IT'S-A NICE-A PLACE!

Cafe Italia is rated by many diners as one of the kingdom's sleekest eating-out venues and its phenomenal popularity continues to grow. Editor Stan Szecowka looks at how the 'new kid on the block' has become the place to be, and be seen at, in such a short space of time.

SITUATED in Adliya, amidst an array of excellent fine food restaurants, this particular establishment oozes class from the moment you step through the door.

And thanks to award-winning executive chef Twedi Martatna the dishes are just as good. To ensure CafŽ Italia keeps pushing the boundaries of excellence he has just introduced a brand new menu for connoisseurs of culinary delights.

Without wishing to upset the Italian ambassador to Bahrain, which this writer has done in the past, one cannot under-estimate the delights of this country's cuisine even if modern Italy nowadays has other things on its stylish plate to boast about.

Chef Twedi has 13 years' experience in the industry and attained his diploma in food production at the age of 19.

He started his career as an apprentice at the Best Western Berjaya Langkawi resort in Malaysia, gained further experience with Carnival Cruise Line in charge of the saucier section - the main job when it comes to making any kind of meat and sauce dish.

He was a part of the opening team of Hyatt Regency Bandung banquet and Asian kitchens and was snapped up to take charge of the Western Production Kitchen at the Borobudur Intercontinental in Jakarta before falling under the spell of all things Italian.

He was appointed 'Chef the Cuisine' at Scusa, one of the world's leading Italian restaurants at the Intercontinental MidPlaza in Jakarta putting to the test experience gained at Restorante Parco Gambrinus in Italy's waterside paradise, Venice, alongside celebrated chef Adriano Zanotto.

He said: 'In Italian cuisine we have to use only the best ingredients like fresh harvest vegetables, live seafood and good quality cold pressed olive oil. And the cooking style is so simple and clear to the palate.'

After building up a roaring trade in just 10 months why introduce a new menu at this stage? According to Chef Twedi the move was motivated by the confidence regular customers had in his kitchen team.

He explained: 'After seeing the feedback from customers I decided to introduce the new menu to allow them the opportunity to explore more variety of food at CafŽ Italia.'

Perhaps the hottest dish to look out for on the new menu is the Wagyu beef which the chef describes as 'the best meat in the world'.

The meat from Japanese Wagyu cattle is renowned for its marbling characteristics and increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavour, tenderness and juiciness.

There are two options: fillet steak grilled or braised in luscious liquid costing around BD15.500 to BD30 per portion.

The main course is obviously king in most kitchens but what makes this chef special is his sweet skill. He won the gold medal in the dessert category at the MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge at Gold Coast, Australia on 2005, dazzling the judges with his mouthwatering warm chocolate cake.

This prestigious competition attracts chefs from the world's top hotels and restaurants such as BurjAlArab, Dubai, Raffles, Singapore, Ana Hotel, Japan, Grand Hyatt Shanghai, China, as well as South Korea's Grand Hilton. The competitors had the challenge of creating a menu within an hour time limit and had to cook for 40 people with just five hours preparation time.

His plan, therefore, to change the menu four times a year at CafŽ Italia should pose few problems.

So the kitchen is cooking ... and to ensure the house is in order and the ambience lives up to diners' expectations in steps Cyrus Graesslin, CafŽ Italia's general manager.

A German by nationality, he was raised in 13 countries due to his father's profession as a hotelier - he held the GM's position at Gulf Hotel between 2001 and 2004.

Cyrus spent some of his formative years here in Bahrain but finished his final year of high school in Kenya before following in his father's footsteps by pursuing a career in hospitality by attending the Hotel Management School at Les Roches in Valais, Switzerland.

After graduating he rose up the ranks of well-known five star hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, Movenpick and Rotana in supervisory and assistant manager roles, before venturing into the independent restaurant scene four years ago when he became restaurant manager of Monsoon.

In 2005, he was approached by the owners of CafŽ Italia and became one of Bahrain's youngest general managers at the age of 25 - an opportunity he has 'relished' and undertaken with a passion.

To truly appreciate the CafŽ Italia story though, you have to step back in time.

Cafe Italia first created a storm when it opened in Seef Mall in 2000 and was, and still is, one of the most popular restaurants on the island for serving authentic Italian food - made from authentic Italian ingredients brought over from Italy. Even the wood used arrives by container load every few months to fuel the traditional imported Italian oven.

Cyrus explained: 'These components were critical, because the combination of the ingredients, oven and wood create a character to the food that is impossible to duplicate with local substitutes.

'The kicker is that we were able to create authenticity at incredible value for money in a fast food/casual environment. For just a few dinars more than the greasy chicken and burger establishments upstairs, you could have a healthy, quick meal and be served at the same time as opposed to queuing up behind a legion.'

Over the past seven years, Seef Mall's success paved the way for CafŽ Italia in Adliya because people were craving the same food but in a more formal atmosphere and to have a truly quintessential Italian dining experience.

CafŽ Italia Adliya opened on February 16. Cyrus said: 'We were quite delayed because we had to ensure everything was perfect.

'Planning the menu, training the staff, putting the finishing touches on the design and interior work all took a great deal of effort and we decided to take our time with the opening because we knew first impressions were critical in the success of any restaurant establishment and we wanted to set a precedent of perfection.'

The restaurant was designed by Italian Davide Chiaverini who owns a company called Sevenplus Interiors. He has developed quite a reputation for his stunning and awe-inspiring designs and CafŽ Italia has proved to be a perfect example of his repertoire and abilities.

The theme was centered around fluidly combining classic and contemporary design and creating an open, yet inviting, cosy atmosphere.

Cyrus added: 'The restaurant itself is gargantuan, but when you sit down, you don't feel as dwarfed as you might think.

'An example of the classic contemporary theme is the chairs - the acrylic chairs (often annoyingly referred to as 'plastic garden chairs') were designed by acclaimed international designer Philippe Starck and we paired them with classical white velvet upholstered chairs and the combination is quite striking.'

In fact all the furniture, fixtures, lighting, even the flooring was imported from Italy to add authenticity to the surroundings.

With competition high in the immediate area the owners Ali Al-Sharif and Waheed Adnani, who also own Senor Paco's and Roma respectively, and their team, must be mightily pleased with the success of the venture.

Cyrus said: 'It has more than exceeded our expectations. We always set our standards high and made no compromises in any aspect of the operation but the feedback has been incredible, and the reviews have been outstanding in our favour.

'We can only hope to build upon that and continue to set the standards and that can only be achieved by constantly striving to be better and not resting on our laurels in arrogance.'

And what does the future hold?

'We are still young by industry standards and we want to focus on the basics and providing our customers with the comprehensive dining experience - service, quality dishes, superb atmosphere and all at a price that doesn't burn a hole in your pocket,' admitted Cyrus.

'Once the staff has settled down, and our chef has a real feel for the desires of the local market, we can start to focus on events - one thing that comes to mind is that CafŽ Italia would make a fantastic venue for live entertainment because of the vastness of the restaurant, the acoustics would be incredible.'

It's just a shame Pavarotti's no longer around ...