Italian cuisine has gained wide recognition in India and is savoured by foodies from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Namma Chennai also has numerous places serving Italian cuisine. But if you wish to relish authentic Italian and want to try something world-class, then just head to the popular The Flying Elephant this week. They have an ongoing food festival that is curated by a young Italian globe-trotter chef, born and raised in Naples, Chef Nicola Costa.
This food festival has a wide spread of Italian dishes including appetizers, pizzas, pastas, main course and desserts.
Among the appetizers, we tried the tomato compote, basil mayonnaise topped with fried mozarella. It was refreshing and light on palate. The tangy tomato compote with the creamy goodness of basil mayo and the texture of fried mayo was the perfect start to the meal. This was followed by smoked duck carpaccio with crispy salad and spicy powder. The smokiness of the perfectly cooked duck along with the crunchy salad and the spice mixture completely blew our minds away. This is a must-have dish.
Do not miss the pizza section. The handmade bread topped with pumpkin cream, goat cheese, mozarella, toasted hazelnuts and onions in the Zuccotta pizza is heavenly. The sweetness of pumpkin cream and onions is well balanced with the sourness of cheese and the nutty hazelnut.
And if you are a fan of pastas, there can’t be anything more delicious than the tenderloin stuffed saffron tortelli with the burnt butter sauce. The mild yellow colour, the perfectly prepared tenderloin and the flavourful sauce is what soul food tastes like. The warmth it radiates is just right for the nippy weather. The vegetarian green lasagna with mushroom and truffle was equally tantalising.
Location: The Flying Elephant, Park Hyatt, Velachery Main Road, Velachery
Timings: Till February 4, Dinner only (Sunday, Feb 4 on brunch menu)
