Fine dining comes with a price tag. But if the hospitality is welcoming and portions large enough, then the pricing, kind of, takes a back seat. And Amadeo by Oberoi at NMACC lives by that.
The opening area of the restaurant is a café with a pastry and cookies display and corner seats where one can work or have quiet chats. Follow the wine wall on the right that takes you to the bar and the restaurant. The open set up is quite a surprise after the entry point. You are welcomed by a well-stocked bar that flaunts a few in-house infusions at outset. Their signature cocktails are worth trying. They have a theme and are served in exciting glasses that compliment the cocktails.
Amadeo Tokobitsu Maki |
They define their philosophy as Counter Collection. There are three open kitchen counters – Japanese, Chinese, and Italian. Though they also offer Indian Cuisine, they do not have a counter for that. “Indian aromas are strong and lingering. We didn’t want them to impact the ambiance,” explains Chef Kyzad. The Chinese and Japanese counters have seating to encourage conversations with chefs as you eat their creations.
Milk Dessert |
I must warn you that the extensive menu can put you in a fix and leave you puzzled. Best bet would be to call Chef Kyzad or one of the managers – Avlon or Abhishek to guide you. Unless you are sure of the cuisine you prefer. Each cuisine offers you small plates, large plates and the specialties of the cuisine. Eg. Baos, pizzas, sushis, robata etc. I left it to Chef Kyzad, who ensured I tried all cuisines and quite a few dishes too.
After the welcome bread – a focaccia brushed with pesto (a warm treat) - he started off with the Japanese, subtlest flavoured cuisine. Amadeo Tokobitsu Maki is chef’s special maki roll (sushi) with tempura prawns, crab, black truffles, and a hint of a spicy sauce. Crunch of tempura and softness of other ingredients satiated the palate. It was time for Robata grill now. The Asparagus Avocado Robata served on sticks was delicious. The Chilean Sea Bass was well plated served on a slice of grilled orange along with some pickled radish, topped with flying fish roe and salsa verde. Perfectly grilled and subtle.
We moved on to Italian with Beet Carpaccio. Different than the regular one, this had more crunch with walnuts and salad leaves as additions along with some citrus fruits, Belper Knolle cheese (instead of regular feta or goat cheese) finished off with citrusy dressing. Their Quinoa and Rucola Salad served with avocado and palm hearts again is a delightful medley of textures. Calabria Pizza is hand tossed, wood fired Neapolitan with mildly spiced southern Italian pork salami. Next on chef’s list was Butternut Squash Gnocchi. Delicate, melt-in-the-mouth, homemade gnocchi rested on goat cheese fondue along with edamame beans, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes. The heavenly taste stayed in the mouth till the next dish came along.
Their Chinese section has a ‘DIY’ bao. Bao fans should definitely try. I was stumped by their Cantonese Steamed Prawns in Lotus Root. Big prawns neatly wrapped in big, Chinese lotus root slices were steamed and then placed on the bed of traditional Cantonese sauce with an egg yolk in the middle that was eye catching and later palate satiating. The Chilli Fried Rice was a treat as well and a perfect accompaniment for the prawns.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi |
Moving to the Indian section I was intrigued by the Duck Seekh Kababs and just I was thinking, Kyzad served them to me. I think nobody has used duck in Indian food the way Amadeo has. The mince was just perfect – not too fine, not too coarse. I am a fan of Kale and their Kale Avocado Chaat is nice and chatpata. Keema and Ladi Pao is a tribute to the street food of India. Mini ladi paos served with keema that’s topped with fried garlic. Keema is cooked with secret masalas and is different from the one we are used to eating.
Portions at Amadeo are quite big. Therefore, be careful when you order as you must leave some space for desserts which are absolutely delectable. The prize, however, goes to Tea and Chocolate — chocolate shell that melts when the server pours some warm chocolate ganache on it to reveal almond flour chocolate cake and berries. The earl grey flavour enhances the taste.
Amadeo offers equal choices to vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
To conclude, Amadeo (Lover of God), is a place for lovers of food.
Average cost for two: Rs. 4000
