A restaurant is as good as its chef, and the owner, who knows to leave the most important of the jobs to the best on hand; Chef Naresh and Hanumanth were perfect hosts to a tasting session of Ci-Gusta’s new menu, that is French to some extent, but the yummlicious burgers and sandwiches widen the choice.
The wild mushroom cappuccino – that is as addictive as the cappuccino itself (the soup did have a dash of coffee, just that right bit, so that it remains a robust mushroom soup) and the delicious corn-miso soup adequately flavoured with basil pesto and pepper is – no exaggeration – unputdownable. The former will, however, take some getting used to, but the latter (Miso) takes off with the word, go.
The watermelon carpaccio with ample sprinkling of goat cheese, caramelised walnuts giving the crunch, and lettuce and arugula adding volume is a wholesome salad and complimenting it is smoked chicken and zucchini ribbon salad – that is soulful.
The quick bites are more than that – Espresso and hazelnut arancini (is a bit dry for my taste, however it is interesting how instead of chocolate, chef used the espresso – surely one coffee lover there), fried peppers (the European version of mirchi bajji is as enticing as its Indian cousin), and the smoky and tasty marinated chicken leg in roast garlic and chilli cream.
There is a wide choice of burgers and sandwiches – but not before the insanely thin pizza topped with four cheeses (Grana padano, mozzarella, blue cheese and smoked scarmoza) and four peppers.
What’s more – caramalised onion, smoked scarmoza, mozzarella and Marinara; sautéed soya and mushroom, chilli cream, sour cream, cheddar, a sprinkling of truffle oil with some bolognese; fried Basa, coconut cream, cucumber, ginger with the sharpness of wasabi maya – make for scrumptious fillings for the sandwiches. On the burgers menu are the huge triple deckers with 3 chicken patties, 3 cheeses, chilli and caramelised onion; Crispy peri peri chicken burger with stewed pineapple and gornonzola ranch, and double lamb stroganoff with 2-lamb patties, pepper and onion jus and sour cream – they are quite wholesome – and that includes the flavour and taste.
End this new menu with an old favourite – the yummy gelatos of Ci Gusta.
First Published in The Hans India
