This uber-luxe cafe offers robust Italian flavours for savvy Mumbai fashionistas
Pizza Friarielli Sanita
Trust signor Armani to offer classically understated fashion rooted in heritage Italian craftsmanship and a culinary experience that mirrors the fashion giant’s signature aesthetic. This writer spotted the board for South Asia’s first Armani/Caffè in BKC’s Jio World Plaza several months ago, imagining the gilded neat interiors that their decor design brand Armani/Casa is known for. As for the mystery of what simmers in an Armani kitchen, this was unveiled earlier this month with the restaurant’s opening.
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Canneloni Con Ricotta E Spinaci
The high-end eatery shares walls with the Giorgio Armani fashion store and has a glass front facade that gives a glimpse of its teal-green interiors and gold accents, just as imagined. It takes more than a week to get a reservation for two for a weekend dinner. We get a sensory welcome from mixed notes of smoky tomato, truffle and cheese wafting from the tables when we visit. Several spots are occupied, and we get a small table for two with diners and mixed conversations surrounding us. Jaunty accordion tunes play in the background, as a closer look at the wall coverings reveals a beautiful fabric texture. Palm motifs, fluted patterns, glass and mirrors break the calming solid colours which dominate the interiors.
The menu offers salads, soups, pasta, pizzas, and main course options inspired by the designer’s home favourites. So you won’t just be eating a regular Caesar salad, but the Armani version. The tomatoes are flown in from Italy, but the single-origin coffee is proudly sourced from Indian estates. The wine menu is supposed to be a prized section. Unfortunately, their liquor licence hasn’t come yet, but we are told it will in a few days.
The upscale eatery adjacent to the Giorgio Armani store reveals teal-green interiors with sleek gold accents through its glass facade
A platter of different breads is served as we sit. Keeping our hands off the aromatic bakes while we wait for our antipasti, caniff con fonduta di Parmigiano (R 1,050) is challenging. The fried potato croquettes mark their quick arrival on the table with a heady aroma of black truffles. Perfectly earthy, crisp and gooey, we crave more parmesan fondue, making for just a few tiny swirls on the plate. Loving their bread offerings, we order a bagel con tartare di avocado e salmone affumicato (R1,150)—an avocado salmon bagel sandwich. The service is quick, and the flavours are deep. The smoked salmon pairs smoothly with the creamy avocado tartare, a super tasty super-food; what brekkie panini dreams are made of. The pizza friarielli sanita (R1,650) is ready much before we finish the wholesome sandwich. Is this what an Italian nonna’s loving dining room feels like?
They usually make this dish with yellow tomatoes, which are unavailable the day we visit; we don’t mind the red sauce instead, too. The pizza is simultaneously lean and cheesy and is the only average dish from our dinner. We are bound to expect more from Italian pizza, especially when the tomatoes are imported. Our final dish is canneloni con ricotta e spinaci (R1,250). The mains are quick to arrive, too, and the oozing, cheese-covered dish is a delight. Three rolls of cannelloni pasta come stuffed with a decadent mix of cheese and spinach, heightened by the flavour of basil sauce.
By now, we are in our dreams, imagining sitting under the Italian sun, enjoying deep reds with several plates of cheese, bread and pasta. We almost drop our bread platter off our small table and return to Mumbai’s congested reality. There’s no room for dessert, and we have spent a bomb, minus drinks. This gives us the perfect opportunity to visit again... if we get a table. To rest our feet with a nutty cup of coffee and a hazelnut éclair after an hour spent looking at couture-filled windows in the plaza, finding satisfaction in eating couture, if not buying it at least.
What: Armani/Caffe
At: Jio World Plaza, BKC
WHEN: 12 PM to 11.45 PM
CALL: 7021561490
Rating : Good
Armani/Caffè did not know about our visit. Sunday mid-day reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
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