Food Review: Craving Italian? Toscano Nariman Point Has Pizza, Pasta And Desserts That Wow

Nariman Point, finally, has a restaurant that’s not fancy, yet serves fancy food. It doesn’t boast of a fine dining status or expensive ambiance, but offers good, authentic Italian food, good wines, and excellent coffee in a cozy setting. Toscano!

Chef Jean Michel Jasserand and Chef Goutham Balasubramanian stepped out of their comfort zone of five-star culture and launched Toscano a few years ago. Today, they have 23 outlets in India, and more are on the way. Their COO, Chef Rohit Tokhi, oversees the operations across the country.

“The chefs rule in our restaurants,” Chef Rohit admits. “Chefs are the masters, and therefore they also get equal space – all restaurants have a 50-50 space distribution for kitchen and sitting area.” And he takes me around the show to an exemplary kitchen. “Chefs have to be happy to create happy and delicious food,” Rohit reveals the motto of Toscano.

Since their licenses are not yet in, I start with an aromatic Americano. No dairy alternatives available. So Cortado was out of the question. Yuzu Peach Cobbler and Basil Orange are my team’s choices for drinks. Yuzu Cobbler is very refreshing. Basil Orange is basil forward, but balanced by orange notes that follow, thanks to freshly squeezed orange juice.

Stracciatella Filled Burrata with Parma ham is the first dish (antipasti/starter) to arrive. Textural delight. Argula leaves, pumpkin seeds, grapes, poached pears, Spanish olives, croutons, and the stracciatella-filled burrata! And of course, the ham slices, which could have been thinner, but were well-cured.

Sauteed Sea Prawns appetiser was next, along with Mushroom Bruschetta. Prawns tossed with artichoke, zucchini, and sundried tomatoes, served with toast, were light on the palate. Caramelised mushrooms on the bruschetta were slightly sweetish but delicious, and the truffle aroma and flavour were subtle, not overpowering.

Single Serving Cheese Platter that came was huge! Good enough for three people. We had ordered a Non-veg platter, which came with a choice of Parma ham/speck ham. We chose the latter. Four kinds of cheese, fresh figs, grapes, caramelised almonds, fresh berry compote, honey, and slices of sourdough toast slathered with pesto! Cheese was of good quality, but the ham stole the show. Perfectly salted, thin slices! Wish there were some white wine or sparkling wine to follow.

Toscano makes everything except their cheese in-house. That explains the quality of the ingredients and the taste of the dishes.

Pizza Toscano and Harissa Chicken Filled Garlic Bread were our next choices. The thin-crust, hand-stretched sourdough base of the pizza was light and delicious. Boiled egg on the pizza was a little unexpected, and we chose to keep it on the side. A drizzle of chilli-rosemary-bayleaf oil enhanced the taste of the pizza. The Filled Garlic Bread also used sourdough, making the crust delightfully light, and the filling was tasty as well.

It was pasta time! They have great veg options in that. Do try the Raviolis – Spinach & Ricotta and Pumpkin Ravioli. The latter has a delectable brown butter sauce with raisins and walnut pieces that give a nice crunch. The Spinach Ravioli was slightly nutmeg-forward with a punch of pepper. Linguine Pesto Genovese is another veg option where veggies and linguine is tossed in fresh pesto sauce.

Chicken lovers can look forward to Chicken Ravioli. Chicken is first cooked with thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Blended later and tossed with parsley before stuffing it in the ravioli. Subtle and delectable.

What the chicken lovers shouldn’t miss is the Signature Chicken di Toscano. Spring chicken breast is stuffed with spinach & ricotta before grilling it to perfection. Served with roasted veggies and a drizzle of red ju, this chicken is the hero of the afternoon.

The menu is quite vast with umpteen options in pizzas and pastas. The White Pizza is something an adventurous should try.

Leave some space for desserts. Best option is the Three Dessert Platter - Chocolate Kahlua Mousse, Classic Tiramisu and Panacotta – if you are a team and want taste variety. If not, then go for Mousse that’s near orgasmic or the Crepe Alla Toscano – luscious orange crepes that swim in orange consomme with orange slices served with vanilla icecream.

For the office goers in the vicinity, they also have a lunch menu that will help them have a quick working lunch.