LAHORE - The city of Lahore is famous for the large variety of delicious food. The city is cosmopolitan and Lahoris love to taste all kinds of food whether it is Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, French or Italian. Pearl Continental Hotel as always has lived up to its reputation as one of the favourite food spots for people of all ages.
Covo Restaurant of PC Hotel which serves special Italian cuisine will be hosting a special Italian Fiesta this month from March 25 to March 31. On Saturday noon a briefing was held at the Covo Restaurant about the fiesta. Italian chef Giulio Ciccotelli, who has especially come for the Italian Food Festival, in a demonstration gave the local journalists a taste of what to expect from the premier food event. Giulio, who was accompanied by his wife, had his own restaurants in Italy. He now works in the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad as chef for Italian cuisine.
The vivacious chef prepared some dishes which were served fresh. The three starters in the menu of much anticipated Fiesta are all good but La Mozzarella Alla Caprese turned out to be wonderful treat. If you plan on going then I think Ravioli Ripiene beats all other pastas. Salmon and snapper fish dishes were as good to taste buds as were they to eyes. All one can say is ‘purely ravishing!’
During demonstration, Giulio worked with gloved hands and his eyes are focused on dishes while he talked about the specialty of what he was making.
After trying the main course food items the grand final moment came. It was time for dessert, which was none other than Fondant Al Cioccolato Con Gelato Alla Vanigilia (Fondant chocolate with vanilla ice cream). The desert was very tasty. His wife is accompanying him who used to be her coworker but now like a Pakistani, he does not want his wife to work now. “She has worked enough,” he said with his eyes shining and a broad smile on his face.
Speaking in Italian accent, Giulio said that he learnt English for coming to Pakistan and now he was learning Urdu. He thinks that for every region the dishes need to be customized and “every kitchen has its own plate.” So he is making Italian food with more onions, ginger and spices to match the intensity of aroma and taste that is liked by Pakistani taste buds.