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Italian rendezvous

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Mediterranean touch Ingrid Bergstrand shows off the Honey Mustard Chicken made by her

Many gourmets in the city were at a loss when Casa Bianca, a popular eatery on M.P. Appan Road, was closed for about two weeks. But the good news is that Casa Bianca is back in action with a longer menu that includes quite a few seafood-based starters and main courses. Not to speak of some new mouth-watering desserts.

“This change in menus is a common feature in Europe. Some restaurants change theirs every month. I decided to add to the menu to incorporate requests of many of my regular patrons. Many of them wanted more of vegetarian dishes while some kept asking for prawns,” says Casa Bianca’s proud owner Ingrid Bergstrand, who opened the eatery two years ago.

So seafood lovers can make a beeline for the Calamari Fritti (rings of deep fried squid with lime sauce), Prawns in a Boat or Tagliatelle Verdi (choose from chicken, seer fish or prawns) while the vegetarians can opt for Zucchini Twist, Mock Escargot (mushrooms enveloped in garlic butter) or Casa Bianca Penne Arrabiata.

Although the restaurant serves only European cuisine, Ingrid points that she has a devoted clientele who keep returning for more of her pastas, pizzas and melt-in-the-mouth desserts.

She agrees that certain ingredients were difficult to source. “I do not run a five-star hotel. So I cannot import ingredients and I cannot charge like a five-star hotel. But I have learnt to make do with the best that is available. I get some kinds of cheese from Bangalore and make fresh cheese at home. Zucchini is easy to buy at this time of the year. So, I have several dishes that use zucchini. I plan to use fresh seasonal vegetables all through the year.”

She says that unlike most Indian restaurants that serve similar dishes, restaurants in Europe specialise in certain dishes. “I plan to do the same. I am gratified when the same customers come again. That speaks for the quality of the food I serve. When I started this, I had to be in the kitchen almost all the time. But now I have a well-trained staff who have been trained with by me,” she adds.

Ingrid, a graduate in hotel management points that in addition to the food at Casa Bianca, the ambience also draws customers.

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