Ci Gusta, Ci Gusta, Ci Gusta– heard a lot about this place from fellow foodies and food bloggers but failed to pay a visit to this restaurant; many have claimed in their review- Ci Gusta has been consistently delivering quality Italian food experience. I must admit that the plan to visit Ci Gusta has always slipped through my mind, up until a few weeks ago. Nazeef and Arijit started talking about this burger festival going on in Ci Gusta and that they were planning to visit soon. Unfortunately, I was working the night shift and so they went ahead without me.
Next day at work they couldn’t stop talking about the burgers served at Ci Gusta- more than the excitement of this good news, I was furious that they experienced it and I did not. Since then I had made up my mind to visit Ci Gusta as soon as possible, especially after hearing the festival concludes on Jan 31st. Long story short, I visited the Madhapur outlet today for dinner, to finally experience the burger festival.
Ci Gusta is located less than 1/2 a mile from the busy Jubilee Hills Rd no 36- there is no way that you will miss the catchy logo. The ambiance is simple but elegant and so was the interior décor. Unlike many, who have visited this restaurant for the authentic Italian food, I am here to taste the burgers. I would not consider this a thorough review of their restaurant but the food festival alone. As soon as I walked in- I noticed that my family friends had already started tasting the burgers.
To drink, my friend Nazeef ordered a Piña colada for me- which I must say was extremely refreshing, possibly one of the best I have tasted in recent times. Having said that, without further a-do we quickly ordered the burgers. Here is my take on each of them-
Triple Decker- 3 3′ Oz spicy chicken patties, 3 cheeses, chilli cream and caramelized onion.
The burger was juicy, delicious- not to mention the trifecta of the spicy chicken, the caramelized onion and the cheese was heavenly.
Next, was the lamb and cumin burger.
Pulled lamb (the word pulled lamb itself is soo mouth watering)- makes me think of the pulled pork which I tasted at Buffalo Wings, CA.
Sorry, I got carried away- Pulled Lamb meat, tzatziki (a Greek sauce, tastes similar to coleslaw) with notes of cumin.
Another insanely delicious burger, the taste of cumin was not overpowering but was elemental in the overall taste of the burger. Loved it.
Last and my favourite of all the above favourites- Lamb Meatloaf!
Peanut butter, pickle, sharp cheddar and curry hints.
I never imagined the combo of peanut butter and meatloaf, let alone know how it tasted.
But it was lip smacking.. The flavour of peanut butter, pickle, cheddar with the hint of curry was incredibly delicious.
I would have loved to have another portion of this but had to make way for dessert.
For Dessert, again based on Nazeef’s recommendation; we ordered Crème brûlée.
Perfectly executed- caramel layer was just hard enough for a spoon to shatter through.
The custard was soft and baked brilliantly (melt in the mouth types).
What a food experience- I understand now ,why Nazeef and Arijit couldn’t stop talking about the burgers- they were downright amazing. Service was prompt and our server was courteous. Initially when we sat down, there was an issue with the Air Condition which kind of made me sweat a little (I cannot accept this until and unless its because of spicy food)- but otherwise there wasn’t anything to point out. Also the ‘Burger Fest‘ menu mentioned that all the burgers are to be served with house pickle and Tapioca chips- instead of the latter we received French fries- but then again, I can do with that too.
This was my first burger festival and I must say,I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that all my foodie friends who haven’t visited- Please hurry, only 5 days to go!
As for coming back? Definitely, the next time around, I plan to visit Ci Gusta for their speciality- Italian Cuisine (especially the Gelato). Who knows? With the kind of food served today, Ci Gusta could very well make it to Gulp ‘n’ Munch’s You Gotta Eat Here list.
