Italian restaurant Napoli by Shatranj reopens in Bandra after 8 long years

Funghi marinata

A flight above Perch off Carter Road, and we are headed to Napoli by Shatranj that reopens today after eight years. The first stint had lasted 25 years, at a time when the Carter Road ‘Khau Galli' buzz was non-existent. Owner Ashok Datwani reminisces how the residential area would fall quiet by 7 pm. "If you wanted to take a taxi, you'd probably have to walk half a mile. This was 1989," he recalls, adding, "Trattoria had been running in a café format for a few years. At the time, people were not familiar with Italian fare; even the names sounded funny," he says. That he was doing something right came in the form of a compliment from Captain Nair of Leela Group of Hotels, when he dined at Shatranj with his family. "He told me the minestrone soup was as good as what he had tasted in Milan two days ago. I will never forget that," reveals Datwani.

The reopened dining space of Napoli by Shatranj

As we enter the space via a metal and fluted glass door, we notice that it's done up in a dark palette of greys, interspersed with rust red bricks. Half-sphered light elements through indirect light and by the walls, backlit tree installations lift the aesthetics. We love that the window sills and walls are lit with candles on all four corners. Architect Minnie Bhatt has created a warm ambiance with a minimalistic direction. She used three to four kinds of bricks to create an interesting play of texture.

Chicken Caesar salad. Pics/Ashish Raje

Mixologist Garrimella Vishwanath Venkat aka Garry sets us off on our spirited journey with an amore di tartufo (Rs 1,250), a Negroni-inspired concoction of bourbon, truffle oil campari and sweet vermouth. It's stiff as vermouth union makes it sessionable throughout our meal experience. The bar menu is impressive with onion pickled brine and dry vermouth that leaves a tangy and umami spell on our palate. The favourite for the evening is Giulio Cocchi (Rs 750), which comes with a pickled watermelon rind. It has the freshness of coriander cordial and the smoothness of clarified lime citrus.

Amore di tartufo

We meet chef Sanjay Kotian, who ran the kitchen at Mia Cucina for a decade, and has been roped in as consultant to curate the fare. He promises that some original classics have been retained, with the odd tweak for plating and consistency. "I have created the menu keeping in mind international trends, and my version of what I think the city should savour. Emulsions replace heavy creams, simple execution replaces complex sauces, and a little bit of activated charcoal plays in rustic dishes like the calamari [which was not available the day we visited]," he explains, making his way to the kitchen to dish out our meal.

Herb crusted chicken

We slice our forks into herb crusted chicken (Rs 400) in between our sips. The meat is treated to sous vide and marinated with a basil puree and set for two days, sliced and pan fried, given a parmesan coating and pan fried again. Thanks to this rendition, chicken wings will never be the same again. For the vegetarians at the table, a Spanish-style croquette comes backed with asparagus, broccoli, spinach, pecorino cheese and bechamel and a side of truffle potato flat bread (Rs 600) slathered with cheese sauce and potato slices. We get a taste of a yesteryear favourite, the funghi marinata (Rs 450) that are a serving of sautéed mushrooms in Italian herbs.

Portobello mushroom

The chicken Caesar salad (Rs 450) also has a new avatar, with the chicken rolled to hold microgreens inside. On a bed of Caesar cream and topped with parmesan chips, it aids our drinking well. Mains begin with bucatini cacio e pepe (Rs 750) that is served with thick pasta, pecorino cheese and black pepper. Olive oil caviar makes for a fancy addition. The roasted portobello mushroom (Rs 900) comes on a bed of polenta and crunchy veggies. A drizzle of porcini sauce served on the side ties the dish together.

Salmon and asparagus

The classic salmon and asparagus (Rs 1400) has a decadent celeriac cream. A drizzle of homemade tomato sauce cuts the cream sauce. The meal ends with chocolate duo (Rs 450), which has a chocolate croquette, white chocolate curd and comforting hazelnut ice cream. The pretty-plated dessert doesn't get a nod of our palate. On the other hand, the churros spiral (Rs 400) stands out for it tastes like a mix between a churro and a cinnamon bun. With a side of chocolate ice cream and textured chocolate soil, it is preferred over the duo.

Napoli by Shatranj
Time: 8 pm onwards; dinner seating only on weekdays. On weekends, dinner and lunch seating 12 noon onwards
At: 12, Union Park Pali Hill, near Petit Girls High School, Khar West.
Call: 7977616345, 7400396373