On a hot April night, IT professional Sarat Chandra went to have his meal on the first-floor verandah of the Aromi Di Italia restaurant at Cherai beach. Run by Club Mahindra, the Italian restaurant is located 25 kms from Kochi. “It was a full-moon night. From where I was sitting I could see large waves hit the beach. There was a strong breeze blowing and the sky was filled with stars. The ambience was so beautiful,” says Chandra, 39.
While his children Nishita, 7, and four-year-old son Virat played nearby, Chandra and wife Bharti ordered for Patate E Porri Zuppa Con Pollo Rosmarino, which is a thick soup with leek potato and roasted rosemary chicken.
A few minutes later the soup arrived and Chandra noticed a difference. “Unlike most restaurants, the cream was not mixed with the soup,” he says adding, “It was original stuff all the way and very tasty.”
Satisfied with the first serving, they went for Penne Shrimp Alfredo, which is pasta with shrimps and white cream sauce. “The shrimps were fresh and I was told that it was sourced locally. Since we live in Hyderabad, we do not have the opportunity to have fresh sea food,” shares Chandra.
This was followed by fried chicken fillet served with sautéed zucchini, tomato, red peppers, and potato chips. “The beauty of authentic Italian food is that it is light on the stomach. We enjoyed ourselves,” says Chandra.
Soju Philip, executive chef-food production, is not surprised. “The Italian cuisine is known for its simplicity. Unlike Indian food, every dish has four or five ingredients—consisting of tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, cheese and fresh herbs like basil and rosemary. But the cornerstone is olive oil. We have selected the cuisine of southern Italy like Capri, Sardinia, Sicily and Naples, which borders the Mediterranean Sea. The food from this part is regarded one of the healthiest in the world. Nowadays, people are looking for healthy food options,” says Philip.
One healthy dish is the Pesce Bianco Al Spinaci. This is a fish, roasted with extra virgin olive oil, along with vegetables, olives, lemon, spinach and topped with pesto, which is a basil and garlic sauce. It is spare and light, yet with a distinctive flavour.
Interestingly, many guests today are opting for vegetarian fare. So, Aromi Di Italia offers pasta with veggies and cheese, or pan-fried aubergine slices layered with parmesan cheese and tomato sauce.
But the most popular item among the veggies is not pasta. Instead, it is a corn meal cake. “We cook powdered corn with butter and milk. Salt and pepper are added. Then it is placed in a tray so that it can settle down. Thereafter, we cut it into fancy shapes and grill in butter and sauce,” says Philip.
Due to a dearth of quality restaurants at Cherai beach, Aromi Di Italia attracts many foreigners, besides guests from Kochi and nearby towns like Kodungallur. “We get a lot of Westerners who are keen to try our seafood like shrimps and prawns,” says manager Shinow Baby. And they like what they eat. “The food was very good,” says Danish tourist Foogen Oruteft. “It is a very good idea to have an Italian restaurant at Cherai.” Dr Jose Ukken from Kodungallur adds, “I loved the fish”.
But interestingly when visitors are drooling over the Italian cuisine, there is still demand for rice. Hence, the staff provides the patrons with an Italian rice called Arborio. “It is similar to our Basmati rice. We add chicken stock, cream, milk, and parmesan cheese to the rice. It is cooked till it turns into a thick porridge. It can be a full meal if you add chicken, vegetables or seafood,” says Philip.
The restaurant is just six months old but Philip and Chennai-based corporate chef Dr P Soundararajan and his team are already planning to add more new items. “We want to make a classy menu that will appeal to everybody,” concludes Philip.