The place where Oriental meets Italian perfectly, ChaoBella is a must-visit to experience the best of fusion food, says SUNDAY PIONEER
Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is in the commercial district of Okhla Phase 1, is not exactly a place one would think of going for enjoying a meal. But one may need to rethink, considering that it offers a combination of East meets West with fire roasted pizzas and pastas rubbing shoulders with steaming momose. One is told that the hotel’s restaurant ChaoBella is a trendsetter and has become the USP of their property.
Once the dishes are placed before you, it takes you on a culinary experience. The restaurant has been laying out a live kitchen with cosy seating every Sunday and not just in winter. Despite the hotel’s out of the way positioning, many come here for the brunching option on Sundays. One thing that stands out is that the food is made with heart and is very delicious.
Those who don’t want to experiment too much can stick to the usual chicken corn soup, but those with a more adventurous palate can ask the chef to recommend his signature dish. The crispy lamb with fresh snow peas and crunchy watercress is a good way to start your meal. The Propia pizza — one can choose any four toppings like artichoke, bell pepper, olive, asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini is just the right mix of crispiness and cheesiness. In between the soup and the pizza go for the steaming dimsums.
The chicken stuffing is succulent, delicately spiced and tantalisingly cozy in the paper thin wrappings, making these the unrivalled showstoppers of this Sunday brunch, in their steamy variety. The prawn wontons, the chicken momos and the asparagus dimsums are all distinct in taste and flavour. Absolutely fresh, very scantily clad in their paper thin wrapping, authentically accompanied by an array of momo condiments, they are the dish to be with at ChaoBella and its heady Proseco bubbly.
Now, there are dimsums and dimsums. I was sold out on the good old laguna momos from the sinewy bylane of the Chanakyapuri shopping complex despite these being offered universally at most Oriental restaurants. But the ones at ChaoBella, outdo them by a yard and that’s quite an achievement in itself.
But it’s the pan fried Seabass fillet delicately proportioned and decoratively presented that rules the roost in the mains.
To end this meal go for the Classico tiramisu and warm chocolate cake fondant with ice cream.