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Il Ponte Restaurant |
By Laurie AshtonI love Italian food. I say that a lot, whether it’s about German food or Japanese or . . . well, whatever. But it’s true. Growing up, the diet in our house was constant and unchanging, unexperimental and uninteresting. When I changed schools to one with kids with a wide variety of backgrounds, I became exposed to a much wider variety of cuisines than I ever thought possible. Study at Harleen’s and have Punjabi. George’s meant Greek food. Mikhail’s meant Russian. And so on. And thus my cultural education began in earnest. The staples of my childhood diet discarded, I enjoyed learning to cook food from pretty much anywhere in the world. And in the process, I became adept at guessing ingredients and methods of the dishes I ate so I could duplicate the ones I enjoyed the most at home. Fast forward a bunch of years and you find me at Il Ponte, an Italian restaurant at the Hilton Sports Club in a tropical country I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined living in. I’ve been to Il Ponte before, but since I didn’t pay attention to the name of the restaurant then, it was no surprise to me that I didn’t realize that this was the same restaurant I was scheduled to review. My husband and I were shown to a table by the pool. It was a cool night, and I’m always a sucker for tables over looking any body of water, even if it’s a pool with five or six swimmers doing laps. It was comfortable, laid back, yet very romantic. A candle lit up our table. City noise didn’t permeate the lush greenery, making it all the easier to forget that we were surrounded by city. I perused the menu, and what did I find? Pane all aglio (freshly baked garlic bread) at Rs. 120. Appetizers ranging from Rs. 360 for Bruschette (trio of crispy garlic bread, cherry tomato with buffalo mozzarella, marinated beetroot with pecorino & black olive pesto) to Rs. 980 for Antipasti Assortiti (Il Ponte antipasti platter for 2 persons). Soups including Minestrone Alla Romana (traditional roman minestrone) and Zuppa di Cipolle (white onion soup baked with pecorino cheese), both for Rs. 300, and Zuppa di Mare Toscana Profumata con Olio Extra Vergine d’Olivia (Tuscan seafood soup perfumed with extra virgin olive oil) at Rs. 350. In the pasta section, Gnocchi di Patate con Pomodoro e Basilica (potato dumplings laced with fresh chunky tomato & basil or gongonzola cream, Rs. 630) and Cannelloni di Ricotta e Spinaci Al Forno con Salsa Fresca di Pomodori (ricotta & spinach cannelloni baked in fresh tomato sauce, Rs. 720). In the grigliate, or grilled items, section, Gameroni Alla Ggiglia (tiger prawns, Rs. 1400) to Bistecca Alla Fiorentina “Angus” Alla Griglia (Australian Angus t-bone (450 gm), Rs. 2450). Main courses range from Rs. 660 for Pollo Allo Spiedo (herb marinated & spit roasted chicken) to Rs. 1500 for Marinata Di Camberetti Alla Griglia Com Erbe e “Salsa” Aglio e Pomodoro (herb marinated, grilled banana prawns with garlic & tomato salsa), pizza from Rs. 520 for anything from Margherita (tomato & mozzarella), Pizza Con Pepproni (bacon & pepperoni, Rs. 600) to Pizza Alla Marinara (seafood, tomato, mozzarella, artichokes, anchovies & black olives, Rs. 710). Mmm. Hard decisions. Luckily, it was postphoned by the arrival of a loaf of French bread with baked garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The garlic is baked until it’s soft, the idea being that you spread it on your bread. Garlic prepared in this manner loses its sharpness. Its flavour is mild and a great accompaniment to French bread. Or you can eat the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I enjoyed it very much with all three. Delectable. For appetizers, I had Affettato Italiano (Rs. 780, combination of Italian air dried meat, prosciutto di montagna, salame milano, bresaola & coppa served with pickled vegetables). I didn’t enjoy it much. I found the meat tough and stringy and the flavour was a little off to me – a tinge of sour? I don’t know if it’s me or the food as I’m unfamiliar with them, having never had them before. It doesn’t help that I’m not fond of smoked meats to begin with. My husband had something prepared special for him by the chef, and I couldn’t begin to guess what it’s name would be in Italian. It was cold asparagus atop grilled eggplant, bruschetta, salad, and grilled prawns. The bruschetta was dry and unexceptional, except for the sundried tomatoes, which were wonderful. The prawns were bland as if it has no seasoning added to it. Both our appetizers came with a small salad made from slivers of tomato, carrot, and red pepper topped with a sprig of mint which we both enjoyed very much. The chef, again, prepared portions of our main dishes off the menu. I had pan fried chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables while my husband had banana prawns with Risotto Ai Funghi (wild mushroom risotto, Rs. 720). My husband’s prawns were good, and the risotto was flavorful, bursting with a rich mushroom flavour. My chicken was smothered in a tomato and herb sauce and was good. The mashed potatoes were plain and the vegetables were boiled or steamed, perhaps, with no seasoning other than salt. I enjoyed eating at Il Ponte. Each dish was presented most attractively. And while I enjoyed it, I was disappointed. I expect a restaurant attached to a hotel like the Colombo Hilton to be spectacular. The prices alone, to me, warrant at least a little special attention and pizzazz. One reason I like to eat out at restaurants like Il Ponte is to try something new and out of the ordinary, and also to be dazzled at least a little. I wasn’t. Staff were very polite, knowledgeable, and helpful, and the service was extremely streamlined and efficient. Il Ponte is a perfect restaurant for a foreigner looking for something that tastes good, and is reliable, familiar, and recognizable and don’t mind paying the high prices associated with Hilton Hotels. Il Ponte Across from the Colombo Hilton in the Hilton Sports Club
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Last Updated:
2005-08-25 15:37
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