Italian swing at Botticino

The Bandra Kurla Complex is one of the strangest parts of Mumbai. It looks man-made — and if that sounds odd, cast your eye around and you’ll see that the parts of any city which have charm are those which appear to be organic. That is, it seems like they have grown on their own, added features and curiosities almost naturally and they are places where people like to live. The BKC — I have realised to my peril that you must call it that or you will not be understood — however is all straight lines and no soul.

Unfortunately, the Trident — the new hotel of the group which was once known as Oberoi — looks a bit like its surroundings. Cold, businesslike and soulless — a far cry from its flagship on Nariman Point (or in Shimla or Kolkata) but quite in the current fashion for no-nonsense-looking business hotels where any attempt at originality is beaten down by the powerful forces of corporate conformity and business-induced blandness. Perhaps executives and management types get confused and disoriented if things do not always look the same?

Still, it was pleasant enough in its own way with some spectacularly superb flower arrangements and if the Botticino — its Italian restaurant — was all glass and faux Norwegian wood panelling, the staff was friendly enough to make up for it. So friendly and persuasive in fact that I had a pomegranate martini which was deliciously refreshing and rock chick had a strawberry margarita and it was nice to sip a drink while looking out on to the artificial landscape of the BKC.

The menu had some interesting features and the piece de resistance in the appetiser menu was the pan fried Tuscan goose liver, pan fried and served with spinach, potato cakes and a wine sauce. It was quite superb and quite generous in its portions — two of us shared and got a fair bit each — and was enlivened by its accompaniments. Rock chick was astounded to discover that she had actually finished her spinach. For ordering this dish (the second-most expensive on the menu), we were privileged enough to have the chef come out to meet us which is very rare when two middle-aged ladies (okay, females, whatever) go out to lunch. I gather from this that many diners are frightened to order this - do not be. The goose liver was sumptuous, slightly crisp on the outside, melt on the plate and in the mouth inside with its soft fattiness.

For the main course we ordered a risotto with scallops and bacon and a grilled garoupa. The risotto sounded good — although I am not usually a fan — and it lived up to its description. It was packed with flavour — the bits of bacon, the pieces of scallop, the caramelised tiny onions (shallots said the menu and the waiter) and the balsamic reduction in the sauce — all exploded variously in your mouth.

The garoupa, which came with mashed potatoes with touches of mushroom in them, a broccoli sauce and beans, was less impressive, although good enough. I suspect the fish was overcooked a tad which made it a touch rubbery. However, we asked and got some red pepper sauce on the side which was delicious and picked everything up.

For dessert, rock chick figured Italian means tiramisu and went for that. I’m bored of tiramisu and wanted to move beyond the chocolate puddings and creme brulees which are now de rigueur at every ristorante in Mumbai. So after much to-ing and fro-ing I picked on a zabaglione.

The tiramisu was good enough but not spectacular. The raspberry ice-cream that came with it was sharp and tart and more like a between-courses palate-cleaning sorbet. The zabaglione was all foam and no substance. I got no hint to the custard that is the base of a zabaglione. Instead it was fruity — cherry liqueur — with litchi ice-cream and a hint of anis which was nice. But I missed the absence of figs and Marsala wine.

However, a very pleasant meal with well-cooked food and attention to detail.