We Indians are still warming up to the Italian palette. While we’ve had pizzas and pastas all our lives, this European region has much more than just the P’s to offer when it comes to Italian cuisine. Add a spin of gourmet touches to the palette, and we have Bella Cucina, the newest addition to Le Meridian Gurgaon, offering finest of the Italian blends in a luxurious fine-dining setup (of course).

Call it the amalgamation of Starwood – Marriott hospitality or the need to have Gourmet Italian Addition to the ever exploding lineage of dining in Gurgaon (or Guru Gram), Bella Cucina is abiding by the Italian culture in its purest complexity and bringing it to our palettes; on a daily basis.
Thanks to the excellent efforts by Chef Suprabhath Roy Chowdhury and Sous Chef Amit Kumar, Bella Cucina is churning out some of the finest ricetta on our piatto!

BELLA CUCINA, in Italian, means ‘Beautiful Kitchen’ which stands true to the word because of the restaurant’s imported Molteni design, customised based on the Chef’s requirements. And to celebrate the opening of Bella Cucina over Italian dining and wine, we had an array of ricetta crafted by Executive Chef Suprabhath Roy Chowdhury and animatedly presented by Sous Chef Amit Kumar.

Cappuccino of Mushroom with Porcini Brioche

For antipasti and soup we were served ‘Cappuccino of Mushroom’ served with a mushy portion of Porcini Brioche. If you adore the flavour of mushroom then you will definitely fall in love with this soup.

Cappuccino of Mushroom

Unlike other thick mushroom soups, this one is medium in its consistence which brings out the flavours more and doesn’t leave you feeling fuller already. I loved the smokiness that has been blended with the mushroom concoction which goes perfectly well with the buttery Porcini Brioche.

Caprese Salad

The next thing on the menu was ‘Caprese Salad’ in an animated molecular version by Sous Chef Amit Kumar. I absolutely fell for the various versions of tomato (froth, dried, gel and au natural) which was teamed up with a generous portion of melt-in-mouth mozzarella cream and topped with some balsamic caviar.

Caprese Salad

Italian course is incomplete without a good portion of ravioli and its counterparts. So for the vegetarian nibblers, Chef served Spinach and Nuts Ravioli with Morel Mushroom Sauce and for meat/seafood lovers like me, we were presented the Prawn Ravioli with Bisque Emulsion and Young Tomato.

Spinach and Nuts Ravioli with Morel Mushroom Sauce

Prawn Ravioli with Bisque Emulsion and Young Tomato

The Prawn Ravioli was fresh, light and worked well with the emulsion, whereas the Spinach and Nuts Ravioli was creamy and heavenly to devour on!

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Call it a ‘Mushroom Lovers’ night, as we were served Wild Mushroom Risotto next, which too had a great essence of cream and smoked mushrooms, grated with some crunchy Parmesan and dressed with a top sprinkle of White Truffle Oil.

In between the gourmet spreads, we were inclined (but, obvious) to order some freshly baked pizza. Bella Cucina team masters the art of pizza making, promising the freshest bakes with worldly flavours. We crunched on Smoked Chicken and the Classic Margherita pizzas which were just brilliant in flavours. Pick any pizza from their menu and you won’t be disappointed!

Chilean Sea Bass served with Garlic Potato Flan, Broccoli Puree and Coriander Vanilla Sauce

For the main course, we had another serving of Sea Food with their signature Chilean Sea Bass  served with Garlic Potato Flan, Broccoli Puree and Coriander Vanilla Sauce. A perfectly crispy-on-the-outside bass, with the organic flavours of the catch preserved to excellence. The elements complimented the fish well and the Potato Flan brought the starch content proportionate to the salty and buttery flavours of the fish. Highly recommended!

Who says only French know how to get their Desserts right? The kitchen of Bella Cucina Le Meridian Gurgaon is constructing some absolutely stunning dessert dishes daily. We were served a galore of desserts and each one of them made us vouch the term ‘Yum’ in abundance.

Dropped Lemon Tart with Vanilla Sauce

Dropped Lemon Tart with Vanilla Sauce had loads of zesty essence to the recipe, thanks to the usage of Italian Lemons for preparation. The vanilla sauce curbs the tanginess down a notch to balance the act.

Banana and Strawberry ice cream

In the selection of Ice Cream and Gelato we were served Banana and Strawberry ice cream presented in an interesting ‘deconstructed’ format. Not only was it visually appealing but both the Gelato flavours were equally pleasing as well.

Espresso Coffee Mousse

Espresso Coffee Mousse

If you are a chocolate lover then I’d suggest you go for the Espresso Coffee Mousse which comes in a chocolate dome format with splatters of raspberry coulis for the added play.

Classic Tiramisu

For those who are looking for comfort dessert options, then they offer Classic Tiramisu which is light in consistency, keeping in mind all the rich flavours we’ve had over our courses. I had a great time dining at Bella Cucina and can say that this place is a must visit for those who are looking at a fine dining experience on a pleasing budget and are looking for nothing but the most authentic flavours of this European region to feast on.

Visit http://www.lemeridiengurgaondelhincr.com/bellacucina for more details about the property.