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Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Saturday, 9 August 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Much has been written about the wonderfully odd and kitsch décor of Casa Colombo and HVN with its mural of floating rishis, padded walls, mosaic floors and golden ceiling has a pleasantly familiar vibe to it that is both welcoming and exotic. An enduring favourite are the gigantic fans that spin lazily, encouraging diners to be equally indolent.
The glass box that is Zaza is a great place to start the evening with its well-equipped bar and lighted seats. Casa prides itself on stocking a wine list sourced from all the major wine producing countries around the world, giving customers a chance to indulge in some wine tasting. One can also choose from hot beverages, specialty teas and a distinctive mix of fruit juices that allow for a local twist with ambarella, guava, mango and passion fruit mixed in.
All the well-loved cocktails, champagnes, sparkling wines and liqueurs sit alongside signature cocktails that flawlessly marry local flavors. Try a “karapincha” mojito or an arrack and ginger thrill. Indulge in some Sapphire Sun and have yourself a Cinna-man while you take the stress off.
Zaza is also great on the wallet as it has a “buy one get one free” happy hour and takes it to another level with the same deal for food. The Tapas menu is fairly lengthy with a twist thrown into favourites. Mutton cigars served with cucumber raita, prawn and passion fruit ceviche, sesame prawn toast and tempura fried capsicum with anchovy and mozzarella filling are a few that will immediately catch the eye.
Having helped to create such a unique menu it is not surprising that Chef Shareef Kareem is brimming with enthusiasm and tips to take dishes to a whole new level. Having worked in top hotels and restaurants both here and abroad he has funnelled his wealth of experience into using local produce to create unparalleled fusion cuisine.
“Casa means home and I want people to come here and experience the best “home” cooking. So we use a lot of local flavours in all our food,” he said pointing out the gotukola salad accompaniment to the pepper crusted tuna steak, mild chili cream, arrack flamed jumbo prawns with chili lime pickle and coconut risotto that are sprinkled through the main dishes.
The seared tuna shashimi in herb rub comes delicately doused in a mustard and ginger dressing while buffalo mozzarella on basil leaves with a balsamic reduction is simply stunning. The ingredients are respected and every element on the dish is perfectly married. Presentation is neat and simple with no ostentation, respect is reserved for taste alone. Other starters with the same wow factor are the coconut crusted tiger prawns and grilled calamari rings. The selection of mains may seem comparatively limited in terms of choice but Chef Kareem insists quality is the main aim. “Each of the dishes are tried and true favourites. We don’t want a crowd. We only want the best,” he says with a grin.
Pride of place is rather unfairly bagged by the char-grilled lobster, which chef acknowledges is a favourite with in-houses guests. But if it’s beyond budget there are plenty of others to competently fill the palate.
Pillow-soft slow roasted beef fillet in spiced jaggery sauce is a fantastic dish with its garlic rice wrapped in a cone of plantain leaf and dotted with thin strips of papaddam. Opt for the ginger and lemon grass chicken atop coconut risotto plus mango salsa and you will not have even one jot of regret. Roasted shellfish, spiced Aubergine risotto and the tuna steak are also excellent dishes.
The restaurant also does its own spin on beloved kottu roti as well as rice and curry.
Sensibly portioned mains have the advantage of leaving space for dessert. HVN scores high in this department as well with buffalo-curd panacotta complete with a gentle wobble, dark and while chocolate parfait and oozing Belgium chocolate empanadas. The slightly eggy hot chocolate cake is accompanied by chili-salt caramel and brickle ice cream.
Perhaps the crown in the dessert department is worn by the deconstructed tiramisu, served in a sterilized eggshell befriended by a sponge wafer and sherry. To many diners surrounded by a mind-boggling variety of restaurants Casa Colombo is the regal old lady that does not flaunt her reasonably priced allure. But it is definitely time to bring her out of the shadows and make new delicious memories.
