“I used to always say we’ll never open a restaurant in a mall,” chuckles Dalmia, loudly proclaiming herself as a “hypocrite”. “But malls have changed now, along the lines of what you have in Dubai, Istanbul and Italy,” she reasons. The Italian restaurant is a partnership between Dalmia and Jio World Drive. 

Diavola and Mamma-mia

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After staying away from the economic capital for years, it’s the celebrity chef’s second restaurant in the city, after Tasting Room by Diva, in a span of a little over three months. The brains behind the Diva chain of restaurants reveals she’s always admired Mumbai’s energy and work culture. “I was too much of a coward before, and didn’t want to make life more difficult by having to move around. But during COVID-19, we had to shut down three to four units in Delhi, so my workload there has halved. I’ve started spending a lot of time in Goa, and shuttling to Mumbai from there is much easier. And if I say never, it means nothing!” she admits, laughing, before flitting away to the open kitchen, around which the cosy restaurant is designed. 

The interiors of Motodo. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi, Bipin Kokate

Like Dalmia, the fare and ambience at Motodo — an acronym for mozzarella, tomato and dough — is unpretentious, hearty and wholesome. “This is not fine-dine. It’s a high-quality ingredient-driven place, that’s not intimidating,” she reminds us, nudging us to eat first, photograph later. And we yield, biting into a thin, smoky slice of Diavola (Rs 840), relishing the spicy salami topping, sharp jalapeños and stringy mozzarella. A plate of bruschetta with tomato and basil (Rs 390), and with  a dollop of pesto, roasted peppers and caramelised onions (Rs 390), is elevated by the surprising freshness, crunch and juiciness of the produce. 

As a nod to the elegant Italian flavours, the bar comprises aperitivos featuring negronis, cocktails, Italian spritzes, bellinis and wines. Our gin-forward Mamma-mia (Rs 695) offers a boozy punch of passion fruit purée and pineapple juice. It complements our next fruity escape — a heavenly agnolotti (Rs 790). The pasta, originating from Piedmont, Italy, is a sweet and slightly acidic combination of roasted pears, ricotta, burnt butter and sage. 

Chef Ritu Dalmia

Among the mains, we try risotto saffron, lamb ossobocco (Rs 990). The saffron-laced risotto alla Milanese offers a homely comfort with its sweet aroma, creamy rice and slow-cooked lamb. We wash it down with a glass of negroni erbe (Rs 895), a refreshing, bitter infusion of gin, vermouth, dry campari and herbs.

Put on your stretchy pants for dessert, because just one Diva’s classic tiramisu (Rs 540) — subtle and light as air — isn’t going to be enough. The crispy, melt-in-the-mouth bombolini (Rs 490), packed with chocolate and hazelnut ganache on a bed of runny custard, is a worthy competitor, too. We suggest you order both — especially if, like us, your Italian holiday is currently the stuff of dreams.

Opens Tomorrow 
AT Level 2, Jio World Drive, BKC, 12 pm to 1 am   
Call 8591802205