As I walked down the street, distracted by my thoughts and my memories, the smell from a nearby pizza shop invaded my senses and immediately my mind was transported to a recent visit to an expat friend's house. My friend, John lives in Central Park Resorts at the heart of Gurgaon.
I am not a huge fan of Gurgaon given the dusty roads, pollution, bad traffic and civic sense, but Central Park Resorts is another world in itself. There is an ample green environment with the usual facilities like an amphitheater, gym, spa, kids play area etc.
But two things really caught my eye. The township is automobile-free and golf buggies are used to commute on the surface. That sounds downright futuristic and something only the millionaires could afford, right? But there it was, right in front of my eyes in Gurgaon! Well, the future is really here I guess.
But what really got to me is the second thing - something situated inside the Central Park Resorts township. Read on:
As John and I planned to discuss things over food, he suggested a restaurant where he had already tasted previously and advised me strongly. And, without hesitation, I gave my consent to a new gastronomic discovery.
We sat on our table at Da Mauro Italian Restaurant, a gazebo style fine dining place with a refined and relaxed atmosphere at the same time, overlooking the Central Park Greens. The restaurant was crowded although it was just a normal Wednesday night.
The music played in the background as the waiters rushed through the tables. Everything was normal like an Italian restaurant, except that we are in the center of India in one of the economic hubs in our country.
If it were not for the unmistakable look of the waiters, everything else would make us think that we are in a restaurant in the center of a large Italian city. The clients were mostly Indian and as well as some from outside India.
We were welcomed by the staff, who were very warm and charming. The menu was rich, varied and typically Italian. The staff offered to help in the selection, and we relied on them, as we always do when a place inspires confidence. And we did well. Our evening opened up with a mixed appetizer with minestrone soup, salads and Parma ham with aged parmesan cheese and melon.
As a first course, we were served delicious homemade thin crust pizzas, seasoned with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella. As a second, I ordered chicken pate and risotto. The chicken pate was served with fine toast, diced raw tomatoes, and Mediterranean herbs.
After the second course, on the advice, we skipped the pasta for a delicious Tiramisu, which was also a signature dish in the menu. We had an original Italian-style Cafe latte, at the end of the dinner.
We were really pleasantly impressed by the visit to this restaurant. We struggle to remember another one among the many in Italy, which could come close to the quality and atmosphere of Da Mauro. Everything was absolutely impeccable, from the wide choice of menu, from the most common to the rare ones, the professionalism of the waiters and the quality of food that we were served.
As often it happens when something or someone draws our attention and arouses our curiosity, we decided to transform these feelings in an article. The pared-down dishes with graceful presentation and a passionate farm-to-table philosophy bring the vibrant culinary artistry to guests in a rustic township setting.
