November 201052

aroundtown

Porcini Lip smacking Italian

Location & ambience: Service: Food: PreSentation:

Chef Alessio Corda Chef de Cuisine, Porcini restaurant

2010 November 53

Away from the hustle-bustle of the crowded doha city, the West bay’s ritz-carlton Hotel has always gar-nered plaudits, be it for its service, food or stay. While the hotel boasts

a variety of restaurants, each unique in their cuisines, we got a chance to sample the revamped savoury menu at Porcini – the italian restaurant.

Welcoming us to the restaurant was manager Jonatha ramaccioni whose chivalry and affable ges-ture warms up the already cosy ambience created by dim lights, as we made ourselves comfortable in our seats.

the kitchen is an open one. So you can see the chefs working diligently to dole out the perfect dish just to satisfy our tingling taste buds...and amidst the steam and white uniforms we spot the merry chef alessio corda – Porcini’s chef de cuisine.

Heavenly bitesWhat better way to start your dinner than with a complimentary treat of italian bread sticks (gris-sini) served with three dips – walnut parmesan, sun-dried tomato and blue-cheese; in addition to as-sorted bread selections with extra-virgin olive-oil and

balsamic vinegar, straight from the kitchen.Serving as appetisers were a dollop of liquid moz-

zarella with basil and tomato; a small octopus salad and deep fried bresaola (dried and aged sliced beef) enwrapping pearls of salmon roe.

the degree of scrumptiousness went a notch higher with the amazing main courses served one after the other, forcing our tummies to make space for the next. Succulent scallops, salad, fine beef car-paccio, green asparagus risotto with home made foie gras, egg tagliolini, pan seared seabass and braised tender veal cheek – every dish was a perfect blend of spice and sauce, cooked at the right temperature with fresh ingredients, and laid out in the most im-maculate manner. While the veal cheek was cooked for 5-6 hours, the rest of the dishes were prepared ‘a la minute’ which means cooking the food to your order!

But, the highlight of the evening was definitely the spuma sorbet – foam of lemon-grass and peppermint. chef alessio explains “the spuma effect is produced when co2 and natural food gelatin is mixed in a si-phon, resulting in foam. Spuma serves in cleansing the palette as well as the fats from the stomach”, and with this the cream coloured foam hit our palettes with a refreshing kick.

the palatable evening ended with a heavenly plat-ter of desserts – tiramisu, carrot plum cake with cara-mel sauce and cinnamon ice-cream.

Porcini guarantees you a taste of italy with its new revamped fusion cuisine, while retaining the basic ital-ian ingredients. and while you wait to be served, the sizzle from the kitchen is reminiscent of the impending mouth-watering dishes to be ingested with zest!

Presenting food in stylea notable element at Porcini is presentation; every item is served with such precision and details that your heart almost wrenches as your spoon slashes into the piece of art lying on the platter. after all, “food presentation has a 50 % impact on final customer satisfaction,” says Jonatha.

Playing with an ingredient’s molecular struc-ture to redefine its appearance is a part of ‘molecular gastronomy’ and this new trendy fusion-style cuisine comes from chef alessio’s experience in barcelona, while working with chef adrian Ferra, at the famous restaurant el bulli.

– Reviewed by Cassey Oliviera