Ola! It's Quattro!

The newly-opened Mexican-Italian 'ristorante' in Mankhool, Bur Dubai, cooks up fusion flavours perfectly. It's vegetarian, so no meaty cuts and bites, but make no bones about it: an outing to Quattro might make you a convert

Whenever I hear of a restaurant opening in and around Mankhool, I'm happy. It's where I live, so the more, the merrier. It was with that thought - location, location, location - in mind that I stomped off towards Quattro, that's recently secured pride of place five minutes' walking distance from my building on Kuwait Street. But it was only when I was in front of Quattro that I realised "location, location, location" had a lot more loaded nuances than what it meant for me (read: convenience). Quattro and its sibling restaurant SpiceKlub - both with parentage in Mumbai - are placed smack bang opposite the big boys of the neighbourhood: Gazebo and Kamat.
"Wow," I muttered to my dining buddy. "This place better be really good. else they'll be had for dinner."
So, there I was, already on the backfoot trying to bat for Quattro, that serves Italian-Mexican (and, by extension, for SpiceKlub, that serves molecular Indian), when we were told it's a "vegetarian" restaurant.
"Vegetarian Italian-Mexican? Hey, that'll be a first for me!" my sporting friend tried her best to be upbeat, but I could see the clouds gathering on her face (fortunately, they were the cirrus variety, not thunder clouds).
We then took out some time to scan the interiors. Quattro has a breezy, warm, cosy feel to it, lots of light - and lightness. Woody, blue and beige/white-themed. Indoor plants. Informal, yet not missing out on the 'finer' points.
It was taking some time for the food to be presented to us but, for once, I didn't mind. For one, there was a thoughtfully penned out tent card that said (roughly): "We're still finding our feet, thank you for your patience". Two, I had thoroughly enjoyable company and the conversation was turning out to be sparkling - just what one needed to get the appetite whetted.
When the food arrived, however, all table talk died down. It became all about the food. Quattro excels.
The marriage of Italian and Mexican cuisines is a fairly common one - because they tend to offset each other so well. Rustic Italian + spicy Mexican. The thread that holds them together is the simplicity of the ingredients. All very fine, but before I started digging in, I'd been a little apprehensive that there will be indiscreet desi twists given. I needn't have worried: the food stays faithful to its origins (okay, so you can order Jain versions, with no garlic or onion, but that's a different matter).
Here are the high points from an extremely satisfying dinner. Disclaimer: ours was curated by the restaurant staff, but all items are available on the menu in any case.

THE DRINKS: Frozen Strawberry Margarita - Creamy and sharp simultaneously, you can scoop it up like ice cream and "eat", or wait for it to melt and "drink". We did both. I'll take it in both forms, over and over again.
Watermelon Iced Tea - Unusual combo, I found it interesting, and I'd probably really enjoy it in summers.
The piece de resistance was the stunning Mango Basil Smoothie; the mango pulp gets a basil-y twist, and the sweetness hits the right spot. bang on.
Mint & Cucumber Mojito - Drips with freshness and citrusy tang; also, it doesn't leave a tart aftertaste that most mojitos do.

THE APPETISERS: Olive and Mushroom Crostini - You can't go wrong when you have olive and mushroom on a baguette slice. Savour the flavours.  
Formaggio di Patate - In a line-up of superstars, it's tough to call out a standout. But if I had to, it would be this one. Baby potatoes tossed in aglio olio - garlic and olive oil - topped with cheese sauce, served with scoops of soft-cheese "ice-cream". It tastes even better than it sounds.
Risotto Palle - Cream risotto and cheese dumplings, crumbed and fried, served with chilli oil pipettes, would have been another contender for the standout. Delicious. There's something wickedly good about the interplay between cheese and chilli. The (chilli) oil infusion - and I'm talking about the process - is quite a breakthrough.

THE SOUP: Soups. I hate these winter warmers. But the Mexican Tortilla and Red Beans Soup won me over. Spicy, tangy and a lovely curry-like consistency. The tortilla bits added the crunch.  

THE PIZZA: Fiama - Thin crust, stone oven-baked, with a topping of tomato sauce, mozzarella, roasted garlic and chilli flakes. Couldn't have dreamt of a better medley of taste points as this one presented. And because all of them are so basic and unpretentious, the convergence is extra special.

THE MAINS: Spinach Riso with Vegetable Paprika - One-pot comfort food of top order. Spinach-flavoured rice with vegetables in a creamy paprika sauce.
Ravioli Rose - Pasta sheets stuffed with spinach and ricotta, served with Italian plum tomatoes and cream sauce. Normally, I can't have too much of ravioli, it fills me up, but this sat easy in my system.

THE DESSERT:  We were packed to the gills. But we needed to have something to ascertain the staying power of the meal (although there was a point when I felt another Mango Basil Smoothie would be a good dessert option for me). So we tried out the Apple Lasagne - cinnamon custard cream, apple caviar, compressed apples and vanilla ice cream, all in layers, separated by a pastry sheet. It was something I'd never tasted earlier, but it seemed like a combination of the world's best apple crumble and Christmassy smells, along with the bite of the pastry sheet.
There are generous hints of molecular gastronomy evident at Quattro: for instance, the Virgin Mojito used deconstructed candy floss (lovely presentation) to sweeten the drink, but don't let a food "trend" or "experiment" lead you to Quattro. Go for the real deal - the food. It's seriously, jaw-droppingly good.
So good that, in the end, I had to eat my words about the "locational" disadvantage. Quattro might just create its own foodie hub in Dubai.
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com

• Food and Dining