It’s a new menu at all the city’s Mediterraneos

Food is an integral part of Italian culture and its influence has shaped cuisine around the world. 

Italian food is very popular and can be found in most restaurants, bars and cafes around the world. Often, the simplicity of the recipe mixed with the full flavours means Italian food is perfect for any occasion.

And a perfect experience is what Mediterraneo restaurant is offering every customer walking through its doors. Apart from being authentically Italian and run mostly by Italian chefs, the restaurant chain now boasts of a new and refurbished menu.

The chef’s special menu is currently available in all Mediterraneo outlets (Gigiri, Junction and Nine West branches). It is an addition to the regular a la carte menu and features some Italian favourites that are definitely a must try.

We were privileged to recently sample some selections from the quaint Nine West branch in the Westlands area. The restaurant manager, William, gave us a warm welcome and encouraged us to indulge in the new menu offerings. We wasted no time when the waiter finally gave us our menus, our eyes eagerly roving from dish to dish.

Chef Dario, head chef at the Nine West branch, came over to briefly introduce the dish choices. The Italian lingo in the menu did not serve as a deterrent; in fact, I was more interested than ever!

HEALTHY OPTION

My partner suggested we try a starter, and we happily settled for a healthy option of queen prawns salad marinated in olive oil and lime with crunchy snow peas and basil scented necatrines. It was a healthy meal, coupled with all the essential nutrients to get you through the day.

With my love for all things seafood, I unabashedly asked Dario if he would recommend something delicious for me. If I was going to sample a new menu I had to do it right!

He suggested I try the grilled tuna paupiettes filled with prawn and garden vegetables. It sounded divine, until the waiter presented the dish to me.

Served on sesame and lemon cream sauce with a timbale of potatoes, onions and cherry tomatoes, it seemed that this was the food heaven many described at their peak of gastronomic enjoyment. Saying it was divine would be an understatement.

I half envied my partner, who settled on a cheesy dish of potatoes and broccoli gnocchi served on Sicilian Ragusano cheese fondue with saffron and toasted almonds. This is a rather filling dish and I would propose you save some extra room before embarking on the chomping.

Because of being extra full, we were unable to try out more of the unique menu selections. We finished our delightful afternoon with a light lemon sorbet presented on a thinly sliced bed of pineapple.

All in all, the new menu at Meditteraneo is not overly extravagant. The delicious and quality meals are well priced with an average spend of around Sh1,800, including taxes. I would highly recommend pencilling this in for your next culinary escapade.

For more info, visit www.eatout.co.ke