Italian Fair at Focaccia, Hyatt Regency till 20th March

    A restaurant is only as good as the food the serve is a saying that has been redefined over the years. Now it is all about the experience From the minute you walk in, till the last spoonful or sip and the final Good bye. Over the years, I have visited some of the restaurants in Chennai so many times, the staff recognise me and the entire visit is a fun experience. Last evening we were at Hyatt Regency to experience the Italian Fair that is something Chef Alessandro has put together and is on till the 20th March [Lunch & Dinner]. 

Freshly baked Focaccia bread with dip a staple at the restaurant..

Few of the Chef’s signature dishes that I tried,

Soup

Minestra di grano e peperoni- mixed grain and pepper minestrone soup

Starters & Mains

Ravioli di Barbaietola, Caprini e Tartufo Neroin Salsa Verde -beet root ravioli with truffle goat cheese and Parsley Salsa verde-- this was simply divine, the truffle oil flavour was WOW

Rolled eggplant – Eggpant rolled with herbs & tomato, almost like  Rollatini- for someone not too fond of eggplant, I actually had a 2nd helping..

 Risotto con asparagi e scamorza affumicata  - asparagus and smoked scamorza cheese risotto- yet another winner of a dish.. 

Cannelloni di spinaci al forno- 

oven baked spinach and ricotta cannelloni with creamy tomato sauce

tortino di patate e funghicon fonduta di caption - soft lemon potato base with forest mushroom and goat cheese fondu

Potato mash with a medley of roasted vegetables- just perfect, I would be happy eating a bowl of this..

Desserts

Coppa caprese- chocolate brawny with vanilla ice-cream creamy ganache    

Zabbaione con Composta di Fragole e Meringa Soffice (Champagne Sabayon with Strawbrery compote and soft meringue)

The different kinds of Chocolates, roasted walnuts, wine and cheese

We were chatting with Chef Alessandro during dinner and here is what he had to share, “This is my first time in Chennai and it has been quite a busy day. I started working at the age of 14 and since then it has been quite a journey. I love to experiment and understand the diners tastes & preferences, like today I had to make a few extra vegetarian dishes because you were a vegetarian while everyone else was non vegetarian”. He also shared that his favorite cuisines are Japanese & Thai [ his wife is Thai]. He was going to be in Chennai till 20^th and then head back to Mumbai… It was fascinating talking to the Chef, who is from Genova [Northern part of Italy]... He has worked in Monaco, before moving to USA and coming to India. 

We also had Sachin Shetty, a Sommelier who explained the different kinds of wine, and how each is paired with food. He started his career as a sommelier with ‘La Trompette’ Restaurant (Michelin Star) London where he worked for 2 years before moving back to India. He says there are rules when you work with wine and food, there are different wines for vegetables, rice, pasta, meat and desserts. Similarly, he also shared some insight into how only a few wines are used for cooking, elaborating on the depth, sweetness and regions they hailed from. He is associated with Berkmann Wine Cellars India Private Limited.

Approx cost for a meal- Rs3500 [excl tax] for two

Address:

Hyatt Regency 

365, Anna Salai, Teynampet ·

Ph: 044 6100 1234

Disclaimer: The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit :-)