The new summer menu done up by Michelin star chef Adriano Baldassarre treats your senses to an array of flavours, subtle yet distinctive, and whisks you off to sunny Italian coastlines and laidback holidays. By Chirag Mohanty Samal
It’s not every day that you get to savour a seven-course meal prepared by a celebrated Michelin star chef. So, when the opportunity came up to sample the new menu being done up by chef Adriano Baldassarre at the fine dining Italian restaurant Perbacco at The Lodhi, New Delhi, I grabbed it with much gusto.
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Ambience
With its cheery and elegant interiors immediately soothed the mind and instilled a sense of excitement for what was to follow next. The multi-coloured glass installations and the bright wall art depicting a rural Italian landscape add to the happy vibe of the space. Helmed by Chef Baldassarre, who runs a one Michelin starred restaurant in Rome, the restaurant offers regional Italian cuisine with a modern twist. For Indians that means exploring Italian cuisine beyond the pizzas and pastas that many are mostly acquainted with. This time around chef Baldassarre was in the restaurant to re-do the menu for summer months and introduce some new flavours and pairings. We caught a glimpse of him putting together plates of food, overseeing the preparations and firing away instructions before he came to greet us and assured us of a memorable and delectable experience.
Food
Baldassarre flagged off the seven course meal with aperitives like deconstructed olives followed by porcini mushroom on crunchy crostini bread, a flavourful pane pizza slice infused with garlic and rosemary, a crispy-on-the -outside-and-gooey-in-the-inside Suppli Alla Romana arrabbiata and tomato bruschetta with basil cream. A riot of distinct flavours yet nothing was too overbearing, the subtlety of each appetiser highlighted the expertise of the Italian chef.
The main course was as interesting. We were served Lamb Tonnato–tender lamb slices with a well-balanced tuna sauce. This was followed by spinach and ricotta ravioli with a creamy texture. The hearty taste of the spinach was noteworthy. The fettucine Bolognese deserves a special mention. The meat sauce had a rich, robust flavour, the taste of which lingered on long after the meal was over. The last of the main course that we sampled was chicken scaloppine, succulent chicken in a delicately creamy white sauce.
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We rounded up the meal on a sweet note with Delizia al Limone. The dome-shaped, single-serve dessert had a sponge base drizzled with an aromatic lemon syrup and coated with lemon custard. The refreshing taste is just apt for the summer months, it sends your mind travelling to sunny the Amalfi coast and laidback holidays. Overall the chef achieves, what he sets out to—make diners long for an Italian summer.
Details of Perbacco
Address: The Lodhi hotel, Lodhi Road, CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi
Timings: Monday to Sunday, From 12 pm to 3:30 pm and 7 pm to 11:30 pm.
Price: INR 3050 plus taxes per person for a veg meal and INR 3845 plus taxes per person for a non veg meal.
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