Think of Italy and the first thing that comes to mind is the food, the culture and the accent. Bringing the tastes, sights and smells of the Italian heartland to Bangalore is Serafina, a fine dine North Italian cuisine restaurant that promises to give you the vibe of the real Italy. The restaurant was launched this week by co-founder and food connoisseur Fabio Granato and Italian Chef Odette Fada from New York. Bringing in a homely ambience, the restaurant boasts of vivid wall paintings and rustic Italian décor bringing Italy closer than ever before.
Their first time in the city, Fabio says the energy of the people and the weather is fantastic. “A lot of it reminds me of home. I like this establishment and the location and I’m really excited to bring this new venture together with our Indian partners.” Odette, who is in the country for the first time, adds that many people have told her that it’s a beautiful country and Bangalore has wonderful weather. “I have to get used to the wide range of ingredients here. I have the Italian taste; the team here has the ingredients. The people, weather and ingredients – all are the perfect combination for me.”
Talking on the restaurant, Fabio says: “We love food. We grew up with food and learnt how to eat and what to drink. Italian food is known all over the world and in Serafina, you can discover something new about Italy every single day. You can come every day in the week and eat something different and never get bored because there is so much variety in the kitchen.”
Fabio has an interesting story to tell on how he co-founded the restaurant with his partner Vittorio Assaf. “It was Labour Day and the end of the summer. We met in the morning with our girlfriends and wanted to go skydiving. After the training, a huge wind kicked up in the afternoon and the jump was cancelled. So we went to a friend’s house near the sea. The girls were exhausted and wanted to take a nap while Vittorio and I decided to head out to sea on a catamaran. After a while, he was pulling the sail but the wind was so strong that the mast snapped. We were stranded and so far away that we couldn’t even call anyone for help. The waves were strong and we were tired. In the meantime we talked about food, personal life and the passion to create a new kind of pizza and change the way people look at Italian food. We both shook hands and decided that if we ever get rescued we will start the restaurant. It was finally around 2 a.m. when we were rescued.”
He further says that they went ahead and kept their promise and started Serafina on July 17, 1995. “And that’s the story behind the restaurant.”
Odette points out that it’s great to be part of this global phenomenon. “We feel that the whole world should eat Italian. It is simple and has good flavours and yet, every dish is different.” She adds that Serafina has many outlets across the world and in each country, we find something new to take back home.
Recollecting her story, Odette says her love for cooking began when she was eight. “I used to help mum in cooking since in Italy all the women cook. My first dish was a cake. My experience with food began earlier since it is customary for babies to get a small piece of dough to play with when their mother is making pasta so they keep quiet and play.” She went on to culinary school when she was 14. “I wanted to start working and cook because I had fallen in love with it. But my parents wanted me to study. So I studied and then I started cooking and never stopped since.”
Giving a word of advice to Indian chefs, Odette asks them to look for the best ingredients. “There is a need to talk to the people growing the vegetables and small farmers. The ingredients make the big difference and raise the bar of your dish.” Fabio adds: “Everyone expects quality. The perception of food has become sophisticated because people travel a lot. They will always remember a particular dish because of the ingredients. So it’s important to understand that the ingredients are basic and never cut corners.”
