Apart from being the cradle of western civilization and playing an important role in the renaissance, food is one of the greatest Italian legacies. From the cheese filled lasagne to the chewy risottos and crunchy pizzas, Italian food has managed to colonise large parts of the world. The Le Pont restaurant on Coles Road has turquoise chairs and white walls, and when one enters, it feels like being transported to the warm shores of the Southern Italian coastline. We start our meal with an excellent rendition of the tangy and nutritious vegetable minestrone soup. It is filled with an assortment of vegetables and is light on the tummy. The seafood salad, pieces of fish and prawns, with an assortment of lettuce in a spicy mayonnaise sauce is cold and the mayonnaise spice seems to overpower everything else. It was the lone disappointment of the evening.
However, this slight disappointment was corrected with the excellent risotto di pollo e gamberi al verde, rice served with chicken breast, sautéed shrimps and liberal helpings of spinach. The rice goes well with the rest of the preparation, the shrimps are fresh and the chicken is cooked well. The spinach is an excellent addition and could make you do a Popeye by gobbling up the massive portions in one go. The vegetable lasagne, also served with spinach is a sinful delight with oodles of liquid cheese and an assortment of sauces. If you want a mocktail to go with your food, you could try the paradise island, a concoction of mango and kiwi juices with cream. The highlight of the meal was the superb Swiss steak, beef steak served in a brown sauce, infused with thyme, bay leaf and garlic, and assorted boiled vegetables and mashed potatoes. The steak is juicy and tender and tastes heavenly with portions of the sour brown sauce. Chef Rajesh remarks, “Like in India, European cooking also owes a great deal to sauces. You need to choose the correct sauce based on the dish you are eating.”
We finish the meal with portions of the crumbling apple pie served with scoops of vanilla ice cream and the sweet sour key lime pie. Le Pont is located at 65, Gold Plaza, Coles Road. Call 41649408.
