June 2, 2005

There seems to be at least one restaurant or cafe opening at Zamzama every month, leaving one wondering how so many of them are managing to stay in business in these times of inflation and rising prices.

Most of them are, admittedly, high-end eateries catering to a select clientele, but with such a vast variety of outlets to choose from one feels they must surely have a difficult time luring and hanging on to their customers. Nonetheless, there seems to be no stopping new eateries from joining the fold, a case in point being the new entrant, Limoncello.

The striking point about this restaurant is its unique touches. To begin with its very facade is unusual — glass doors that have broken pieces of coloured glass compressed within them revealing an unusual hanging light behind — giving an inkling of the elegant decor within.

With non-smoking seating on the ground floor accommodating 10 people, the interior is dramatically simple with stark off white corrugated walls on the right and peach walls to the left. The only decorative elements in the room are a panelling of marble lit from behind on the peach wall and a wooden-and-glass partition similar in style to the entrance door. There are no paintings or decoration pieces.

Concealed lights accentuate the slender vases and glass candlestands on the dining tables. A spiral staircase leads to the first floor where about 30 people can be seated.

The menu is not very diverse and comprises basically Italian cuisine.

However, where the restaurant lacks in variety it more than makes up for in quality. To whet our appetites, two types of complimentary bread, one with black olives and the other with sun-dried tomatoes were served, accompanied by butter. As they were fresh from the oven they were delicious.

Another interesting, and indeed unusual starter, served on the house is Gazpacho soup — a cold soup of avocado, tomatoes and garlic served in little glasses.

From the soup selection on offer, minestrone, and the potato and onion soup were tried. Both soups are amazing and definitely worth trying. From the assortment of appetizers available, we opted for chicken liver on the recommendation of the waiter, and found it to be delightful. Wrapped in smoked turkey it leaves you yearning for more. However, we found our other side order — that of mushroom and onions — nothing to write home about.

Since fresh juices were available, we decided to try the falsa and apple juice and found them excellent. The falsa juice is pulpy and although would have tasted even better if chilled, it is a welcome change from the diluted version normally served at most places.

A friend opted for tiger prawns with spinach wrapped in chicken and was not disappointed. A succulent dish, it was served with a delicate sauce comprising olive oil, garlic and citrus juice.

Two of us opted for red snapper grilled in lemon, basil and rosemary, served with honey-roasted vegetables and sauteed bell pepper. A culinary treat, it is mild in taste and juicy and should be the ideal order for fish lovers.

The grilled chicken is excellent too, sauteed in garlic, herbs, lemon and vinegar and the portion served is quite generous. In fact, the only disappointing item on the menu were the chops, which turned out to be the regular breaded and deep-fried kind and quite uninspiring.

Before we could sample our desserts, complementary lemon sorbet was served to wash our taste buds. Chilled and strong, it comes as a welcome surprise at the end of the meal.

Two kinds of desserts are on offer — tiramisu and warm chocolate almond tart served with ice cream. We opted for the latter, and although it turned out to be a warm piece of chocolate brownie, we found it to be quite delicious.

The service is quick, courteous and attentive without becoming overpowering. All in all a worthwhile experience, and although by no means inexpensive, a classy option for a formal meal.

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