Galle gets a taste of Italy
View(s):
Owners and guests:from left, Paolo Gavioli, Ian Fernández, Rangana Chandrasena, Roberto Vicario, Saera Ismail, Lakshitha Vithanage, Shihan Condagamage and Niranka Perera
Paolo Gavioli, Ian Fernández and Roberto Vicario first came to Sri Lanka a decade ago and watched the country transform as they returned over the years. The Galle Fort captured their imagination the most – wandering through its cobbled streets they were strongly reminded of small Italian villages or ‘borghi’ back home, where classic architecture sets the stage for incredible Italian cuisine. In May, the trio opened their first Sri Lankan venture – AQUA Forte in Galle Fort’s residential Leyn Baan Street presenting authentic Italian food paired with the finest of wines.
In July the restaurant had VVIP guests, none other than Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe. A personalized four-course menu was created by Chef Roberto Vicario, the restaurant’s Executive Chef and Managing Director.
Other guests included Deputy Ambassador of Italy Allegra Baistrocchi, Mr and Mrs Mohan Selvaraj, Deepal Wickremasinghe, Raveen Wickremasinghe, Gratiaen Prize 2018 winner Arun Welandawe Prematilleke, Niranka Perera, Mr. and Mrs. Nilanga De Alwis and Mr. and Mrs. Suresh Perera.
New on Leyn Baan Street: AQUA Forte
Everything on the menu is handmade daily in the Aqua Forte kitchens. The bread is baked daily, including the pasta rolled fresh -also daily- for classic tagliatelle and deliciously unctuous ravioli or tortellini. All ingredients are sourced fresh when available locally or flown in from Italy.
Guests may begin their dining experience with refined antipasti selections such as Carpaccio di Zucchine (zucchini carpaccio with truffle oil, pistachio crumble and ricotta cheese mousse) or Baccala Mantecato alla Veneziana (Venetian style cod with extra virgin olive oil on grilled polenta). The classic notes of Italian cuisine ring true in the pasta (‘Primi’) section, paired with the finest quality premium ingredients – Ravioli alla Norma (ravioli stuffed with eggplants, ricotta and pecorino cheese with fresh cherry tomato sauce) and Tagliatelle al Ragu di Coniglio (tagliatelle with rabbit ragu), for example. Guests can eschew the traditional carbs in favour of main courses like Polpo alla Barese (octopus sous vide with smoked potato puree, parsley powder and dry black olives) or Porchetta e Peperoni (rolled pork belly with herbs served with roast bell pepper salad and crispy crackling). For ‘dolci’ (dessert) go classic – tiramisu, panna cotta, Trio di Cioccolato e ricotta, and a fun selection of gelatos and sorbets await.
Each dish could be paired with wine from AQUA Forte’s impressive wine cellar housing a curated collection from Italy’s diverse wine regions. Non-alcoholic options include premium Italian waters, soft drinks, a selection of freshly pressed fruit juices and Illy coffee.
An Italian favourite: Involtini di pollo con funghi porcini” – Chicken and cabbage roll stuffed with porcini mushrooms.
The restaurant’s spacious dining area seats 60, including a separate dining room on the upper floor that can accommodate 25.
Designed by Team Architrave led by Principal Architect Madhura Prematilleke, the restaurant is perfect for intimate, sophisticated meals. The dress code remains casual. “Our guests are here to experience a real Italian dining experience and that means they should be relaxed and comfortable. We strongly believe in this philosophy when it comes to the food we serve as well. After all, Italian cuisine is so charming because it can be both sophisticated and hearty at once,” says Chef Roberto.
The three friends are investing further- a small luxury boutique villa called AQUA Villa with annex restaurant AQUA Pazza will open in Midigama later this year. They are convinced that Sri Lanka will bounce back stronger than ever from recent events. “Sri Lanka is so beautiful, we’ll always return and know others will too.”