Sartoria Restaurant in Delhi is like a neighborhood trattoria - cozy, warm and homely, where the food is delicious and the staff is friendly and eager to please. The evening at the restaurant last Thursday was quite enjoyable, what with plenty of food and never-ending service of wine
The evening started off with a wonderful Verdicchio, which paired well with the avocado crostini. The tang of the lime and the richness of the avocado in the crostini complemented the wine beautifully. The other starters included salmon and shrimp pizzettes, which were loaded though a little “fishy”, the spinach corn tart and chicken pizzettes were predictably nice, but definitely had a “desi” feel to them. The restaurant kept the appetizers flowing.
The rocket salad with the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and the spicy/peppery arugula had just the right balance. The Le Vele Verdicchio Moncaro was again a good choice with this salad.
The lobster bisque didn’t live up to promise. In my opinion it could have done with a touch more cream/fat and a splash of brandy or cognac. I also felt that the stock used in the bisque had an overpowering smell/taste of shrimp. The California Pinot Noir served with this course had a silky and velvety mouth feel, which would have been accentuated further by richer bisque (creamier/buttery).
I did not read the labels of the two red wines served that evening, but one was definitely cooler than the other. The warmer one had an intense aroma and I enjoyed the tannins it displayed. This wine (Chianti Classico 2006) Michel Rolland’s South African Bordeaux/Pinotage blend) paired well with the minute steak I ordered for the main course. My fellow diners felt that the wine could have been served cooler (I disagree).
The second wine (which I think was the Rolland Collection) was served cooler. This was a great wine too, but I think it could have been served a bit warmer. The temperature caused the wine to not release its full potential to the drinker. The béarnaise sauce was a bit too salty and felt more like a knob of salty butter but worked well with the baked potato.
With my main course I ordered the spaghetti as my side and rued my choice as soon as I laid eyes on the risotto in my fellow diners’ plates. I requested the wait staff to get me a risotto, if possible. It was amongst the best risottos I have had in Delhi – creamy, al dente with crunchy asparagus.
Dessert had two treats – mango mousse and tiramisu. I passed the mousse to my fellow diner and dug into the tiramisu. The tiramisu was soft, airy, creamy and just the right combination of coffee/chocolate/sweet. Despite traditional ladyfingers being replaced by cake like discs, the tiramisu was lip smacking.
The evening was made extra special by a crooner belting out old classics. My wife Promilaa would have thoroughly enjoyed the music and might have even shaken a leg with Subhash on the floor.
The discreet supervision by Rajeev Bajaj, the Group General Manager of the IVY, Kylin and Sartoria Restaurants must have been a great motivation to the staff who works under the Restaurant manger, Mahinder Singh. It’s only later that one learnt that Mr. Bajaj had been in touch on phone with Mr. Saurabh Khanijo who was in London that evening and could not be present.
Sartoria is known for dishing out good, wholesome Italian-style food and we were not disappointed. Chef Pitamber deserves kudos and the restaurant deserves repeat visits.
Anurag Mehrotra
Anurag was chosen as the ‘mystery shopper’ and asked to give his opinion about the food, service, ambience, wines or whatever else he chose to write about the evening. The event has been written as seen from his eyes and palate. For the record, the escalating capacity of members touched a bottle a head at this dinner, not a record but certainly definable as binge drinking. The record for the best lobster bisque is still held by the IVY Restaurant with Orient Express at the Hotel Taj Palace holding the second slot. - Subhash Arora, President |
