The ancient Greek- Sicilian writer Archestratus once wrote about Italian food saying, ‘ flavours must not be masked by spices and herbs”. This is true when it comes to Italian cuisine, which can be traced all the way back to 4th century BC.
One of the happening streets in Colombo, when it comes to multi ethnic eating is Park Street, Colombo 2. We made our way on Monday night to check out some Italian food at the Trattoria.
The name Trattoria denotes a less formal venue than a ristorante, and technically here wine must be served by the decanter and not the bottle. The Trattoria on Park Street has a warm feel the moment you walk in.
The wood panels, brick walls and yellow lights give out a dulcet aura just right for a night out. I make out the manager Chiara- walking and talking to guests.
Chiara Tiraselle is an Italian chef, from the town of Verona, which has a strong food history. She has worked in New York and London before she decided to come to Sri Lanka.
We are escorted to a table. To our left is the large open kitchen, from where the aroma of all things Italian drifts in. The primary focus of the venue is their lovely wood fired oven – complete with marble mosaic chips on the outside. It is in full action giving pizzas.
After browsing the menu with head chef Rukshan Idamalgoda, we place our order. At the next table a group of eight youth are already having their dinner, with much chatter. First up on our table is the antipasto (starter)- bruschetta, toasted bread drenched in olive oil and served with garlic. This was perfect on a rainy evening. Olive oil is the primary oil in Italian cooking and is an expensive ingredient in our country. Next up was a pizza margarita- crisp thin crust pizza topped with tomato and mozzarella. The pizza was good with the right texture and taste. The flavour is truly enhanced by the aroma of the cinnamon wood that fires the oven.
The wood fired oven accentuates the taste of any food in comparison to an electric oven. Our next indulgence was chicken crumbed and roasted served with a rocket salad, tossed in balsamic vinegar. Again, this was a nice contrast to other forms of heavy and oily chicken, although the rocket salad could have had a bit more colour for visual appeal.
The menu also has prime steaks from Australia and New Zealand. Our final delight for the night was tiramisu with pistachio ice cream. Tiramisu is a famous Italian dessert which means “pick me up”. It was amazing to see that the venue has a choice of 48 flavours on their ice cream list, certainly a sweet temptation. Trattoria on Park Street brings a unique blend to traditional Italian cuisine. Prices are not too cheap, yet, each portion is top value for money. The venue can seat 75 persons and is crowded on Friday and Saturday nights.