The best of Northern Italy

The beauty of culinary arts lies in transforming the most humble, locally-available produce into a gourmet delicacy with some help from internationally sourced ingredients. Eggplant Parmigiana marks the beginning of a promising culinary journey into Italy. Layers of eggplant and cheese, baked with full-bodied sauce and garnished with olive oil bring out the flavours and whet your appetite.

As you relish your meal, you realise how Italian cuisine in the city, is often limited to pizzas and pastas. Being a premium luxury property, Park Hyatt's new restaurant nudges you into exploring lesser known delicacies from Northern Italian belt of Veneto, Liguria and Lombardia.

Bathed in shades of brown, offset by the upholstery and the lighting, Tre-forni is ideal for an interactive dining experience that doesn't encroach on your personal space. The live, interactive kitchen is the heart of the restaurant. Watch the chefs skilfully toss in thin crust pizzas into the wood fire ovens. The restaurant gets its name from the presence of three different ovens. The menu, we are told by 21-year-old chef Matteo Grandi, changes every few months. Says Matteo, “This helps in making use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. You get the best mangoes this season, for instance.”

Tre-forni offers signature vegetarian and non-vegetarian anti-pasti platters. An assortment of veggies, from green and black olives to bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes are tossed in olive oil, garnished with herbs and served with cheeses. The melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella slices justify every bit of the indulgence in Italian cuisine. For the adventurous, there are specials such as Insalata tiepida di polipo (Ligurian octopus, steamed potatoes, black olives, cherry tomatoes and pesto) and Petto d'oca affumicato (Smoked duck breast with caramelised pear).

What's Italian cuisine without wine? Park Hyatt has exclusive wine cabinets to store white and red wines in different temperatures and boasts of nearly 3000 wines. The chefs take pride in their freshly-baked pizzas. “Though we make pastas in-house, the flour for pizzas and pastas are imported from Italy,” informs Matteo. The crunchy thin-crust pizzas are to be tasted to be believed. With the right amount of cheese and toppings, the slices are light and don't have an overbearing effect that lulls you into sleep.

Just when we are satiated, restaurant manager Somrup Chanda insists on providing samples from the main course. Pumpkin Ravioli, served in bite-sized portions, can easily stake claim among the best dishes in the menu. The sinful Cannelloni Florentina is for cheese lovers. The exotica is baked with oodles of cheese and is stuffed with layers of spinach, pine nuts and almonds.

No matter how stuffed you feel, make room for desserts. Tiramisu and Pana Cotta are the highlights of the dessert section that includes gelatos and sorbets. Served in a glass, Tiramisu is deceptively light with a blend of espresso coffee, sugar, cream and cheese. A perfect end to a meal.

Tre-forni, Park Hyatt, Road no. 2, Banjara Hills

Seating: Restaurant: 96, bar: 40, private dining room: 24.

Meal for two: Rs. 3000 (approximately)

Contact: 4949 1203.