Chef Ritu Dalmia brings new culinary experience to Mumbai

More than two decades ago chef Ritu Dalmia embarked on a culinary journey opening her first restaurant in the capital Her passion for Italian cuisine and visionary approach set her apart She was among the pioneers who imported ingredients directly from Italy crafting contemporary dishes with authenticity The restaurant became known for its curated selection of awardwinning wines and thoughtfully prepared food Every ingredient is chosen carefulmdashfrom freshlykneaded dough to carefully selected herbsmdash making each dishmdashfrom appetisers to mains and dessertsmdasha true standoutMac and cheeseAlmost 25 years later she brings the legend to Mumbai albeit in a smaller format Also this one is not entirely Italianmdashit offers a menu that balances familiar comfort foods with a few inventive touches creating a culinary experience that is both comforting and exciting The open sunlit space complements this unique menu On a video call from London Dalmia shares the philosophy that guides Diva at the Atrium at the Plaza at Jio World PlazaldquoAs I grew older comfort food became important to me The menu is a mix of Italian Asian and desi The Atrium is a place where people pass by Itrsquos different from where you make a reservation to dine itrsquos a pitstop for shoppers who want to rest their feet have coffee or grab a quick bite A curated small menu that cared for our favourite cuisines at a good price point Jio World Plaza represents super luxury and some restaurants offer that experience We wanted to offer a place that lets you eat affordable meals where everyone can experience a touch of luxuryrdquoWe explored a range of offerings beginning with tropical berry Rs 320 and avocado tapioca pearls Rs 320 Both were refreshing but not distinctive The Asian greens and chestnut dimsums Rs 440 prawn ginger and chive dimsum Rs 490 and mac and cheese Rs 490 however stole the show Rich creamy and perfectly balanced they delivered comforting indulgence without being too heavy The pasta was the right texture and the cheese sauce was velvety and full of flavourNext up was spaghetti with meatballs Rs 340 The sauce was robust and packed with flavour offering a balance of acidity and richness Chicken in meatballs can be dry in texture but these stayed tender and complemented the sauce well The dainty potato gnocchi mushrooms of the forest pecorino R580 on the other hand didnrsquot quite hit the mark The dish felt a bit unbalancedmdashthe mushrooms didnrsquot integrate well with the gnocchi and the flavours seemed to compete rather than complement each other It lacked harmonyRitu DalmiaFortunately the desserts brought the meal to a satisfying close The rosemary almond torta R340 was beautifully moist with a subtle herby flavours and nuttiness that made it enjoyable Divarsquos classic tiramisu Rs 340 stayed true to its rootsmdashrich creamy layers that hit all the right notes of coffee and mascarpone The raspberrycocoa tart Rs 340 was decent though the addition of raspberry jelly felt unnecessary and distracted from the chocolate flavour We felt Diva at the Atrium offers a dining experience that blends comfort with creativity and delivers standout moments alongside a few that could benefit from refinement and getting over teething troublesDalmia tells us that one of the restrictions she had to work with while creating the menu was that the location constrains the use of fire ldquoBut that didnrsquot mean we just serve heated frozen foodmdasheach dish is thought through to work around the limitationrdquo she adds Will we see a standalone Diva in Mumbai soon ldquoIf you look at our history we should have been 50 restaurants I like to take things one step at a time Diva at the Atrium is a first baby step for usmdashletrsquos see how Bombay reacts to it and who knows what comes nextrdquo Dalmia signs off