Bistrò Italiana: The Big Chill Café

I am not an aficionado of Italian cuisine. As a matter of fact, after eating out at The Big Chill Café at Khan Market, I doubt whether prior to this I had any knowledge of Italian food at all.

The pastas and the pizzas have invaded into the Indian palate since time eternity, but not without that local hint. The main ingredient of Italian food, the cheese, used here has always been processed cheddar. Even mainstream pizza joints which were offshoots of their Western counterparts do not serve stringy mozzarella cheese. In fact, real Italian cheese are very rare in India, except for in big departmental stores of big malls.

I remember eating pasta at home made using spicy tomato ketchup and processed cheddar cheese. Sometimes, if lucky, I would find some Italian herbs such as oregano and parsley to add that European touch to the dish.

The pizza experience was not any better. Making a pizza at home is ten times more difficult than pasta, first because you need an oven to bake it. The dough for the base is not easy to make either and that itself proves a great deterrent. However, a so-called pizza base used to be readily available (and still is!) in shops in India, somewhat like a flattened bun which has an odd convexity about it that makes one wonder whether all the toppings would be sliding off if one were being generous with it. The emergence of pizza chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut did somewhat reduce the pizza-enthusiast’s chagrin. This was more prominent among that section of the population that had spent some time in the US and had gotten enmeshed into their Pizza-Burger culture.

Talking about cheese, I am not totally obtuse about it. I have not had cheese other than the processed cheddar variety. My resume of cheese consists of Emmential, goat cheese, Gouda cheese, locally made cheddar and off course mozzarella.

Even then it is a small repertoire to boast of, and with such an insipid idea of Italian cuisine, I ventured forth with my companion Anya to The Big Chill Café. What we found of the gastronomy la penisola italiano, I shall endeavor to elucidate in the following few paragraphs.

First, a few words on the decor. Must go straight to the interiors- actually looks very comfortable. There is no incredible design over riding it, just plain cushioned seats and simple wooden tables. The people sitting at the tables seem to blend perfectly with the ambience, enhancing it, not making it feel oppressive. The walls are the real attraction here, with posters of old movies of various sizes adorning them. Most common were posters from Hitchcock films. There were also posters from Italian movies made by the great Federico Fellini and other classics starring Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn. Any movie buff will appreciate the effort and feel pleasant in such surroundings. Any wannabe-movie buff will feel privileged to know the names of so many classics, write them on a pad or file it away in their heads to be discussed among select circles later and be accepted by them.

The two of us scourged the menu but took our time in making our selection. The waiter attending us had to come back a third time to finally take the order. For starters we ordered a Roast Chicken Platter (served cold!) which was aptly accompanied with coleslaw and pickled gherkins. The coleslaw dip went very well with the lightly flavored chicken. The pickled gherkins were also a great accompaniment when had with the chicken.

The entrée was a difficult call, mainly because there were so many choices. There was another reason behind the temporary vexation. For the pasta dishes, one could not choose the type of pasta, so if it was a penne dish you would not be able to have it with fusilli. I thought it unfair, but ultimately it didn’t really matter.

Anya ordered Lamb chops with Blue Cheese Sauce. It was served with tossed veggies that lent some color to the platter- some pasta and greens to go with it. What was amazing about the dish was the blue cheese sauce and how its inherent sharp flavor complimented the grilled chops. As she took the fork and knife and I could see her fumbling with them, not because she didn’t know how to use them but because she was too excited to start eating the chops.

It was baked Penne with Pepperoni and Gouda Cheese which occupied my side of the table. The aroma of the pasta when it reached the table lifted me two notches towards heaven. The baked cheese was delightfully fragrant and when I dipped my fork and broke the bed of penne, the stringy cheese followed my heart into my mouth. The slices of pepperoni were peeking through the bed of pasta like buoys enticing the lonely, wandering eyes. I took care not to consume too much of the bread that was served with the pasta. Bread has a tendency of killing the appetite and with such a delectable dish offering gastronomic seduction of the best variety there could be no doubt in my mind regarding the fate of the bread.

Time came for dessert to be had. Dessert at The Big Chill Café came highly recommended. By this time, I was so full that choosing a dessert became a dilemma. Mango Mania, which was a mango dessert consisting of slices of mango with mango syrup, whipped cream and an in-house vanilla ice cream, caught the eye. I think it was one of the best endings to any meal I have had in a long time.

I will not boast, neither will I exercise my humility about this bistro. I honestly think it is a great place to drop by and dig into good Italian fare. I have heard that The Big Chill Café has two other branches in Delhi, one in Kailash Colony and the other in Saket. If you happen to read this piece, live in and around one of these places and most importantly love Italian food, then a visit to The Big Chill Café should not be missed.

Dwaipayan Adhya