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| Thalitalia : The complete Italian thali offered at Dario's |
Sometimes we wonder what makes us Indians so content about
thalis.The fact that the Indian way of presenting food with a range of variety
in one platter makes the concept of thalis a hit. It being cost effective is a
bonus.But there are times when we think of trying some cuisine other than
Indian and at the same time, care for our pocket too.
Well, there is some good news. Dario’s who is known for its
mastery over authentic Italian food has read the pulse of us Indians and have
recently launched a unique concept—Italian food served as a thali, Thalitalia.
Thalitalia, is a brainchild of Dario’s owners, Rebecca and
Chef Dario Deziom, who got inspired by the idea of thali. Like Indian thalis,
Thalitalia serves portions of Italian food that gives the patrons a wide range
of dishes, without going À la carte.
Thalitalia, the Italian thali, is served into three
portions. The first includes a sumptuous range of five starters with two
salads. It is followed by the main course, which include three Pastas, two
Pizzas and a Rissoto.
How can a meal, especially a thali be complete without some
sweet at the end? Thalitalia offers two choice of desserts at the end.
Reads mouth-watering, isn’t it? The fitting-your-pocket part
too is taken care off by Dario’s. At Rs 590 (all inclusive), Thalitalia is
reasonably priced and the size of portions served in it will make you burp for
sure.
Not just good food, Dario’s also promises of a great time
with a state-of-art ambience with outdoor seating area. Located besides Osho
meditation centre and resort, Lane No. 1 in Koregaon Park, Dario’s ambience
sets your mood and makes you relax.
When we say it sets the right mood, we go by our words.
There are not many places in Pune that is surrounded by nature. And you surely
won’t spot peacocks strutting on the trees or the rooftop anywhere else other
than at Dario’s.
Talking about the idea behind the innovative concept, Chef
Dario, who hails from Italy says, “We saw that most of our guests at Dario's
like to try many different things on their plate. Rarely does anyone order one
dish only, which is how people eat in Italy. Italians rarely share dishes, but
order just what they want to eat. The idea with Thalitalia was to offer people
a chance to try many things, so they can get a variety without having to order
a dozen different dishes. The Indian thali is also about trying different
portions of many different things on one plate. So the concept is the same.”
It is hard to resist and not try the Thalitalia even after
knowing so much about it.
We started off the meal with a glass of virgin Mojito which
was quite refreshing. There were five Italian signature starters in the first
portion – Bruschetta, Polpette di lenticchie, Crostini with GT imported
topping, Arancinelle and Pate di Ceci.
With all the starters and salads served in one plate, the plate looked
colourful as well as tempting.
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| Thalitalia offers five starters with two salads |
While the Indian dishes like subzi-roti, rice, salads,
pickles served together, complement each other, this was missing with the
Italian thali, somehow.
The bruschetta (Chopped fresh tomatoes with garlic, basil,
olive oil and vinegar served on slices of French or Italian bread) was fresh
and tasty. Crostino was topped with bell peppers and olive oil needed more
flavours. Polpette di lenticchie are normally meatballs but here they were
served as crispy veg balls made of deep fried lentil and potato with bread
crumbs served with sauce. Arancini is
crumb fried stuffed rice balls were crispy and tasty. These starters were
accompanied with Pate di Ceci – Hummus in Italian and it tasted good.
There are two salads, Mellucci and tomato. Melluci Salad was
a mix of lettuce and beans and the tomato salad included freshly cut tomatoes
with dressings. The veggies used were fresh but the dressing again needed more
flavours.
The main course included three pastas namely Pennee
Arrabbiata, Gnocchi Ai Formaggi and Fusilli Fulminati. The Penne Arrabbiata
which is a pasta in spicy sauce made with garlic, tomatoes, red chilli peppers
cooked in olive oil was yummy. The taste Gnocchi Ali Formaggi which is potato
dumplings served in four cheese sauce was decent too. But the Risotto Al Limone
& Rucola, cooked with white wine, lemon and garlic needs time before
hitting the taste buds.
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| Main course |
But when asked the Chef Dario Deziom about the risotto, he
says, “We chose this risotto with lemon zest and rucola because it has a
classic Italian taste. It has a delicate flavour and is balanced between the
tartness of the lemon zest, the freshness and slight peppery flavour of rucola
and the richness of the cream. The dish is difficult to appreciate if one
doesn't have a delicate palate. Indians, generally speaking, are more used to
very powerful flavours of garlic, chilli, ginger. This risotto has to be
approached in a different way; you have to wait for the flavours to grow on
you.”
The main course also consists of two types of pizzas that is
Margherita, Siciliano. While the base of the pizza was thin and crisp, they
were a little dry and we wished there was more cheese and topping on them.
The lunch was rounded off with desserts, while Chocolate
mousse was disappointing both in terms of looks and taste, Tiramisu was just
about ok.
While the concept of Thalitalia is very innovative and
unique, as one gets to taste such a huge variety of Italian dishes in a
reasonable price there are few hitches when it comes to execution. For instance
serving starters and salads in one plate was ok but eating three pastas and two
pizzas in one plate feels little odd and it looks unappetizing. But even after
considering the shortcomings, it is a must try for the foodies.
Where: Dario’s, Hotel Sunderban, No.19, Lane no.1.
When: It is available
only on Monday to Friday
Time: 12:30 pm to
1830pm
Price: Rs. 590( All inclusive)
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