Meal for two: Rs 1,200 A set lunch of Rs 445 for a two course and Rs 495 for a three course is finding many takers.
Must haves: The steak, pizzas, Tiramisu, Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli in a Sage butter sauce, Pollo Ripieni, Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and asparagus, Eggplant involtini with goat cheese, Funghi Al Forno - Stuffed baked mushrooms and the Pizzas
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In life, sticking to basics has proven fortuitous, time and time again. And in the aftermath of the complex days of moolah worries we’ve had, and the ones yet to come, we take you back to basics in food.
The simple Italian fare that Chianti on St Marks Road dishes out at its branches in Indiranagar and Koramangala has been doing brisk business. This new space on St Marks Road too, takes the basic trottoria route, does not claim too much and stays pertinently away from entering the halls of self praise, by serving simple Italian fare.
For that, we do give kudos to the managing partner Sudhir Sastry. As in an age where people don’t really walk the talk, Chainti just walks, and leaves the talking to others. One thing though, it should be doing better business in the CBD, yet it seems a bit isolated in the furore of swanky popular hangouts. It might be the lack of a license to serve liquor other than wine, though we aren’t sure.
We started the meal with that old-fashioned garlic bread that came toasty, with pods of garlic, basil and tomato, to make our own bruchetta, like most Italian households are used to doing. We ordered a salad of lettuce, mushroom and pears, which was alright, nice tang zesty lemon dressing though we would have liked arugula to crunch its iceberg base, some.
Next came the Spaghetti Carbonara, in a Roman style carbonara sauce with eggs, bacon and black pepper which was alright. The sauce could have been tastier, and the bacon we thought could have been crisper… tasted more like smoked ham! The Pizza di Salumi Misti Con Funghi was delicious, with welcome bits of smoked ham and pepperoni in a nice thin-crust pizza. We would have loved some sprinkling of arugula here, too!
The steaks, the manager said, were among the best in the city so we ordered the Tagliata Di Filetto, a nice pink tenderloin done rare, which was perfectly cooked to taste (rare), the meat succulent and yes, among the best we’ve had in the city. It came with grilled vegetables herbed perfectly and crunchy with a nice red wine jus that was delightfully playful with the stern meat bites. Delicious. Just one thing though, the steak was 180 gm and the minimum should be around 225 gm or more.
For the price and the general ambience, we give it high marks, and also for the hospitable staff. We would like to see more people, we hear that many order in, and stay home to eat, given the traffic around this area. A little bit of taste specs might be needed to give it more gumption, but for a regular meal, without any fanfare, this is a good place, away from the hullabaloo of wannabe spaces.
At the helm is Sudhir Sastry, managing partner, a veritable foodie with Jeson Kurian and Chef Mani behind the dishes ambling out. The wine bar also has an eclectic collection, though not too eclectic and Sudhir is sticking with this formula, which he says works well, “We serve only wine — that is what we have continued as our diners are happy with a good glass of Italian wine. We also have a fairly large selection and we are not missing alcohol at all,” Sudhir explains who feels that sticking to basics is what creates a space for all Chiantis in the city.
With plans to open three more in the future, he does agree that the menu of 82 items needs to be refreshed, and will be in February or March next year. A CBD address is also working well for them, and they have had a good response.
Desserts were there for the taking but we were full up, be we remember having Cioccolato Alla Nocciola Mousse, the hazelnut chocolate mousse which was a wonderfully rich bite of moist cake, delicious mousse and hazelnut crunch. A pleasant meal, a nice quiet space to relax, and a good vino, and you’ve got yourself a place for those Italian urgings, priced perfectly.
