June 03, 2014
Amore di Pane
By Aisha Bhattacharya
In the blistering Delhi heat, the only option people have is to stay indoors. For those who can’t, walking into a shopping mall is the next best thing. After hours of walking, taking elevators and escalators to find the next ‘in’ thing, the most natural urge is hunger. So, on one such horribly hot Delhi afternoon I strolled into Select City Walk to try the Amore di Pane Festival at Spaghetti Kitchen. Located between Gelato Romano and Harry’s on the second floor, Spaghetti Kitchen has a large seating area which isn’t exactly noticeable from the outside.
Once seated, the Senior Sous Chef – Chef Ashun greeted us and gave us a little background about the festival. According to him, “We wanted to do more with Italian cuisine and in the process broaden peoples’ palettes. To show them that there is more than just Pizza and Pasta we decided on this bread festival. Pane in Italian means bread and is an integral part of their cuisine. The idea here was to create something light and easy to eat in summer.”
This festival is on till 10th June, 2014 across all Spaghetti Kitchen outlets in the Delhi/NCR region.
The festival offers a variety of delicious Panini’s and Wraps available with Veg and Non-Veg ingredients. We tried four items from the special menu – First up was the Fresh Mozzarella and Bocconcini Panini (Veg) – Plump tomatoes, bocconcini Mozzarella also known as buffalo mozzarella, fresh pesto on a lightly toasted and buttered Oregano Panini. WOW! That is really all I can say. The ingredients were fresh and the pesto was outstanding. I would have gladly eaten an entire bowl of it with a few slices of plain bread.
Next we tried the Muffaletta – A baked Panini with Chicken Sausages, Ham, Scarmoza cheese and an Olive-Jalapeno tapenade. The tapenade was a tad bit overpowering and made the meats taste bland. But, otherwise it looked good. It could have tasted better.
The smoked Chicken wrap that arrived soon after was everything you could want on a hot summer afternoon. Freshly sliced tomatoes, onions and grilled chicken tossed in Brie and honey mustard dressing, on a bed of lettuce and wrapped in a flour tortilla. As Donna Hay says, “Fast, Fresh, Simple” It is a little messy to eat because the ends aren’t closed but a delicious wrap which encapsulates the idea behind the food festival beautifully.
Last but definitely not the least their Ham & Cheese Panini. For most meat lovers (pork specifically) just the thought of Honey roasted Ham makes us salivate. Now pair that with Gouda cheese, plum preserve and Granny Smith Apples. It is a whole new sensation. The tart sweetness of the plum preserve with the crunchy fresh not-so-sweet apples paired with a strong flavour like Gouda and melt in the mouth Ham. Between two slices of perfectly buttery toasted bread, it’s like biting into a piece of heaven.
All this bread and no water, was luckily not the case. The Peach Iced tea made with Monins’ Syrup, a virgin Peach Margharita which was truly excellent and the King Alphonso – A summery mix of Mint and mango served chilled were the perfect accompaniments to this no-so-light meal we ate.
All the panini’s and wraps are served with a side of fries and some fresh salad. Ketchup, only on demand. A must visit for those who like sandwiches and are willing to try some new combinations and have a little time to kill while roaming in the malls.
Bon Appetit!
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