The GUIDE checked out beso, the new Mediterranean bistro at Citrus Hotel, which offers a value-for-money world cuisine buffet and found it to be a hit-and-miss situation
The GUIDE checked out beso, the new Mediterranean bistro at Citrus Hotel, which offers a value-for-money world cuisine buffet and found it to be a hit-and-miss situation
|
|
Beso at Pimpri. pics/ jignesh mistry |
The old Mumbai-Pune Highway has long been an office hub with some of the biggest companies located there but it still lacked a decent place to dine in. Things seem to be changing now and the Citrus Hotel has just opened up on the empty stretch. Though, just a week old, it has already started attracting crowds.
Citrus Hotel offers various kinds of dining experiences, ranging from an Oriental restaurant, to a lounge bar open only during the night and even a Mediterranean bistro bar, which doubles up as a 24-hour coffee shop. Looking at the size of the buffet spread, we choose to head to Beso, the Mediterranean bistro. It seemed interesting to try various types of food at a go.
Ambience: The du00e9cor is minimal though the eatery is neat and clean. Bang in the middle of the room is an oval-shaped table where the food is displayed. You can lounge on cane garden tables and chairs that are placed strategically to ensure privacy. The huge glass windows radiated the winter afternoon rays making it a pleasant experience.
We tried: The buffet included a wide spread of salads, four types of vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters, main course and desserts from across India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico and Italy.
The Chicken Broth was light and succulent though it should have had more pepper. Though, the starters came directly from the kitchen and were supposed to be served hot, they were not even lukewarm.
The Crispy Fish was spicy and delicious and we could savour the freshness of the fish with every morsel. The Chicken Tikka was made of small and tender chicken pieces, which were soft and nice. Then came the Vegetable Gold Coin, which was a delicious Chinese dish with a bread base and a filling made from deep-fried vegetables. However, the Paneer Tikka was just average.
The Pasta Farfalle in Red Tomato Sauce was a tad disappointing. Though, it was supposed to be a good mix of spicy and sweet, it was too sweet for our liking.
The salad bar was yummy as well as healthy with 15 types of dishes on offer.
From the main course, we tried the Mutter Paneer, which was simple yet tasty. The paneer was soft and the masalas were in the right proportion. The Chicken in Schezwan Sauce was spicy but tasted great with the butter naan. The Stir Fried Noodles with vegetables in Chilly Sauce did not suit our tastebuds though the Rosemary Potato was delectable.
The Cheese Cake was delicious and the Yoghurt and Honey Mousse tasted great in combination. The Strawberry Mousse was good but the Chinese Tofu dipped in honey, was sweet on the outside but once we chewed on it, it tasted insipid.u00a0u00a0u00a0
Service: The place gets full marks for service. The attendants are attentive and informative.u00a0
At: Beso, Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, Pimpri.
Call: 30004000
Cost: Rs 299 plus taxes
