Ronda Locatelli Introduced
New Vegan Menu
“vegan isn’t a trend; it is here to stay,” Giorgio Locatelli said when interviewed. Locatelli recently released a new vegan menu in his Dubai restaurant, Ronda Locatelli. The restaurant located in Adventure Park, Palm Atlantis which makes it prime fine dining for tourist and even for people living in Dubai.
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This high-end restaurant has an unexceptional fine dining aesthetic. However, their food speaks of the place more than the interior. There is a wide variety of vegan options, along with a set three-course meal. I choose to set three-course meal which has multiple options in itself.
Starting from appetiser, out of three options I choose Insalata di carotene Picante (Spicy carrot salad). The Salad has the right amount of tanginess and sharpness of flavours. It is mildly spicy with a crisp taste and zesty lemon. This delicious crunchy and fresh dish is also one of Giorgio’s favourite on the vegan menu, and he enjoys it for light dinners now and then. The salad is light and leaves enough space for the main course and dessert. Locatelli calls it an ‘accidental dish’ and shared a fun story with me about the salad.
Much before he started vegan menu, he and his wife went to Thailand for vacation, and after coming back to London his wife wasn’t feeling much of the taste in food “you know food in Thailand is very crazy and spicy” said Giorgio Locatelli. He added “a few weeks passed by, and one day I was in the kitchen, she comes to the kitchen I asked what do you like to eat, she said something that tastes of Thailand but not too heavy than I thought I have got chilli, got lime and carrot will be good, and we make like a starter, but a tagliatelle shape and there was something missing so apple went in there then a little bit of mint and chives. I always like it when things are so immediate when you don’t have time to think too much and also you are limited.”
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I am personally not a big fan of salads however if salads are that good I wouldn’t mind eating it every day. However, salad isn’t the only option in the appetiser menu. If you love a good amount of carbohydrates you can go for Tagliatelle, which is full of vegan creaminess along with porcini mushrooms adding extra flavour to the pasta.
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For the main course, there was a choice of pizza, and I chose Vegetarian pizza. It was true vegan heaven with all kind of vegetables and best vegan cheese I ever had. Vegan Mozzarella used in the pizza specially bought from Ras Al Khaimah and then restaurant’s chefs work on it more to make to perfect consistency without adding a lot of chemicals. However, my colleague ordered other three kinds of pizzas on the vegan menu, and they found it a little less flavourful than Vegetarian pizza, and while talking to chef even, he recommends vegetarians pizza as all the colourful vegetables and authentic Italian red sauce flavouring makes it up very delicious.
To end the night on sweet note vegan Avocado chocolate mousse was served. The smooth, cloudy texture on the bed of vegan brownie and cherry on the top made our night. Brownie was soft and has a right amount of moisture in it; it quickly melts in the mouth with the cloudy moss leaving an after taste of dark chocolate. Overall the food was very comforting and satisfying.
"For us, the sign of welcome is to feed people. At the heart of all cooking, whether you are rich or poor is the spirit of conviviality, the pleasure that comes from sharing a meal with others. And there is no enjoyment of food without quality." - Giorgio Locatelli and I couldn’t agree more as the staff was very polite and responsive, and we provided with the best of the hospitality. It was an enjoyable vegan fine dining experience and I definitely would like to go back and try other options on the vegan menu.
