Italian Fiesta

Italian food seems to be in and how! Mumbai has taken very well to it and personally I do feel it has a lot of plus points especially if it is as good as it is at Mangi Ferra. Set up under the copious shade of a mango tree, Mangi Ferra in Juhu is spacious and elegant. Pastel colours, minimalist wooden furniture and fantastic lighting make the restaurant look extremely inviting. With layered seating at different levels, the hot spot seems to be the step-down lounge seating made comfortable with a plethora of colourful cushions.

Mangi Ferra means `mango tree' in Latin and when young entrepreneurs Rajesh Sharma and Prashant Chaudhri saw it the first time, they immediately knew that the tree would be the theme of the restaurant. The dining bar lives up to its reputation as the metropolis' only stand-alone Italian restaurant with a comprehensive Italian menu that has been drawn up and prepared under the watchful eyes of Chef Vijayraj Chauhan, who comes with rich experience from Frangipani, Oberoi's popular Italian restaurant.

A leisurely read of the menu and I'm glad that Alyona and I chose to celebrate her birthday, a wee bit belatedly at the restaurant. I order a seafood soup called Cacciucco alla Livornese (Rs. 165), and if the name is a mouthful the serving of it is quite a bowlful what with the olives, capers and tomatoes doing full justice to the final flavour. Alyona settles for the lighter Minestrone Estivo (Rs. 145) which is tomato flavoured fresh vegetable soup. The pride of Mangi Ferra is the Napolitana wood-fired pizza, one-of-its-kind in Mumbai. The wood-fired pizza oven sends its welcome glow into the restaurant and diners can try their choice of handcrafted exotic pizzas perfectly complimented with one of the many fine wines available. We opt for the wood fired Pizza Marinara (Rs. 365). No regrets about the choice, for the classic pizza baked with tomato sauce, anchovy, garlic, oregano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is worth writing about!

The Antipasti section has a couple of interesting options including the Aranccini, risotto dumplings stuffed with melting mozzarella, and the Prosciutto Crudo Con Rucola, thin slices of parma ham with rucola salad. Chef Chauhan's Norwegian smoked salmon (Rs. 345), carpaccio of pink salmon with a drizzle of balsamic reduction is a must try and the portion was large enough for two.

Interestingly, the menu has an extensive selection of pasta al dente that is served as the appetiser or the main course portion so that guests can try out the sheer variety on offer. We fork into the Penne Alla Romana, penne tossed in white wine cream sauce with chicken, porcini and mushrooms (Rs. 295). Must give the desserts a try too because the Tiramisu (Rs.175) is perfect, so claimed Alyona so I check out a spoonful. Yes, perfect! For me it has to be coffee, so a refreshing Espresso (Rs. 60) is what winds up the meal.