Andiamo….more than an Italian Bistro!
When LivinQ8 were invited to try the deliciousness of a weekly seafood night at Andiamo, recently opened at the Hyatt Regency in Al Kout, Fahaheel, we jumped at the chance. Excited to try the acclaimed freshest fish in town, that certainly lived up to its name!
If you haven’t yet made the trip to Andiamo, it’s a delightful restaurant with stunning high ceilings, an open kitchen (which we simply love being totally OCD when it comes to cooking & hygiene), the walls were decorated from floor to ceiling with infused olive oils, Italian kitchen décor and there were even fresh rosemary plants on the table (yes, it was tempting to take a couple of sprigs home with us too). There really was a cool Italian bistro vibe about the place.
We were greeted with bubbles (the non-alcoholic type of course), and escorted to our table, passing by a stunning presentation of a cold seafood buffet, fresh bread station and deserts so tempting to try at the beginning of our meal!
The incredible cold seafood buffet included a cured salmon station, with all the necessary condiments, we had to try both types available, one cured with a crushed black pepper crust (which I personally loved) and the other with traditional dill, both were divine, having wonderful, smooth creamy textures, no saltiness whatsoever and simply melted in your mouth, we could have feasted all evening just on this in-house cured salmon.
The cold station had a selection of 14 different varieties of salad, from ripe avocado & shrimp, garlic mushroom & crab, octopus & red onion, calamari with coriander, tomato & a spicy vinaigrette dressing, even a fresh mussel & crab salad made an appearance. We feasted on all the above, and were amazed with the freshness of the ingredients, as we all know how awful calamari can be when its “a little old”, Andiamos calamari was a far cry from the well known “elastic band” texture!
In addition to the salads, there was salmon mousse, looking so pretty, with more fresh shrimp and even freshly made sushi & nigiri if your heart desired…..and yes, ours did too, we had to try everything!
Now, if you’re anything like us, we adore seafood, and when we can choose from a vast selection, and have it cooked just as we like, it’s a dream come true! Andiamo became our fairy God-mother, and granted us this wish! Laid out before our very eyes were mussels, crab, lobster, clams, squid, hammour, red snapper, sea bass and mackerel, and we could choose to have it grilled, fried or baked! Our selection was cooked to perfection, the fish retained its moistness, the crab and lobster sooooo succulent and the mussels simply divine.
But we didn’t stop there, you could also choose from stuffed mussels, roasted prawns, stuffed calamari & seafood gratin, and if you’re wondering if freshly roasted salmon is available…..it is indeed, and we can certainly recommend that too, especially with the creamy saffron sauce.
Now my husband, loves his risotto & pasta, and even though we had feasted on all the above, there was yet more treats in store. Imagine, fresh, creamy seafood risotto, made before your very eyes by Naser, the King of Risotto (we believe he deserves this title)! We chose our seafood selection, watched it cooked with the risotto, finished off with fresh basil and mixed within a round of parmesan padaro…it was cooked to perfection!
Did I mention my husbands love of pasta too? At this stage I had left a little room for the deserts I had been eyeing up from when I entered the restaurant, so the pasta, made to order, by charming Chef Fabrizio, was solely for him, he chose mussels, calamari & shrimp, and informed me that is was AMAZING! I have no idea how he managed to clear his plate after such a feast, but he informed me it was simply too good to waste!
Whilst my husband was devouring the pasta, I made my way back to the incredible array of desserts, there was a milk chocolate fountain (with melon, marshmellows, brownies, pineapple), individual terrains of crème brulee (which were made the traditional way, and tasted amazing) & mullabiya, fresh fruit tart (with blackberries, cantaloupe, strawberry, apple & kiwi), assorted sponge cakes, fresh fruit salad, pecan pie, and my absolute favourite desert, individual lemon meringue pie, that had a wonderful crunchy base, a tangy lemon filling with the perfect meringue topping, creamy with a crisp top!
Andiamos seafood night, certainly lived up to expectations, indeed it exceeded them. It happens just once a week, on a Thursday evening, 6pm – 9pm, and costs only 14.5KD, I know, amazing right? But not only that, if you mention LivinQ8, you get an additional 20% discount! We understand that Fahaheel may be a little far for some, but this is certainly worth the journey!
For More information and reservations please call 23931234
www.hyattregencyalkoutmall.com