generally a hearty, robust
dish perfect for large gatherings but Chef Greco has taken the elements of this
northern Italian dish and distilled it into this perfect orb. I suggest sliding
the entire orb into your mouth at once. The first surprise is that it is
chilled and then when you bite into it you taste the parmesan shell and then
the tomato sauce and finally the aubergine! What a lovely way to start the
evening!
The
third apertivo (not on the menu) was something that the chef was still
experimenting with – a recipe from his mom. What arrived was a grey lollypop
with white powder and little caviar-like eggs. Now let’s get fancy shall we?
The gray lollypop was a rendition of a lamb dish. The white powder was olive
oil – that was dehydrated so that it turned into a fine white powder that still
retained the fruity taste of the oil. The caviar like eggs were actually
balsamic vinegar that was transformed into a lovely jelly like consistency
using basic molecular gastronomy! On the whole, the dish needed a little bit of
work to ensure the lamb gelled well with the other elements, but if these are
the kinds of experiments that the chef intends to bestow on his guests…I encourage
him with aplomb!
For
Antipasto we started off with a seafood dish. If I had tried just this the
entire evening, it would have been sufficient to put him in the league of extra
ordinary chefs! Capesante gratinate e sfilacci di seppie con crema di porri e zucca - Gratinated scallops and shredded cuttlefish with pumpkin and
leek coulis. The joy in tasting perfectly cooked scallops can launch me into
the stratosphere but the cuttlefish is what elevated this dish. The texture was
like handmade tagliatellla! The sweetness of the pumpkin complemented the
seafood perfectly and the slight pungent hit from the leek coulis rounded off
the best dish of the evening for me! A sublime experience I will treasure for many
days to come.
‘Art
on a plate’ might be something everyone strives to perfect, but seldom nails. Morbidoni di patate e gorgonzola con pepperroni dolci e pomodori - This
dish was an eye-catcher from the moment it arrived. A black platter literally
painted with bell pepper and tomato coulis. On it resting gingerly, were five glistening
potato and gorgonzola dumplings. Not only was it a pleasure to look at, it was an
exercise in elevating the humble gnocci to more stimulating pastures. One of the
best gnocci I have ever tasted, more so for the impeccable coulis that
accompanied it.
The
first course or the Primopiatto had us raving about Risotto con fungi selvaggi, scampi e cipollina croccante - a wild mushroom and shrimp
risotto with crispy shallots. Again, I had no reason to complain because the
texture and mouth-feel of the risotto was bang on, the wild mushrooms added a
punchy earthy flavor to the dish and the sweet, crunchy shallots gave it just
the right amount of pizazz. Oh, and the shrimp that accompanied it was pale
pink and tender. I was beginning to like this man very much :)
What’s
the difference between an “I” and an “O”? The next dish of Tortelloni di melanzane con salsa al pomodoro fresco e ricotta salata - taught me well. A tortell’I’ni is a ring shaped pasta stuffed
with meat/ vegetables or cheese. A Tortell’o’ni is a much bigger version of the
same. So ‘O’ definitely gives you more! Roasted aubergines
cocooned in pasta, dusted with smoked ricotta and tossed
in fresh tomatoes, this dish is for those craving their carbs but still having
it sit lightly in their tummies.
The
Second course began with Sfera di mozzarella di bufala e spaghetti in salsa la pomodoro - a large sphere of mozzarella sitting contentedly on a
bed of tomato coulis. A fried swirl of parmesan spaghetti rested on it. We cut
it open to find it stuffed with fresh tomatoes, basil and more parmesan
spaghetti! I wouldn’t call this healthy being deep fried and all, but assuring
you the kids will love it. Here’s a fun treatment to a classic dish that you
won’t regret.
The
final dish before we moved on to desserts, was Filetto di branzino in crosta al pistachio con caponatina di verdure - a pistachio encrusted sea bass
served with a Sicilian style fresh vegetable caponata. Probably the only let
down of the day. The pistachio crust was much too thick and coarse for the sea
bass fillet and as a result overpowered the fish. The caponata was great but
did not compliment the fish and I was sad to leave this unfinished. Well if the
chef had got everything right it would have been very surreal anyway :P
Dolce.
Desserts. Two of them. What an absolute blast! We started with a mini dessert
terrarium keeping with the theme of Ottimo. The Biancomangiare al caramello con perle al miele had a bed of set
cream with a hint of wild mountain honey and caramel swirled in. On this were fashioned
a garden of flowers, sand, rocks and even a toadstool. I loved the ingenuity of
it all. It’s a joy to see a chef having fun with his work!
The
next dessert was all drama and Chef Greco was there to supervise it’s
unfolding. The menu actually said “drown in the seduction of decadent chocolate
cake with a burst of tantalizing vanilla’ - Torta caprese con sopresa alla vaniglia. What arrived was again a large
Chocolate ball sitting on a bed of chocolate sand. Innocent enough I thought,
like an Easter egg. But then the magic started. A steady stream of hot
chocolate was poured onto it, which caused the ball to collapse into itself. (Master
chef déjà vu here!) The insides revealed
a mix of dark chocolate cake, white chocolate bits and vanilla ice cream. One
bite and I was sold! It is a chocolate orgy no chocolate lover should miss.
Ottimo
has pushed the envelope when it comes to fine dining Italian restaurants in
Bangalore. It has found a niche place by offering traditional flavors with a
quirky twist that still appeal to the majority. The ability to wow the diner
with something new, yet not so alien that you wouldn’t order it, is definitely
where Chef Greco’s 25 year experience in the field shows. You will definitely
be paying a lot more than standard restaurants here, but that’s the premium a
unique experience warrants. Gift yourself a meal here and wait to be pleasantly
surprised.
OTTIMO
ITC
Gardenia,
#1,
Residency Road,
Bangalore
– 560025.
Ph:
080 2211 9898
Parking: Valet available
Cost: Rs.5500/- ++ for a meal for two without alcohol
Timings: Open ONLY for Dinner.
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