Taste of Italy

Tabula Rasa, Hyderabad 

The Basics - Cards not accepted, no bar, lovely Italian food, good and quick service, lovely ambiance. 

The Address - Road #35, Jubilee Hills. Next to Blue Cross

The Verdict - Do not miss

Previously known as Syala, the new Tabula Rasa is a great addition to Hyderabad's thriving Italian food culture. The word Tabula rasa is Latin for "blank slate". The restaurant is owned by a Vizag born lad, who also happens to own the chic FSM Cafe - Flying Spaghetti Monster Cafe. 

Currently under construction, one section of the restaurant is cordoned off. The entrance is make-do and the upside down door is artsy. The outdoor seating is perfect for a lovely Italian dinner here but if you don't mind Hyderabad's hot days, it makes for an afternoon well spent. 

All my claustrophobic readers can breath a sign of relief - the wooden tables are huge, spacious, neat and overall, very comfortably accommodated my party of seven. The older crowd may find the benches and wooden chairs slightly uncomfortable but I didn't have any problem. 

We started off our meal with a few refreshing mocktails to provide us with some relief from the sunny Saturday. We went on to starters and seamlessly moved over to a main course of pizzas and pastas. 

Here's a breakdown of what we ordered along with our opinions. 

Bacon wrapped mozerlla cheese - unlike the usual bacon wrapped prawn or chicken, the bacon isn't fried and crispy. It was soft, almost as if it was steamed with cubes of mozerlla cheese melting from the inside and in my mouth. Unfortunately we couldn't order seconds as the kitchen had run out of cheese. 

Vegetable/cheese garlic bread - the garlic bread here isn't what you would normally expect. It's a flat sandwich filled with vegetables and cheese. The freshly baked bread is soft and thick and the filling melts in your mouth. Personally, I preferred the vegetable garlic bread. Don't get me wrong, the cheese garlic bread was no where near bad. It oozed of cheese and every bite was like a burst of mozerlla in my mouth. It was however slightly bland but the chili flakes, Tabasco and oregano on the table make up for it. 

Bruschetta - I was rather disappointed with the bruschetta but in all fairness it was not chef recommended. The bread crumbled and wasn't baked to perfection. Although the right amount of vinegar and salt was used, something was missing. The tomatoes were finely cut but did not enhance the overall taste of this starter. I'm not sure if I would order it again. 

Caper bruschetta - a much better version of the above mentioned bruschetta is this caper bruschetta. Made of bell peppers, red and yellow, the chef's secret recipe will not disappoint. It's a perfect starter for all you vegetarians! 

Pepperoni pizza - it's your usual thin crust pepperoni pizza with lots of cheese. While there isn't anything out-of-the-world about it, there's definitely nothing wrong with it either. If you like pizza, order it or choose from their many other pizza options. You can also opt to make your pizza with one side vegetarian and the other with meat. The vegetarian pizza with olive, jalapenos and sun dried tomatoes was also to die for! 

Vodka bacon pasta - Definitely fattening, this pasta meal is probably not the best option for those on a diet. Nevertheless, it was one of the best pastas I've eaten. Loads of crispy bacon, a pasta of your choice and a lovely cheesy sauce make up this dish. The sauce is not watery but perfect in its consistency. Going by this experience, I wouldn't hesitate to order any other pasta from their menu.

The bomb - similar to molten lava cake, the restaurants most popular dessert disappointed me. I suppose I expected too much from it but regardless, it didn't offer something extrodinary - it lacked originality. The cake was fluffy and the vanilla ice cream on the side with chocolate sauce was well, expected. However, if you have a sweet tooth and if you love chocolate, how can you possibly go wrong with this?

Blueberry cheesecake - as my family is very fondly nicknamed "chocoholic" we were slightly reluctant to order a cheesecake, and moreover, a blueberry cheesecake for dessert. On the owners' insistence we decided to get one anyway. Surprisingly this is one of the best blueberry cheesecakes I've eaten. 

As for drinks we Nojitho, Eye of the tiger, and Pinacolada. While the pina colada and nojitho were perfect with their lime, sugar and coconut, I found the eye of the tiger to be a tad bit too sweet. I'm sure you'll love it though!

While here, make sure to talk to the lovely owner, Ajay, who happens to own a chic Italian restaurant in Vizag. Ask for his advice on what to order, he's got good taste in food and will ensure you have a good time dining here! 

What's hot - Bacon wrapped mozerlla 

What's not - Bruschetta 

Your Foodista