Si, Please

By David Tapley

The Saadiyat Rotana Resort and Villas is already starting to make waves (see what we did there) with a slew of exciting new dining options that include the picturesque Turtle Bay Bar and Grill, the capital’s first true gastropub, Hamilton’s, and Saadiyat Island’s first specialist Italian restaurant - Si Ristorante Italiano & Bar. FACT’s David Tapley went to get his Italian fix…

The old adage “go big or go home” immediately springs to mind as we step into the cavernous Si Ristorante Italiano & Bar on a buzzing Monday evening. Presenting a semi-rustic look, Si evokes the feeling of a traditional Italian trattoria with its simple wooden tables and tiled floor. Anchored around a central pizza oven, the dining room has the capacity for 150 covers (there’s also an ample outside terrace) with tables well-spaced allowing for a sense of intimacy, especially if you’re lucky enough to procure one of the raised booths.

Si presents a semi-rustic look, with wooden tables and tiled floors evoking the feeling of a traditional Italian trattoria.

Aside from the impressive wood-fire oven which rotates the pizzas as they cook, Si features a separate bar (ideal for a pre or post dinner drink), open show-kitchen, an appealing Mozzarella Bar (where trestles of sun-kissed tomatoes and earthy mushrooms offer just as much appeal as the cheese) and a pork room - scheduled to open during the summer. Wooden pizza paddles complete the dining environment, with children actively encouraged to sit at the pizza counter to watch the flaring of the dough and the preparation of toppings.

With so much going on in the restaurant, the menu is more simplistic with its choice of Italian home-style cooking that will be familiar to those accustomed to Rotana’s other Italian favourites - Prego’s and Rosso’s. Forgoing the fine dining setting which the majority of Abu Dhabi restaurants are currently following when it comes to Italian cuisine, Si sensibly keeps things simple with a casual and family-friendly approach via simplistic dishes with honest ingredients as the primary focus.

Our meal begins as all Italian meals should, with a rustic loaf of bread accompanied by a delightful olive tapenade, olive oil and chunks of Parmesan cheese. The bread is essential for mopping up the beautiful juices from our starter of oven-roasted messy prawns, presenting three plumb crustaceans in a buttery sauce complemented with chilli and garlic. We continue the seafood theme with two glorious tentacles of char-grilled octopus, perfectly cooked to provide a tender texture and charred flavour. Yet it’s a potato salad featuring sweet peppers and capers, and a robust citrus aioli that really work to bring the plate together.

This start of oven-roasted prawns features a buttery sauce complimented by chilli and garlic.

Intrigued by the boards of cured meats and cheeses which are a Si speciality, we gleefully tuck into the signature mozzarella tasting. Presenting three variations of mozzarella, the cow’s milk has been flown in from Italy before being processed right here in the UAE. The trio is very good; with the smoked buffalo mozzarella being of particular note for its subtle smoke infusion, though the creamy stracciatella burrata is our standout choice.

Cow's milk is flown in from Italy for the mozzarellas making up Si's signature tasting.

Unable to eat Italian without at least one slice of pizza, we found the thin and crispy hand-stretched base of the bresaola e rucola to be one of our favourites in the city. Topped with air-cured beef, an abundance of tomato, and plenty of Parmesan cheese the construction of this particular pizza allows for each individual ingredient to shine through.

The restaurant is anchored around a central wood-fired pizza oven, and the pizzas don't disappoint.

With close to fifteen pasta options on the menu, we’re drawn to the house speciality of calamarata pasta with Canadian lobster and scallops. Rings of wonderfully al-dente pasta prepared in a rich tomato sauce with lobster broth, plus pan seared lobster and scallops. It’s pleasing to see the seafood is generously dispersed throughout the pasta in a strong dish which works to further enhance the rustic concept of Si.

While the braised lamb shank doesn’t quite reach the same highs as the pasta course, the tender nature of the meat cannot be denied. Enhanced with a winning combination of orange and olives and accompanied by a hearty mashed potato that works wonderfully with the sauce, we would’ve appreciated a touch more seasoning and flavour to the meat itself.

Desserts stick firmly with the traditional and it would appear our search for a great tiramisu in Abu Dhabi might finally be over. The typically Italian dessert which layers mascarpone with coffee soaked biscuits is given the required oomph via the optional addition of Kahlua. A dense Italian doughnut also comes recommended as do the mini cannoli stuffed with ricotta, maraschino cherries and chocolate.

The delicious tiramisu at Si is a perfectly sweet way to end the evening.

As expected from the dependable Rotana brand, service at Si is friendly and the team are well versed in both the food and beverage offerings. We’re saying “Si” to this new Italian opening on Saadiyat Island! For not only does it work as a showcase for Italian classics executed to the highest of standards but also for the Saadiyat Rotana as a dining destination in itself. We’ll “Si” you there. ✤

Go: Visit Si Ristorante & Bar at Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas. Call (0)2 697 0000 for reservations and more information.