Bene’s new menu is inspired by the chefs’ hometowns

Located on the rooftop of the Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel, Bene is an Italian restaurant with options of outdoor and indoor seating, where you will be surrounded with warm tones of brick and wood.

For the past year, its kitchen has been placed in the hands of chef Robert Apa from Napoli. Earlier this month, the restaurant decided to partner with the chef at Romano’s, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, whose name, coincidentally enough, is Roberto Zarzoli. Zarzoli has curated a new menu for the restaurant.

Much of the dishes on the menu have been inspired by their hometown and its stories. Such as the ‘Fresella E Caponatina Di Verdure’, a starter that features a mix of eggplant, celery, olives, cherry tomato topped on a piece of crispy bread. It is similar to your pani puri, they say. The dish is a common Italian street food which was made popular during World War II. “We wouldn’t even afford bread, so our grandmothers would dehydrate it, so it could be preserved for months,” adds Apa.

The Carpaccio Di Bababietola, which is a beetroot ravioli stuffed with goat cheese, and topped with an assortment of orange, and nuts, is a great vegetarian option for starters, especially if you enjoy the earthy taste of beets. The table’s favourite, however, was Tacchino Tonnato, made with turkey breast, a creamy tuna sauce made with homemade mayonnaise, artichokes and caperberries salad. While the original version features veal, the chefs swapped the ingredient for turkey. While the combination of meat and fish seems highly unusual, it blends together very well, here. Zuppa Di Pomodoro E Stracciata, or the tomato soup, that followed, was light and aromatic thanks to the dash of pesto sauce and rosemary added.

The Orecchiette Con Rappe E Cozze, which is made using hand-made orecchiette pasta, cooked in a sauce made out of cherry tomato, chilli, white wine, broccoli, mussels is for the seafood lovers. However, it was not a personal favourite as the seafood flavour overpowered the dish.
Filetto Di Pesce AL Limone, featuring a pan-seared Halibut fish with lemon sage sauce, mashed potato, was also not a personal favourite.

The mushroom and truffle risotto, however, won the show. Made with carnaroli rice, saffron, Portobello mushroom, black truffle, the dish might seem slightly salty, but not enough to make you want to reach out for water. It has a warm, earthy flavour that works with the creamy and yet, not overly cheesy texture of the dish. Chicche Saracene Agli Asparagi tied for the spot of the favourite dish.

The dish features buckwheat gnocchi tossed in a creamy butter sauce and an ample serving of green vegetable with smoked parmesan blended in. One of the lightest dishes on the menu, it packs a whole lot of flavour within it. The Maltagliati Verdi Alla Faraona was the only cream-based sauce pasta that was offered. A refreshing change from pasta dishes laden with cheese to the point of oblivion, the dish featured slow-cooked guinea fowl, wild mushrooms, and a light but creamy truffle sauce.

While we have heard raving reviews about their Tiramisu, we opted for the Torta Caprese, which is a great choice for those who prefer dark chocolate. The dessert features an almond and dark chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream and crushed caramel crunch.

With dishes priced at Rs 700 and above, you will feel the pinch when dining here. However, if you are hoping to enjoy some authentic Italian fare until you can visit the country, feel free to splurge.