IF there’s one reason that you need to go to Azulia for, besides the food and their affable chef with an adorable accent, it has to be what I call ‘The Pepper Torch’. There’s an unbelievable kick that you get out of an uber cool pepper crusher that sends out a flash of light and almost doubles up as a torch, as you press a button to add some spice to your food. And given our love for strong flavours, Azulia’s Italian food festival, La Dolce Vita, offers some refreshingly different food (which may call for the use of the pepper torch), and one that isn’t concentrated on the pizzas and pastas.
For starters, we sampled the fried calamari, devoid of excessive seasoning but a little salty. The Bruschetta is a must try with the right mix of basil, tomatoes and onions in olive oil served on warm, crispy yet fluffy bread. The pizza however, was to die for. Super slim, with oodles of cheese, topped with a special Mediterranean sausage and red, green and yellow pepper, it’s a slice straight out of Italy. The Ravioli Al Funghi with mushroom and ricotta cheese had an interesting mixture of flavours, with juicy mushrooms and a white creamy sauce, but didn’t vary much from the Ippolglossa alla fiorentino which was fish with bread crumbs, again on white sauce.
The desserts however, were exceptional. Baked pears and figs with crumbs of caramelised brown sugar served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream is the ideal way to end your meal. Tiramisu in an assortment of flavours like mango, strawberry and chocolate, with a hint of coconut, tasted as interesting as it looked.
“Wear what’s in fashion but eat what you like” insists chef Joesph Chahine. he says that his sole focus is to ensure that his guests leave the restaurant with a smile. We couldn’t agree more. After all, that’s what good food’s supposed to do.
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