New Chef with a revamped menu at Focaccia, Hyatt Regency

It seems to be the season for New chefs taking over restaurants across the city. Yes, Focaccia at Hyatt Regency has a new chef in the house! Say hello to Chef Mauro Ferrari. You heard it right, his name indeed is Ferrari... 

If you spent a few minutes talking to him you would be left in awe of the experience he brings with him. Born in Saronno, Italy, he started to work with hotels in Switzerland, France, Italy and gathered around 15 years of experience in the same. He then started to work with restaurant chains where he worked at Pomiroeu Ristorante Soranno – 1 star Michelin restaurant. After working in restaurants for 10 years, he went on to open two of his own restaurants, one near Milano and the other in Tuscany region. After working in Morocco for a year he moved on to Grand Hyatt Muscat which was his last assignment previous to Hyatt Regency Chennai, where his restaurant, Tuscany, was awarded the best Italian restaurant in the city. Chef Mauro’s family consists of two eighteen year old boys who are currently studying in a hotel school and are gearing up to step in to their fathers shoes. This is his first time in India and the only thing he kept telling us was Chennai was very humid and sweaty... Even though the other cities/countries he had been in were hot, they weren't humid... 

Here are a few snapshots from the evening, the Chef in action... 

What stood out about the evening? about the new menu? Well, the flavours are authentic [ just as they were earlier] but the dishes were simple yet packed with flavours. I loved the dishes that the Chef whipped up, infant I did notice quite a few of my non veg friends dip into my plate more than once.. ;o) 

Here is what we had during the course of the evening,

Simple quinoa salad - oh I loved this one, was refreshing with simple flavours and the rich tomato flavour that came through brilliantly. Topped with some micro herbs, it was the perfect start to the evening. 

Cipolla al Forno, Burrata Campana, Crema di Pepperoni Gialli- Oh my, I have never eaten onion slices served up like this. It had a medley of flavours I would have never put together. The cheese, the puree, the pesto.. divine!! 

Gnocchi di Palate ragu di Verdure e crema di Zucchine al basilico- Gnocchi that melted in your mouth served on a bed of zucchini puree..Nothing fancy, but it was quite a delicious dish. Have been curious about gnocchi [courtesy Masterchef] and this was definitely inspiring me to give it a shot. 

Ravioli Agli Asparagi, Crema di Zucca- Yet another dish that was divine.. Am not just saying it.. Two perfectly round ravioli stuffed with asparagus sitting pretty on pumpkin puree with a sprinkle of cheese on top was like what you see on TV shows.. Guess we have all been spoilt by em and well the Chef was spoiling us with these fabulous dishes here at Focaccia.. Oh and I can't tell you how am falling in love with pumpkin all over again [it is one of my all-time fav veg]

Funghi Misti Trifolati, Polenta Morbida Al Formaggio- Soft creamy polenta cooked with nothing but a dollop of butter and some salt had the heavenly spoonful of mushrooms sitting on top adding to the flavour and textures. 

Now if that doesn't have you drooling, there is one more veg main dish that we got to taste. It was the Crespella di Ricotta, Spinaci, Foglia di barbabietola e coste con Fonduta di Parmiggiano - The ricotta and spinach stuffed crepes wit a light sauce of creamy buttery goodness of the parmesan fondue was the perfect way to end the meal.  

Ever since we saw the menu, we were looking forward to the Desserts, yes, even though am not a big dessert fan, the two listed had me curious.. We had two desserts, served on one platter. 

There was the bowl of freshly cut Melon with organic rose water [from Rajasthan].. The second dessert was Hot chocolate cake in a cup with a dollop of organic apricot jam at the bottom and a spoonful of apple and cinnamon jam served on the side. One point worthy of mention is that the Chocolate used in the cake came from exotic destinations and so did the rose water and the jams, all courtesy  Nitin L Chordia, founder of Cocoatrait .. He said he had worked with the Chef in conceptualisation of the desserts...  

The place is renowned for its Italian fare and this Chef only goes to prove they continue to maintain the same standards and do not compromise on quality of food or ingredients ever.. The Chef has spent the last two mounts scouting for the best there is .. local and otherwise~ 

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 :-)