Homegrown Italian ‘for you’ at Per Te

Elisha Cuthbert rightly said; “There’s nothing more romantic than Italian food”, so off we went to Per Te, to experience the romance between Italian flavors, summer ingredients and friendly hospitality.

Let’s go on this Italian journey together…

Introducing their business lunch menu along with unveiling of the seasonal summer dishes, the food tasting journey at Per Te is definitely one to remember.

Translating to ‘For You’, this homegrown Italian restaurant is accented with rustic walls and country style wooden dining furniture that highlights the very essence of Italy.

We stepped into the summery culinary journey with these geometric plates featuring freshly baked foccacia served with a side of three homemade dips – sundried tomatoes, basil pesto and arabbiata.
The flavorful, fragrant and perfectly spiced dips played ideal partner to the melt-in-your-mouth foccacia.
These pre-starters are served as a welcome bread while you wait to experience the authentic Italian menu specially prepared Per Te (for you).

The drinks at Per Te are absolutely refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon, these chilled juices are made with all natural fruit – which means no syrups and no artificial flavors. Fresh fruits are pulped in their kitchen every time you place an order. Couldn’t get more fresh, could it?

We were fortunate to get an opportunity to sample all the starters off the business menu. And the first one on the list was my all time favorite Burrata cheese served with the classics – vine tomatoes, basil and balsamic. Creamy as you expect it to be, this heart of mozzarella gives you the most indulgent experience to start off with. The freshness of the cherry tomatoes, cheese and basil shine through the dish, while the balsamic reduction cuts the creaminess in all the right places.
If there’s a starter off their business menu you need to select, the Burrata com pomodorini definitely earns a well deserved thought. I mean, seriously, could life get any better than this?

Some restaurants create every classic dish just the way it should be. Some go a step further in making the classic even better, and absolutely perfect of course! Per Te is the latter.
The Caesar salad con pollo features nothing more than the basics, but each one of them – be it the crunchy baby gem lettuce, the tender grilled chicken, the crispy garlic croutons, or the thinly sliced shaved parmesan – is as fresh as can be. And the Caesar dressing is used in just the right quantity so it doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients, instead goes hand in hand with everything in the mix to add a creamy touch.
I have tried many versions and styles of the Caesar salad, and this one really does impress. Don’t miss the lovely presentation on the black slate.

The plain old bruschetta went in for a makeover and came out looking just fab.

Per Te’s starter offering – Tris Di Bruschette features rustic homemade breads topped with three very unique ingredient combinations. Starting with the tangy and slightly bitter combination of vine tomatoes, basil pesto and rocket leaves, we move on to the sweet roasted bell peppers and ricotta cheese, and end on a hearty mountainous note of wild mushrooms and goat cheese. Curated with an individual personality, each of these bruschetta slices come together to create a perfectly balanced Italian mix.

If you’re a fan of fried food and seafood, then the Fritto Misto is for you. This loaded starter features a crispy selection of fried calamari, prawns and fish fillet, all sprinkled with rock salt and crushed pepper. They are served with a side of lemon wedge and creamy pesto mayonnaise dip.
These are quite filling so make sure you share the starter with someone or you’re going to find it difficult to finish up your main course.

It was time to indulge into the main course dishes next. This one was what I ordered. The Pollo alla cacciatora was a true summer stunner. The very hunter style braised baby chicken was served in an onion and herb flavored broth accented with squash, tomatoes and olives. The soft grilled foccacia was just right to soak up all that hearty goodness.

No Italian meal is complete without this main course classic. The Penne con pollo e funghi exceeds all expectations, thanks to the penne that’s so al denté, the chicken that’s so tender, the fresh wild mushrooms, and the creamy parmesan sauce.
You can also ask for the no-chicken version of this, and the chef will be more than happy to accommodate your requests.

Take a look at the beautifully platef Filetto di manzo con purea di patate. The lovely tender beef fillet is placed on a bed of potato puree topped with sauteed mushrooms. The ingredients come together to make this main course one wholesome dish.

The perfect seafood retreat, this Linguine con gamberi rosa e calamari is simply put, the marriage of culinary and art.
Pink prawns and baby calamari are tossed in with homemade linguine pasta and cooked with cherry tomatoes to give it that tangy twist.
The prawns are so fresh, you can taste their freshness in the sweet tender meat. And the pasta is cooked al denté.

The food photographer in me believes that Per Te is a totally ‘top-shot’ worthy place. All their dishes are so beautifully plated, it makes you think whether their chef is actually a part time artist.
But it’s not just the looks that impress. The taste goes hand in hand too. Take this Pollo alla griglia con patate al forno for example. Featuring the perfect combination of protein and carb, it brings together the classic Italian grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and an artistically layered pumpkin mash. Ahh! The beauty.

This one has a really long name but the deliciousness is totally worth it. Orecchiette con salsiccia piccante di carne combines the easy-to-eat ear shaped pasta with a meaty beef chorizo that’s spiced with chili and tossed in with cherry tomatoes and garnished with pecorino cheese.
I think by now it’s fair to say that every dish on the menu is worth a try. So either block your entire week with Per Te or take a lot of people along with you so you can try it all!

Here’s a sneak peek into some of their summer dishes. Did you know? Per Te is one of the very rare places that serves the authentic Italian Paccheri pasta. Famous among their Italian visitors, this tube shaped pasta is cooked al denté with Burrata, tomato and basil.

Mixed tomato salad with Burrata cheese

Red Snapper

Time to start with the third course of this absolutely deliciously Italian business lunch.
Everytime I eat at an Italian restaurant, I feel it’s important to keep atleast one dish constant and Tiramisu plays that role really well.

Served on a beautiful wooden board with Per Te cocoa dusting, this dessert takes you on a creamy adventure.
Savoiardi biscuits soaked in strong espresso form the moist base which is topped with creamy and sweet whipped mascarpone cheese and garnished with cocoa dust and a wide chocolate swirl. So classic, so perfect.

I’d like to call this the road to indulgence, of course, with all that belt presentation going on!
Chocolate fondant has always been my favorite. Call it my go-to dessert or comfort food or sinful indulgence, there’s nothing that beats a well made fondant. In one of my previous fondant posts, I had mentioned how important it is that the fondant is prepared fresh so the outside is just firm enough to hold the melted chocolate goodness inside. And lo and behold, Per Te perfected it and how!
One spoon into this delicious Fondente al cioccolato and you can see the melted warm dark chocolate oozing out. Paired with the sweet and cold vanilla ice cream, every spoonful is a bite of heaven.
Let’s not forget how beautifully this dessert is plated. The pistachio crusted chocolate belt gives this fondant a luxurious touch. And the chocolate garnish on the vanilla adds a sophisticated finesse.
Order this. Please. You have to.

The plating at Per Te just keeps on impressing me. The Torta di ricotta all ‘italiana, their version of cheesecake is served with a raspberry coulis and lots of pretty things around. So delicious. So picture perfect.

A part of their seasonal menu and yet another beautifully plated dessert, this Panna cotta con frutti di bosco is a true summer stunner. Featuring creamy traditional Italian Pannacotta, it is topped with mixed berry coulis and garnished with caramel straws.

If it requires me to be a part of the picture, it has to be something extraordinary right?

Well, this dessert sure is. The Semifreddo is the very stylish semi frozen dessert which is a homemade specialty at Per Te. Made with a creamy vanilla base, it is topped with mixed berries and an unexpectedly sweet balsamic dressing. The nutty topping adds a comforting flavor that satisfies more than just a sweet tooth (For the record, I am not a sweet tooth person). The cherry, or rather caramel on top of this dessert, are undoubtedly the caramel straws that complete the desginer Italian look. Picture perfect (the girl in the pic too)!