Bianca - Authentic Italian
Authenticity is hard to come by these days but Bianca delivers this in spades at it's newly opened venue at the Beach, JBR. With a chef hailing from Naples this is proper Italian done the right way.
The restaurant styling is easy going, open and airy. Filled with lots of white and earthy wooden tones it is very appealing and provides a nice little contemporary rustic feel.
Re-purposed, pasta sauce bottles hang from the ceiling as light fixtures, and contrasts nicely with their black suspension cables. While the enormous wall of Parmigiano-Reggiano and semi open kitchen offer some immediate gravitas that this is a bonafide Italian destination - and it shows.
The food is simply outstanding.
Of-course, it wouldn't be a proper Italian meal if some bread didn't come out and not to disappoint, no less than 4 types of wonderful, soft and warm bread was offered along with some truly excellent olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The Octopus Salad Starter (54 AED) is a very good sized portion and is presented with cherry tomatoes, boiled potatoes and a lovely home made marinade.
Bianca offers quite a large menu, running through all the classics from cheeses, to salads and mains and given the execution of the meals so far, it is clear from the get go that another visit is in order.
Anyway, as we proceed with the salad, the pastas are brought out cooked to perfection - al dente. The Penne Allo Scarpariello (48 AED) is a good size and smells beautiful with all the aromas of fresh basil, chili, garlic and cheese. The Vongole while slightly different to versions previously experienced, is also very, very nice.
As if this wasn't enough, a Diavola Pizza (62 AED) was on its way and when it arrives it looks the part. With the dough made in house it is soft yet crisp and the toppings perfectly balanced. It's melt in the mouth stuff and not at all stodgy and filling, it's the way real pizza is meant to be.
By this time it's clear that we've stuffed ourselves silly on some of the best Italian we've had in a long, long time in Dubai so there's regrettably no room for dessert but this only provides a convenient excuse to make another visit. Bottom line, if you want to try some truly authentic Italian fare that hits the spot without breaking the bank then you simply can't go wrong at Bianca.
*Note. The venue has now closed down :(
