MATTO – Italian with a little twist

Quite contrasting to the otherwise glam Oberoi, MATTO, a home-grown Italian casual diner opens up their hearts to guests through classic Italian recipes with a touch of fusion, high quality ingredients and positive vibes. MATTO takes hospitality very seriously, and makes you feel Italian in every aspect, whether it is the use of recipes from the Chef’s grandma’s kitchen, or the wooden table setting, or the rustic industrial interior décor and the zesty ambiance.

This fully licensed restaurant located in The Oberoi, Business Bay features a chic bar and an extensive wine cellar along with some quirky accents like the scooter model that doubles up as DJ station. Talking of the DJ, the music is really upbeat and I wouldn’t be surprised if the restaurant transformed into a dance floor by late evening. There is so much of contemporariness at MATTO. It’s like a breath of fresh air, entering the Dubai nightlife with high spirits (pun intended).

       

Salmone Carpacci

We started with a selection of antipasti at MATTO, and the first one was Salmone Carpacci, or more commonly known as salmon carpaccio. This raw specialty featured salmon that is marinated for 24 hours. It is this extensive marinade time which cuts through the rawness of the fish and makes it so succulent. The carpaccio was further enhanced with a contemporary asparagus salad and lime chives yogurt dressing.

Found this off-beat? The next dish presents a slightly more off-beat attitude while also being totally arty!

Tortino Di Carciofi

This might come across as a little off-beat, but then MATTO is all about classic Italian food with a little mischief on the side. Maybe I am using the word exceptional too early, because there are loads more such ‘exceptional’ items from MATTO’s menu coming your way, but that shouldn’t take away the spotlight from this Tortino Di Carciofi.

Wrapped in filo pastry, this artichoke and asparagus mousse is presented much like a cake, its creaminess intensified with pecorino cream cheese and a drizzle of balsamic on the top. Bringing together such exquisite ingredients and creating such a wonderful dish out of it, this could only be called art.

Next one was a little basic and one of the all-time favorite Italian classics.

Parmigiana

After all those contemporary starters, it was time for something more classic. And we found comfort in this Italian favorite Parmigiana at MATTO. Served in a bake dish, there was something so simple yet sophisticated about this dish, it has something I could just keep having for the rest of the evening.

Eggplants, which make the heart and soul of this dish are sliced and layered with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, basil and parmesan cheese.
Although I know a lot of people who hate eggplants, this dish would be a good start since the flavor of eggplants is almost masked by the other ingredients. It’s more like a meat-free lasagna, where the eggplant gives you enough meatiness in every mouthful.

Diavola & Bufalina

You cannot go to an Italian restaurant and not have their pizzas. It was colors galore in the pizza selection at MATTO. We already now how top notch their ingredients are. These pizzas just take it a step further by being absolutely fresh, feathery light and so so delicious. One of the things I hate as well as love about pizzas is their base. Hate it thick, love it thin. And trust me, MATTO has one of the lightest thinnest pizzas in town.

The pizza pictured on top is Diavola, which comes with the classic toppings of mozzarella and tomato as well as some spicy beef salami.
The bottom right pizza is the signature in most pizzerias and my all time favorite – Bufalina. There’s something about This pizza that just makes you feel accomplished. Whether it’s the creamy buffalo mozzarella, the tart tomato or the aromatic basil – or the fact that they make such an amazing trio, this one should definitely be on your must have list.

Gnocchi Bolognese

After pizza comes pasta. And ours was the best. The picture might not do justice to how delicious this pasta at MATTO really was, so I’ll just make an attempt with words. The Gnocchi Bolognese brought together the wonderfully soft and cheesy ricotta dumplings topped with hot beef ragout cooked in Bolognese sauce and garnished with crispy parmesan flakes.

The ricotta cheese is prepared in-house which gives the gnocchi a very fresh taste. If you eat beef, then make sure you don’t miss out on this one’s
We tried another specialty which is great for vegetarians, called the Melanzane & Burrata. As the name suggests, it had my favorite Burrata cheese of the Apulian variety which instantly connected with my taste buds. The pasta used was a lesser known and authentic Italian Paccheri tossed with fried eggplants in a cherry tomato sauce. No matter which one you choose, have one of them at least. And you’re welcome 🙂

Stinco Di Agnello

We were almost content with the pizzas and pastas, but little did we know we have one more main course to go at MATTO.
I am sure I must have made a fleeting mention a few times of how I prefer lamb in a minced form as compared to the actual meat. But this lamb shank, like a few others, changed my outlook.

The lamb shank in Stinco Di Agnello is slow cooked for 36 hours. This allows it to get so tender, it just falls off the bone. Bathed in gremolata sauce, it is served on a bed of creamy parmesan risotto, which I just loved.

MATTO Rock

It was time for desserts, and we had not one, not two, not even three, but four desserts.

First up we had the very creative MATTO Rock. This came with a praline infused creamy center coated with a hazelnut crust. It was like an oversized version of a Ferrero Rocher, which by the way is one of the very few chocolates that I love.

Sicilian Cannoli

Second on the list was the famous Sicilian Cannoli. This was filled with contrasting flavors of sweet ricotta cheese, nutty pistachios and bittersweet cocoa powder.

Striscette

Third, we tried the Striscette which featured extremely soft and lightly fried doughy strips served with everyone’s favorite Nutella. I would go back to MATTO just for these. And order nothing but these.

Dammi Un Vaso

Finally, we had a dessert that stole my heart. The Dammi Un Vaso started with meringue, followed by a layer of berry mouse. This was topped with shortbread and lotus biscuit. I don’t know why, I felt there was some coconut in it. And given my love for this dessert, I wouldn’t want to think otherwise.

Go to MATTO and try out any or all of these. Don’t forget to tell me which one was your favorite!

MATTO

Location: The Oberoi Hotel, Lobby Level, Business Bay, Dubai
Contact: 04 4441335