The Ristorante - La Cucina - Bloggers Meet (Restaurant Review)

Outlet: Kilpauk

Address: No 72, Ormes Road, Near Kilpauk Garden, Kilpauk, Chennai.

Cuisine: Italian, Continental, Cafe

La Cucina

I have not heard the restaurant name before I got the visit for a Bloggers Meet via Fellow Foodie Friend. Though I wasn't aware about the cuisine or restaurant type (like cafe or diner) I decided to give a try. It was easy to locate La Cucina; best landmark would be 'Anjappar' hotel at Kilpauk and the restaurant is just few blocks away. The place setup is similar to cafe style where you could chill-out, eat and chat. Though a small outlet, I loved the ambience. The colour tones, the furniture or the lights; they were visual delight I enter the restaurant.

More than the ambience I was keen about the Desserts; as soon as I saw the display of their desserts I wanted a piece of each. But I managed to calm down and sat along with the bunch of fellow bloggers & foodies to take a look at their menu for the meet. Their regular menu was attractive as well had ample food choices for both vegetarians & non-vegetarians. And now, let me get into what I loved and what wasn't that great about the food.

Disclaimer: I was invited for on-the-house Bloggers Meet. So portion size of food, price and service aren't applicable.

Drinks - Hot Chocolate: Anything 'Hot' would be my pick over the cold mocktails. And it couldn't be any perfect. Among the places that serve 'Milo' or 'Boost' in the name of Hot Chocolate; this was the one made in Heaven (if one such exists). Personally! I couldn't get over this Hot Chocolate - The Best (I have had)!

Soups

Zucchini with Coconut Cream (Veg): I loved the texture and creaminess of the soup. But the bitter aftertaste didn't give a pleasant experience after having a spoonful. They did say about 'Zucchinis' bitterness but I wish somehow the bitter-taste is reduced.

Chicken Chowder: Perfect creaminess and moist pieces of chicken; tasted good.

Veg Soup

Chicken Soup

Starters

Parmesan Zucchini Fritters & Chicken Satay: I loved the former 'Zucchini Fritters' with the Chilli Mayo; too much oil but anyways 'I enjoyed eating that way'. Chicken Satay was presented beautifully; you cannot make it anymore easier to eat the Chicken. But nothing exceptional with the taste.

Chicken & Zucchini Starters

Mains or the Big Eats - Pasta, Rice & Pizza

Bechamel Gnocchi - I was going crazy as soon as I heard Gnocchi (I love it). And this dish happened to be a PURE BLISS; taste-wise "DELICIOUS". The Gnocchi were cooked perfectly and the Bechamel sauce was finger-licking.

A photo posted by Divya Srinivasan (@divya_srini) on Feb 4, 2016 at 5:21am PST

Spaghetti with Mascarpone Cheese - Though there weren't any fault to point at; the Gnocchi won the show. The spaghetti in Arabiatta sauce with cheese tasted just OK.

Pesto with Chicken - The choice of Penne Pasta is always better for a Creamy (Pesto) sauce. I loved the pesto as it wasn't overpowering. The tiny slices of chicken was cooked well; I enjoyed the dish as neither the chicken nor the pesto flavours were intense.

Spaghetti, Gnocchi & Pesto

Thai Chicken Curry & Veg Curry with Herb Rice - The 'Thai Red Curry' for both the Veg & Nonveg (chicken) tasted Ok. But definitely wasn't the best; the bold flavours (of spices) of Asian curry was a miss; maybe they wanted to go safe with it. But the combination of Herb Rice & Curry was neither a failure nor a win.

Rice & Thai Curry

By the time Pizzas parade down the table, I was completely stuffed with food and had a little place left for DESSERTS. So I could afford just a few of the pizzas.

Pizza Margerita - The veg pizza. Though the flavours were great, I prefer Margerita with slight overdose of Cheese and it was a miss. The thin pizza crush was too crispy that it crumbles but I like them crunchy as well as pliable enough to fold into half.

Pizza Pepperoni & Pesto Chicken Pizza - Pepperoni was a clear hit over the Pesto Chicken. Not a fan of Pepperoni either but the smoky pepperoni slices were great topping for pizza. Pesto sauce became overpowering that I couldn't taste any other flavours beyond that.

Veg, Pesto Chicken & Pepperoni

Desserts

Couldn't really resist! Tasted almost all the cakes they offered. If not for the ambience or the food or the location then it's the DESSERTS / CAKES for which you better check this place out! As they marched their way with plate of each dessert I tasted every single one. My beloved picks would be THEOBROMA (the spoon cut through the layers smoothly-perfect!), BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE (this is how cheesecake are meant to be) and CHOCOLATE PUDDING (the luscious chocolate sauce over the bubbly-smooth chocolate pudding-Yum).

I did try these desserts: Chocolate Cheese, Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, Nutella Cheesecake, Lemon Cheesecake and Chocolate Truffle (Ferrero Rocher) Cake. No complaints on them but the above three stole the show!!

Being a on-the-house bloggers meet, the service was top-notch. Though I don't have a say at Price, it looked sensible considering the quality, taste and quantity of food.

Breaking Down Points

Location & Parking: Good. Shouldn't be hard to find the place. Parking, easy for Two-wheelers.

Ambience: Good. Neat! Usage of classic colour combinations and decors are positives to their ambience.

Food Variety: Good. Just Enough! Quoting themselves as a Cafe, I would say the choices are really good.

Taste: Positive. They were almost there. I liked the taste of most of the dishes I ate.

Quality: Positive. The presentation was good. The usage of ingredients and flavours were ideal too.

Quantity: Good. The portion size for customers seemed good for the price they pay.

Service & Pricing: Good. Though the treatment may differ for meets; I have to mention the ever-smiling faces throughout the service after all the comments we put forth. Pricing, I would say "Reasonable" for a Cafe & Cuisine.

A photo posted by Divya Srinivasan (@divya_srini) on Jan 14, 2016 at 8:19am PST

My Favorites: Hot Chocolate, Bechamel Gnocchi, Desserts - Theobroma, Chocolate Pudding & Blueberry Cheesecake.

So my Verdict!

La Cucina Ristorante! Not just Italian jargon in the name their Italian Food as well tasted brilliant. It is difficult to believe when the restaurants hardly have any negatives in their basket. But yeah! La Cucina ramps up to more positives than negatives. With Taste, Service and Quality being their Best. The cafe setup and location are additional pros. Do visit them for their Desserts!! Bon Appetite!

P.S. The write-up is based on my food palate & dining experience during my restaurant visit. On-the-house bloggers meet for tasting session. Remember, no two person's palate can be same.