Ottimo the pan Italian fine dining restaurant at ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru whips up an excellent meal using only the finest local and imported ingredients.
When Simonti Majumdar, Public Relations Manager, ITC Gardenia asked me which was my favourite international cuisine I replied saying it was Italian. And being at a staycation at the beautiful ITC Gardenia an ode to the garden city of Bengaluru, she immediately suggested I sample a meal at Ottimo. This is the inhouse Italian restaurant at ITC Gardenia and Ottimo translates to ‘Excellent’, and the dishes here do complete justice to excellence.
Nuances and More
I am met by Chef Chirag Sehgal who helms the restaurant and he explained that he will serve me a meal that focuses on one key ingredient in each course. For someone who is as enthusiastic as creative as him, I know this will be a meal to remember. The meal starts with a bowl of fresh breads baked in house and is served with a tomato based and a basil-based dip. As I am munching on the delicious breads, my first course an ode to tomato arrives. Using five variants of tomatoes with aged balsamic and home-made ricotta cheese, this dish is an absolute winner for its clean taste and simple flavours that elevate the dish to another level. I also try the fresh burrata paired with red and yellow pepper coulis and black ciabatta toast which is another winner for its diverse textures that come together beautifully. I also tried the Cauliflower with 64% dark chocolate soup a dish where a creamy broth is poured over dehydrated and fried cauliflower and chocolate bits and packs a punch with its unique flavours. And the combination of chocolate and cauliflower is surprisingly very tasty contrary to my initial skepticism. For the main course I tried the pumpkin ravioli with burnt sage butter sauce and pumpkin seeds a dish that is topped with micro greens and edible flowers and makes for a delightful burst of taste on the palate. The Blue pea tea risotto with blueberry compote, fresh berries soaked in grape seed oil and robiola cheese is another must try dish here. Chef also serves this with steak for the non-vegetarians. The palate cleanser passion fruit and orange sorbet was light and whetted my appetite for the next course. I also tried the delectable Almond and walnut crusted asparagus with parsnip purée and Berry coulis that was light and fresh. I ended my meal with the absolutely delectable hazelnut mousse paired with fresh strawberry and candies hazelnut that was a sweet end to my awesome meal.
Read the full story that appeared in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine UK here:
