Vanilla Salee at La Mamma Movenpick Hotel

La Mamma Restaurant at Movenpick celebrates "Vanilla" in the form of five select dishes and I got a chance to taste a few. It was an interesting experience but do note that not everything tastes like Biryani or Paya so don't expect a masala filled menu at an Italian place.

Italian Food is supposed to be one of the finest in the world. In Pakistan people may not realize it as it is very hard to move away from the traditional spices that have taken over our senses, especially taste buds.

Italian food is all about creating simple dishes with the finest, freshest ingredients. The love for Olive Oil, Fresh tomatoes, Bread and pasta as well as wine is there but Italian cuisine is mainly about the beauty in simple cooking while making it versatile. The importance is given by respecting and exploring those few ingredients through texture, flavour as well as appearance.

La Mamma is an Italian restaurant at Movenpick Hotel Karachi located in their poolside area. Its spacious while having a rustic ambience. The live cooking also makes the experience more amusing. Simple interiors and basic lighting. Even though they have authentic Italian specialities on their menu I was visiting them specifically to try out the special Vanilla inspired menu, " Vanilla Salee".

The evening started with some hot, fresh cheese bread as appetizers, served with Pesto in olive oil, Sun dried tomato butter and sauteed garlic. The sun dried tomato butter was, well, as good as it sounds. Nothing can really go wrong when you mix two beautiful ingredients like butter and sun dried tomatoes. The smooth, umami flavour will make you want to keep eating it, so addictive.

For starters I was presented with White Onion Veloute Soup, main ingredients being Onions, potatoes and, of course, vanilla. This soup is the perfect example of keeping it simple yet savoury. Your palate will be experiencing a hot, rich, creamy soup, a good blend of onion and potatoes where both don't overpower each other in terms of taste. The right amount of salty broth with a subtle hint of vanilla after taste finally give the smooth experience a flavoursome endnote.

There was not a drop left when I was done, which says a lot.

Next were two main courses, the first being Veal Tenderloin Jardiniere. The most pleasant part was the unbelievably tender, yet juicy meat and the vegetables done right, neither a mush nor too crunchy. The combination of these elements along with the sauce made from a reduced stock of veal with a hint of vanilla was luscious. Do note that the overall flavours are not intense and quite subdued but I still preferred it being like that.

The other main course was Pike Fish Fillet and Endive. The fish was so moist and didn't crumble which was delightful. It held its own subtle salty flavour and the tangy sauce was a great add on. The sauce was made of reduced fish stock, sun-dried tomatoes and vanilla. My only complaint, I wanted more sauce because it was so good. The endives were grilled nicely though a bit of seasoning should have elevated the dish more.

Overall verdict, I enjoyed my meal. I finish everything that was presented to me. It does need an acquired taste nonetheless and if you can't handle your food without masala or Tabasco then this may not be your thing. The pricing is decent as well though not very light on the pocket. dishes being approx around pkr. 1300 each (not including tax).