Evviva: Breeze of Southern Italy in the heart of Dhaka
Located in the capital’s Banani 11, a street popular among foodies and shoppers, the entire restaurant is adorned with hues of soft blue with white-themed seats, exuding coastal charm
An area historically known for its scenic routes and harbouring a diverse blend of Arab, Greek, and Spanish cultures, Southern Italy aka Mezzogiorno is popular among epicureans for the freshest food and vegetables cultivated along the countryside. For many of us, expecting the same in Dhaka, the most densely populated city in the world, is quite utopian. But lo and behold, quite ironically on one of the busiest streets of Dhaka, resides Evviva Italian Ristorante — a contemporary fine dining, offering a blend of serenity and exquisite cuisine of Southern Italy.
Evviva started its journey last December. Located in the capital's Banani 11, a street popular among foodies and shoppers, the entire restaurant is adorned with hues of soft blue with white-themed seats, exuding coastal charm. Paintings of the Italian seaside hanging here and there are also soothing for the eyes. A Pinterest-y vibe, if I may call it, is there to cheer up guests surely.
Staying true to the advertised aesthetics, a faux lemon tree will grab your attention upon entering the premises.
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"Lemon trees are one of the most common sights in Naples, a coastal city in Italy. While designing the interior, I tried to incorporate as many feel-good factors of Southern Italy as possible," said Sera Monira, the owner of Evviva.
Sera studied Biological and Biomedical Science at the University of Guelph in Canada. After finishing her undergrad, she wanted to learn the technical aspects of the restaurant business. Hence, she further did a post-graduation in Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Management from Centennial College School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.
"I always wanted to be a restaurateur. It will allow me the utmost freedom to unleash my creativity. This is why I spent a generous amount of time in my life working in restaurants in different countries and gathered a fair share of experience," she said.
Curating a restaurant menu is nothing short of an art and Sera did a wonderful job in that department. She blended authentic Italian cuisine with contemporary demands. "While working on the menu, I paid careful attention to Bengali taste buds and tried to recreate the recipes accommodating the flavours. Italians do not do chicken much, but I tried to incorporate chicken in many items as they cater to our food preference," she added.
The Business Standard team has tried some of the chef-recommended dishes at Evviva. The ratings are based on the author's gastronomic experience of trying various cuisines around the world.
50 shades of Yum
99 layer Lasagna, the most ordered item on the menu, is one of the in-house specialties of Evviva. It is a fine slice from a big batch consisting of 50 layers of handmade lasagna sheets and 49 layers of meat sauce, bechamel, and mozzarella in between.
Unlike traditional lasagna in a ceramic baking tray, the 99 Layer Lasagna was served on a plate, on a bed of bolognese and meat sauce. The consistency of each layer was about perfect, we loved the crispy edges of the hand-rolled pasta sheets.
"Since the lasagna is a massive pile, if we put too much sauce between the sheets, it will break apart while cutting. The additional sauce is how we make up for that," said Sera.
Price: Tk999
Rating: 8/10
Wood-fired pizza, anyone?
All of the pizzas by Evviva are made in Neapolitan style and cooked in a custom-made wood-fired pizza oven. The kitchen is an open one; from spreading the dough to putting it in the oven, we witnessed the entire pizza-making process.
Evviva has a handful of options of veg and non-veg pizzas. Since we wanted to try a non-veg one, Sera suggested Poco Pillante, one of her skilful creations.
The dough was very tender, light, and moist at the same time. The romesco sauce — not so sweet, not so sour — brought harmony to the pizza, complementing all the toppings (spicy chicken, mozzarella, olives, and red pepper) perfectly. Overall, the pizza was a delight.
Price: Tk1,199
Rating: 8.5/10
Mellow time
Gnocchi Arrabiata was the most colourful, appetising, pillowy soft potato pasta we tasted there and the decoration was a visual treat to the eyes. 'Arrabiata' is an Italian word that means angry. Arrabbiata sauce is a spicy sauce made of tomatoes cooked with chilli pepper.
Soaked in the aromatic arrabbiata sauce, the gnocchi was made of potato and was perfectly cooked, not too soggy, not too hard. The mozzarella cubes melted in the mouth. I could sense the richness of truffle oil and pesto in each chomp.
The best part of this dish was the sun-dried cherry tomatoes, and every bite of it was delectable. The spice level was just perfect, and overall the dish was a pleasant and fulfilling one.
Price: Tk899
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasty tentacles
A whole small-sized octopus surfing above the rock bed of potato cubes, pretty much that was the dish. The contrast of the key ingredients was quite interesting.
The potato salad was served cold while the grilled octopus was warm. The romesco sauce and fragrant herbs complemented everything gracefully.
We loved the salad part, the potatoes were perfectly boiled and melted effortlessly in the mouth. However, the octopus tasted a little bland and under-salted.
Price: Tk799
Rating: 7/10
Evviva Italian Ristorante
Level 6, House 50, Block-C, Banani 11, Dhaka 1212
