Once bitten, twice shy

Somya Abrol

‘Food snob’ is not a term we’ve grown to associate with, but we have and always will maintain that dining at a five-star ought to be an experience. Having said that, tricity’s five-star hotels continue to disappoint us; the recent case in point being Panchkula’s posh-looking Hotel Bella Vista’s 24-hour café, Serenade. 

A casual weekday evening at the café turned into another lesson in ‘what’s expensive is not always good’. While Serenade is beautifully set up, on the fourth floor of the grand hotel, the menu offers tidbits from Italian, North-Indian, Continental and Oriental cuisines, besides your usual coffees, teas and juices. We decided to opt for their special Red Velvet juice (carrot, pomegranate) – thanks to the ongoing ‘carrot promotions’ – and Tuscan Minestrone soup. The juice, to begin with, was anything but velvet; for ‘velvet’ invariably implies a flavourful waltz on your tongue. The colour, a pale shade of maroon, was the first put-off, and then came that bland wave of liquid. But, since they vowed to use only fresh ingredients, we could dismiss this as a rare case of bad produce. The minestrone soup, however, rescued the first course of our meal. Served with boiled penne pasta and black olives in a mini-tray and pan-roasted garlic bread in another, the chef mastered the soup’s sour balance, with enough vegetables to keep you munching through every bite. Our request of reheating the bread with extra butter, however, was met with much after the bowl ran out of soup! Though patience is not one’s forte during the first course, we couldn’t help but lose it when the bread returned with cold butter .

The main course comprised individual orders of Cannelloni of Ricotta and Spinach, a Vegetable-Paneer Kathi Roll and a Hot Plate Vegetable Sandwich. The Vegetable and Paneer Roll, made from wheat-based flour, had sufficient amounts of semi-cooked veggies and equal amounts of marinated paneer. The underlying — and overpowering — taste, however, remained of chilly, one which did not cease to linger. We got lucky, though, for having ordered the cannelloni – the béchamel sauce played the knight in shining armour for our palette. Stuffed with spinach and sautéed onions and garlic, the cannelloni was served with a generous topping of the béchamel and mozzarella cheese. The cannelloni tube, however, was nothing more than a rolled lasagna sheet – the easiest way out for making the hollow tube. The hot plate sandwich, however, saved the day – sautéed in olive oil and rosemary, married to a liberal layer of cheese, the sandwich was nothing short of perfection, and was served with crisp French fries and salad. 

For dessert we chose the Caramalised Peaches with Italian Gelato and the Sizzling Brownie. How we wish they would have saved the best for the last. But well, the canned peaches – as pretty as those halves looked dipped in caramel sauce – were slightly sour; something we could’ve attempted to make peace with, had it not been for the burnt and runny caramel. The blueberry gelato, however, was the saving grace. As for the brownie – if a baker had to show her students what not to do to the age-old brownie, she would present the Serenade variant without second thoughts. What was wrong, you ask? Burnt bottom, dry, bitter; inedible, to be precise! Though the waiter was generous enough to accept that it has been reheated twice, which is what led to its deserted form, nothing could redeem the dinner.

Rating (0-5)

Taste: 1.5

Ambience: 3

Service: 1

Value for money: 1.5

Overall: 1.5

• Restaurant: Serenade Pavilion, Hotel Bella Vista, Panchkula
• WiFi: Yes
• Alcohol: Yes
• Outdoor seating: Yes
• Life+Style Recommends: Hot Plate Veg Sandwich
• Meal for two: Rs 1,200 (approx)