There is something about the rustiness of Italian food that makes you fall in love with it. Hyatt Regency Delhi’s iconic La Piazza freeze frames the old Italian café in a contemporary business traveller way. With arched beams and bricks giving the feel of a restaurant tucked away in the hinterlands of Italy, the impressive food and the well stocked wine cellar makes it one of top most restaurants to dine out in the city. We were lucky to be present during the second overhaul of the restaurant’s menu in its history of existence of more than two decades. A major menu overhaul is always a landmark time in the history of a restaurant. It almost lets you peek inside the head of the Chef. With Chef Alessandro Sandrolini in tow, Executive Chef Ivan Chieregatti has built a menu which presents the clean cut flavours of Italy in all it’s glory.
The meal starts with a Brolio 2013 Chianti which provides us the perfect Italian setting with it’s dryness. Some light Opera plays off in the background as we dig into the first of Chef Ivan’s creations. A Bread unlike others, some fresh crispy focaccia bread with tonnes of basil leaves on top. Followed up by a cold cut platter with impresses with a herb infused oil and delectable cuts including Salami Milano, the delectably smoked Parma Ham and the spicy Salami along with some parmesan cheese. But it is the casual setup of the dish that blows us away. One of Chef Ivan’s favourite dishes, the Tuna Carpaccio explodes upon the palate with fresh flavours from the sea and loads of acidic Mediterranean seasoning.
Two impressive pasta dishes with a Ricotta and Truffle Tortellini impressing with the creamy texture of the ricotta with the earthiness of truffle. There is also a fusilli with a decadent duck ragu cut across with the salty, sour pecorino. The mains are more of a tribute to the Northern part of Italy with a Grilled medium rare tenderloin with the heat of some green pepper leaves and mild flavours of a Semolina cake combined on a Orange citrusy sauce. A perfectly chalky arborea rice cooked with the earthy creaminess of mushrooms.
We polish off our meals with a traditional Tiramisu and a Panacotta with wild berries. With stomachs overloaded, Chef Cheregatti dishes out another killer, a Green tea and white chocolate cake laced with some sweet smoked dark chocolate. So, next time you miss the scenic beauty and slow life of the Italian countryside, make a visit to La Piazza, Hyatt Regency Delhi as Chef Ivan Chieregatti and Chef Alessandro Sandrolini impress you with some mind blowing dishes.
