The
Aromi Di Italia, at Cherai Beach, with its authentic cuisine, is
rapidly gaining in popularity
Photos: Soju Philip, Executive Chef-food production; a lobster dish. Snaps by Albin Mathew
By
Shevlin Sebastian
On
an April night, IT professional Sarat Chandra, 39, decided to have
his meal on the first-floor verandah, of the Aromi Di Italia
restaurant, run by Club Mahindra, at Cherai beach [25 kms from
Kochi]. “It was a full-moon night,” he says. “From where I was
sitting I could see large waves hit the beach. There was a strong
breeze blowing, and the sky was filled with stars. The ambience was
so beautiful.”
While
his children Nishita, 7, and four-year-old son Virat played nearby,
Sarat and wife Bharti placed the order for a soup: Patate E Porri
Zuppa Con Pollo Rosmarino – thick soup, with leek potato, and
roasted rosemary chicken.
A
few minutes later, when the soup arrived, Sarat noticed one telling
difference. “Unlike, in most restaurants, they did not mix cream
with the soup,” he says. “It was original stuff all the way and
very tasty.”
Thereafter,
he had the Penne Shrimp Alfredo – pasta, with shrimps and white
cream sauce. “The shrimps were fresh, and, I was told, it was
sourced locally,” he says. “Since we live in Hyderabad, we do not
have the opportunity to have fresh sea food.” This was followed by
fried chicken fillet served with sautéed zucchini, tomato, red
peppers, and potato chips. “The beauty of authentic Italian food is
that it is so light on the stomach,” says Sarat. “We enjoyed
ourselves.”
Soju
Philip, Executive Chef-food production, is not surprised.
“The
Italian cuisine is known for its simplicity,” he says. “Every
dish has, unlike Indian food, just four or five ingredients –
tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, cheese and herbs like basil and
rosemary. But the cornerstone is olive oil. We have selected the
cuisine of the southern part of Italy, like Capri, Sardinia, Sicily
and Naples, which borders the Mediterranean Sea, because it is
regarded as one of the healthiest diets in the world. Nowadays,
people are looking for health options.”
One
healthy dish is the Pesce Bianco Al Spinaci. This is a fish, roasted
with extra virgin oil, along with vegetables, olives, lemon, spinach
and topped with pesto – a basil and garlic sauce. It is spare and
light, yet with a distinctive flavour.
However,
interestingly, nowadays, many of the guests are opting for vegetarian
fare. So the Aromi Di Italia offers pasta with vegetables and cheese,
or pan-fried aubergine slices layered with Parmesan cheese and tomato
sauce.
But
the most popular item, among the veggies, is not pasta. Instead, it
is a corn meal cake. “We cook powdered corn with butter and milk,”
says Soju. “Salt and pepper are added. Then it is placed in a tray
so that it can settle down. Later, we cut it into fancy shapes.
Thereafter, it is grilled in butter, along with sauce.”
Guests
come from Kochi and the nearby towns like Kodungallur. “We also get
a lot of Westerners who are keen to try our seafood, like shrimps and
prawns,” says manager Shinow Baby.
And
they like what they eat. Danish tourist Foogen Oruteft says, “The
food was very good. It is a very good idea to have an Italian
restaurant at Cherai.” Dr.
Jose Ukken from Kodungallur says, “Loved the fish.”
But
even in an Italian eating-place, there is a demand for rice. So the
staff provides the patrons with an Italian rice called arborio.
“It is similar to our Basmati rice,” says Soju. “To the rice,
we add chicken stock, cream, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Then it is
cooked, till it becomes like a thick porridge. It can be a full meal
if you add chicken, vegetables or seafood.”
Meanwhile,
Soju, as well as the Chennai-based corporate chef, Dr. P
Soundararajan, and his team, are planning to add new items. “We
want to make a classy menu that will appeal to everybody,” says
Soju, about the six-month old restaurant.
(Sunday
Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)
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