Bangalore restaurant reviews
Expensive
Italian
Chianti Ristorante & Wine bar
Monday, June 04, 2012Me! In words
And so we ended up in Koramangala for some work and decided to wing it for lunch. Had recently heard of this place called Chianti having been opened up. Honestly speaking my first thought was Malabar Cafe but parking was like trying to find a spot in heaven and the heat seemed to be kicking it up a few notches - so the thought of nice air conditioned environs of a place like Chianti seemed to drag the car on magically. Managed to get parking place right at the doorstep of the restaurant and were ushered in.
Found a nice corner seating - glass paneled ceiling with three low placed chandeliers with the central one being red. Seemed to reflect off a lot of surfaces, but personally I liked it. And just as we settled down with the menu, we spotted a familiar face - turned out to be Jeson Kurian from Fiorano. Used to love the place when it was around. Seeing him there, we just decided to hand him back the menu and let him decide. We were not disappointed.
The make-your-own-bruschetta
The first to arrive at the table was the make-it-yourself bruschetta that we had first seen in Fiorano years ago. I tried to remember the sequence, but a bit of it was lost in transition through time. And Jeson came to the rescue again - rub the bread down with garlic, fold up the basil into a tight bundle and rub that on next. Put in a bit of salt and pepper next and then rub on the cherry tomatoes. Finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil and what you have is a symphony on the palate. We shamelessly asked for another round since junior loved it as well.
The red chandelier that I really took to
The complimentary bread basket with herbed butter
Did not really like anything from the anti-pasti section since I primarily spotted veggie stuff there, calamari being the only option that stood out. But we didn't want that and Jeson suggested that we select something from the Pesce (fish) section which could be made into an anti-pasti. And we settled on the Picata Di Pesce, which was grilled basa served with garden vegetables and a shrimp sauce. Loved the fish and with that came with this slightly pungent/slightly lemony mix of flavors. The veggies though had been steamed first and then fried just a bit, leaving them in between stages of cooked and undercooked. Would have loved more of the shrimp sauce on the fish than under it, but then its the perfect way to reign in gluttony waves that seemed to be overtaking us.
Picata Di Pesce
Junior, on being asked, said she would prefer rice. And so a risotto fit the bill. We had the Risotto Al Pollo Con Broccoli. Anoushka, listening to us discussing the dish was quite clear that she wanted "rice and curry and chicken and no vegetables". And that's how a 5 year old can reduce a risotto to a chicken curry-rice! The risotto that came was nicely done, not turned to mush and not undercooked. The chicken in it was generous and the broccoli sauce lining the bottom added a different taste that is essential to preventing such dishes from getting boring after a few bites. The sun-dried tomato and the bruschetta on top brought it all together. And the fact that Anoushka finished half of this really heavy dish along with some french fries (which am guessing came on because she was at the table) stands as your testimony to its taste. No one can be a better judge than a fussy 5 year old.
Risotto Al Pollo Con Broccoli
We decided to have the meal accompanied with two wine sangrias - one red and the other white. The white had in it pear as well as apple and packed quite a punch. I liked mine a lot and Sudhakar loved his too.
White and red wine sangrias
For our entrees, Sudhakar went with Carne (meat) and a Tagliata Di Fileto, medium rare came to the table. Slices of tenderloin that were grilled, served with veggies, mash and a red wine jus. The meat was easily sliced into and after I had a bit across the table with the mash, I tried to sneak the plate away from Sudhakar but he seemed to have this hold on it that was unshakeable. The meat was perfectly done "Masterchef Australia influence hanging all over" - pink in the center, done nicely towards the outside. Bottom line, you will not have any trouble polishing this off.
Tagliata Di Fileto
I loved the sound of the Cannelloni as soon as I read the description the first time - I chose mine to be stuffed with beef ragu and it was served with tomato sauce, which had this chunky bits of tomato in it and not that tomato puree most places try to pass off. It had a twang to it, something I love in tomato sauces. The two rolls were just the right portion for me. Come to think of it - both of us reached this point in the meal without feeling overly stuffed or heavy on the stomach. The portions are perfectly designed to allow you to do justice to the meal, especially if you decide to go all the way.
Cannelloni stuffed with beef ragu, straight out of the oven and onto my plate
We still had place for dessert and went with the panacotta with berry compote. We also got one with seasonal mango, both tasted light, fluffy and the puree of both fruits were chilled and freshly made, light since it was not artificially sweetened with anything.
Panacotta with berry compote and with mango
We were also served a mud pie on the house and that light dusting of icing sugar was the perfect innocent looking cover for the chocolately sin that was on the inside. The ice cream on the side was a great complement to the warm chocolaty lava flow that was all over the plate. The ice cream had a distinctive vanilla flavoring not commonly seen in ice creams that come out of a tub.
Chocolate mud pie with ice cream
Sudhakar could't resist closing this beautiful meal with a cappacino which he liked. Service was real nice considering that the staff knew their menu and am talking about those besides Jeson who came to our table. This is a place for a leisurely meal so am guessing if you walk in on a working afternoon you may not be too happy. It would be better to take time out and enjoy what the place has to offer. It has an "almost outdoor" seating set up as well. The specials are on a small board near the entrance and its easy to miss out on it. Do make it a point to ask if you do not see it. And the loos are spotless. This meal came to Rs 2100 which I feel is a pretty good deal for all that we ordered. Loved the place and will definitely be back for more.
Address: #12, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore
Phone: 41132021
Cuisine: Italian
Wallet factor: Rs 1500 for 2
Wallet factor: Rs 1500 for 2
Parking: Some space out front, but you need to be lucky.
