Brio: In pursuit of authentic Italian cuisine
Brio stands out with its handmade pasta, spaghetti, 72-hour pizza dough, and fresh ingredients like local mozzarella and imported parmesan
From the outside, you would never guess it is a restaurant.
There is no flashy sign board or any over-the-top décor announcing its presence. The only subtle hint is a small Italian flag fluttering discreetly.
Yet, inside this understated building lies Brio, the city's newest authentic Italian restaurant, a hidden gem that thrives on exclusivity.
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Ali Arsalan, the co-founder of Brio, prefers it this way. "I believe in the power of word-of-mouth over mainstream branding," he said.
Arsalan is no stranger to Dhaka's food scene, bringing over a decade of experience to the table. He co-founded the beloved Izumi and was previously a partner at the iconic Holey Artisan. His reputation precedes him, but this time, he has set his sights on bringing a truly authentic Italian dining experience to the city.
"Most of the city's so-called Italian eateries served a somewhat localised version of the cuisine. My vision was to create a restaurant where, if an Italian were to dine here, they'd feel a connection close to home."
When he decided to venture into Italian cuisine, Arsalan left no stone unturned. He brought in an Italian consultant based in Thailand, an expert in authentic Italian food, to ensure that Brio offers nothing less than the real deal.
After conducting a thorough survey of Dhaka's existing Italian restaurants, the team discovered a recurring trend.
"Most of the city's so-called Italian eateries served a somewhat localised version of the cuisine. My vision was to create a restaurant where, if an Italian were to dine here, they'd feel a connection close to home," said Arsalan.
This realisation fueled Arsalan's vision to stand out by staying true to the local flavours of Italy. Hence, he is very particular when it comes to recipes or ingredient sourcing.
At Brio, handmade pasta and spaghetti are prepared fresh daily. But the dough used for pizzas undergoes a three-day process.
"On the first day, the dough is kneaded and left to rest. On the second day, it's taken out, kneaded again, portioned, and rested further. Finally, on the third day, it's ready for baking," Arsalan explained.
Brio produces only 60 pizza doughs per day.
"It means the number of pizzas we sell every day is limited. We can't instantly make a pizza as it needs 72 hours of preparation," he added.
Brio uses fresh, handmade local mozzarella and burrata cheese sourced by a personal vendor. For parmesan, they go the extra mile by importing 40-kilogram wheels of the finest parmesan cheese directly from Italy.
The restaurant also bakes fresh focaccia every day. It has a wood fire oven in its kitchen. The entire kitchen is open to customers, and anyone can visit and see the process if they want to.
For the food tasting, we went with the chef's recommendation. The meal started with complimentary fresh baked focaccia with butter. We had the focaccia with Burrata Caprese Salad.
The salad was a simple one. A plate full of goodness of fresh burrata cheese and cherry tomato, with a drizzle of pesto and olive oil. They also served Calamari Fritti as a starter. Although the calamari rings were not very big, they were fresh. The portion was generous, and we loved the crispy batter, too.
Next, we tried the popular Aglio Olio Seafood, one of the bestsellers. The handmade angel hair spaghetti was al dente, tossed with shrimp, parsley, and garlic-infused olive oil. The dish was unpretentious, flavourful, and incredibly satisfying, and I would christen it a comfort meal.
For the grand finale, we tasted the Carnivora Pizza. The 72-hour preparation of the pizza dough was evident in every bite. The crust was impeccably thin, soft, yet crispy — a texture nothing short of perfection. The tangy, fresh tomato sauce complemented the medley of proteins (sausage, beef bacon, and beef pepperoni) beautifully.
We ended the meal with the Nutella Semifreddo. While visually appealing, the dessert leaned a bit too much on the sweeter side and fell short of expectations, coming across as somewhat average for my taste.
RATINGS
Burrata Caprese Salad
Price: Tk1,590
Rating: 7/10
Calamari Fritti
Price: Tk990
Rating: 8/10
Aglio Olio Seafood
Price: Tk 1,390
Rating: 7/10
Carnivora Pizza
Price: Tk 1,690
Rating: 8.5/10
Nutella Semifreddo
Price: Tk390
Rating: 6.5/10
