Little Italy: Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Romano’s, the Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, reviewed: polpette, mushroom risotto with black truffle, pollo alla cacciatora and a tiramisu worth a main course.
Snug in a quiet corner of the Marriott property in Mumbai is an eatery that can be claimed by Italy in the name of all things holy. We thought they were being pompous in calling it an authentic Italian restaurant. But after we ate at Romano’s, we think that it may have well been in the scenic bylanes of Florence…
JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar is a fairly new hotel close to the international terminal of the city’s airport. Swish and stylish, with its art installations and intriguing lighting, it is for the corporate high-flier. And keeping their food preferences in mind, JW has an in-house Italian restaurant called Romano’s. They invited, we obliged and thanked our (Roman) Gods for it.
Ambience
Romano’s is twin decked and has a high ceiling; immediately giving it an up-market feel. Seating is less of couches and more of leather chairs–but very comfortable. Look around and the framed bygone era pictures and retro table lamps lend a classic and timeless feel to the joint. A special mention of the servers. I have seldom come across a better informed staff that knows wines, food pairing this well. Two thumbs up! Must I mention the music as well? Much like the interiors and the food… mellow and unhurried.
Food & drink
Most names on the menu are a bit of tongue-twisters so stay with us on this one. They’re Italian, what did you expect? Any help on the texture, flavour or heaviness of the dish and the staff is quick to dole out suggestions. The eatery has an exquisite array of categories and dishes under each. Go with a monstrous appetite and ample time on hand. In hors d’oeuvre, we ordered Polpette–chicken dumplings sautéed in tomato sauce; and were instantly hooked. Even the mushroom salad with roasted garlic was fresh and tickling the taste buds just right.
We hopped over soups and jumped right into the first course (Primi Piatti). We sincerely hope that you have a special section of your appetite kept aside just for this as there is a lot to pleasure you.
Mushroom Risotto with sliced black truffle was splendid in every way. Not to leave the clichés out… Lasagna was the right temperature and the right flavour.
In the main course I jumped at what I think is the make-or-break for any chef. The salmon preparation… because it’s just so easy to get it wrong. I was mildly dismayed to be announced that there was no salmon that evening. Romano’s, are you listening?
Pollo Alla Cacciatora, slow cooked chicken in fresh herbs, actually made me stop talking for a bit. It was perfect! Don’t give it a miss, please.
Real quick on the dessert. Being a tiramisu lover, it was the first thing that I ordered; it’s just so easy to have a dipstick on this yummy dish. It was so good that I could have had it as main course. Egg mousse was pretty good too, but we say stick to the tiramisu.
Conclusion
Romano’s is the kind of place that is not for everybody for any meal. It’s a slow romance that has to be appreciated with fine take on authentic Italian cuisine and oodles of time. Don’t rush the experience, we say, and we are sure you will be hooked on.
From the August 2015 issue of FHM India.
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