[Rating:4/5]
I’ve already written on Italia when we visited during their truffle and mushroom festival. Amit and I enjoyed ourselves and vowed to visit again to experience their regular menu. So we did.
This time, we dropped in for lunch and chose to sit outdoors. It was a sunny winter day, which I’m sure you’ll agree, is one of the best times of the year. Okay, so the odd fly chose to fly past and say hello, but hey, even flies are allowed to feel chummy on such a lovely day with the promise of some of the finest Italian food in Delhi. For the cynics out there, the reference to the fly is in passing and isn’t meant to reflect on the Italia experience. You sit outdoors, you get insects. Period.
I’m not much of a drinker so I forget the name of the cocktail served to me, but the food – that was definitely unforgettable. One thing I love at Italia is their thin crust foccacia, which is served with creamed garlic dip, pesto and grated grana padano. I could just sit on that terrace forever, alternate between the garlic dip and the pesto, shower the foccacia with grated cheese and sigh my way through the day. Seriously good stuff.
My starter was a prosciutto san danielle with rocket leaves, bocconcini and honey balsamic dressing. Bocconcini is baby mozzarella and it tasted heavenly with the ham and rocket leaves. Don’t you just love rocket? I can never skip a rocket dish and the pepper flavor adds zest to any salad you choose to include it in. Ignoring etiquette, I ate the whole dish with my fingers and was sorely tempted to wipe up the remaining dressing too. Didn’t, but should have perhaps.
Lamb Shank with Saffron Risotto was my main course. Tender and well executed, it was delicious though a little more seasoning wouldn’t have hurt. The end of our meal featured some Pancetta and Tiramisu, both of which were quite good.
I hope you’re going to try Italia sometime soon… and don’t forget that crunchy foccacia!
- Sid
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Sir,
I am writing this e-mail to you in utter disappointment that I faced yesterday evening after having food at your restaurant “ITALIA” at the DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Kunj. I came to your restaurant along with my fiancé in the hope of being served with authentic Italian food but my disappointment began with looking at the menu which wasn’t elaborate as opposed to the menu at other famous Italian restaurants that I frequent, like La Piazza at The Hyatt, Spaghetti Kitchen at Select Citywalk Mall etc,.
Since I am a vegetarian the options to my avail were even more limited. I’d like you to note here that even the beverages listed in the menu were not available at your restaurant. I placed an order for an Almond cappuccino which was not available , then I asked for an Irish Cream Syrup Cappuccino they informed that even this was unavailable in fact the only option I had was cinnamon cappuccino, so I was forced to order a latte as I like my cappuccino flavoured and none that I desired was available. I also ordered for a Carlsberg Beer/ Domestic Beer which were again not available, so I had to settle for a Diet Pepsi though I asked for a Diet Coke.
My disappointment doesn’t end here, the food served was distasteful. After a long wait of about half an hour, I was served jalapeno bread which was dry n stale, so I had to ask for a replacement. The Penne Arrabiata was bland, and then came the Pizza which was a nightmare. The base was wafer thin, have never seen such a base anywhere including at the restaurants mentioned above. The ends of the pizza were so dry n crunchy that it was embarrassing for us to eat that. I could hardly taste the cheese, n the presentation was awful. At last I had to send back the pizza half eaten. I am attaching a photograph for your reference. I was surprised to hear from the manager that you serve one of the finest pizzas. Though I appreciate the fact that the staff at your restaurant was cordial but the quality n taste of the food was very poor. I am also attaching the scanned copies of the bill and the feedback form for your further reference.
I’d like to make a special mention that I chose your restaurant to Dine on the occasion of my birthday yesterday, thinking that it’s one in the league of restaurants but my first experience has turned into the last experience at your restaurant and I regret to say that I would not recommend this place to anyone in the future. It was truly not a fine dinning experience.
I hereby demand a suitable action on the present complaint by you looking into the matter immediately and let me have your reply at the earliest.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
Sahil Mongia
Sahil,
Thank you for your mail and the photograph. Without taking any sides, here are my thoughts:
The photo seems to be that of a regular thin crust pizza, the base of which, as you will no doubt be aware, has many variants (soft, crunchy, crisp…), one of which may be the style favored by the restaurant. Additionally, the ends of thin crust pizzas are typically dry and crisp/crunchy. Depending on the oven in which a thin crust pizza is cooked, the ends may even be burnt, which again is perfectly normal. If the thickness/texture of the base and dry, crunchy texture of the ends is one of your issues, one can go on to infer that that you didn’t like the style of the pizza served by the restaurant. It becomes therefore a matter of taste, rather than an inferior product served by the restaurant. This of course is dependent on the ‘thin crust’ nature of the pizza being mentioned on the menu, so the diner knows what he/she is ordering and can request changes if possible.
A small menu is a matter for pre-selection of the restaurant, by the diner, prior to visiting, and really cannot be held against the restaurant in question.
Similarly, the issue of a bland Arrabbiata sauce. While an Arrabbiata is meant to be spicy, ‘spicy’ from an Italian perspective will differ from the Indian perspective… again a matter of taste. This, I feel could have easily been addressed on the premises by requesting additional spices and/or a suitably seasoned/spiced replacement. I’m sure you’ll share the details with Italia on why it wasn’t so.
Your other issues, like the long wait, the bread basket being served after the long wait, items on the menu not being available and stale bread being served to you, will I’m sure be addressed by Italia/The Park Hotels.
Stay well.
Sid Khullar