Everybody loves a good pizza, except, perhaps, our wallets! It’s this oft-repeated refrain that Onesta, the city’s newest pizza chain attempts to address, offering quality, affordably-priced fair - and if the stream of families ambling in is anything to go by, it’s working! The chomp-happy Indian family gets an unlimited meal of pizzas for a prize that makes the huts and corners cringe, literally! And rightly so, because we’ve been paying far too much!
Onesta is the brain child of Sona Yadav, director, Brown House Baking Private Limited and her husband, Kayum Khanani. Onesta, Sona says, was founded on a simple principle: a passionate baker cooking for her friends!
“Our dough is lighter, so with the unlimited package, we encourage our guests to eat more. And enjoy more.” With Chef Armando di Filippo from Rome joining the team in 2016, with 30 years of experience under his belt, it’s plain to see the rigour and verve with which he combines authentic Italian and creativity. The chain seems to have gained a reputation for birthday bashes and kiddie parties, prompting us to venture into the Kammanahalli outlet ourselves – and it’s the ideal space for a party, a full-blown meal or a quick bite. The terrace is expansive, wooden tables, set perhaps a tad too close, with a green expanse and cute lanterns and that very cool pizza machine! We were taken aback with the almost OTT brightness that nearly blinded us…. That said, it’s the pizzas that bring people here in droves! You can order unlimited for a song— '369 to '469 – inclusive of unlimited pizzas, dessert and a beverage. Or the whole unlimited menu option for '529 and '629. A sure shot in terms of taste and economy!
. The freshness of the foccacia was unmistakable.
We walked into a cacophony of diners gobbling away in what we thought was a party, but it was just business as usual. Too loud though. Freshly-made artisan pizzas emerge from a delectable conveyer belt, thin-sliced, with seasonal toppings, in 6-inch pans. They were perfectly cooked, with a toasty crunch and interesting toppings — we ordered cream roasted veggies which were smokey and yum, and a farmhouse special of veggie delight, in vegetarian, and the sausage and onion and pepperoni (with pork, yay) as a non-vegetarian option. We loved the freshness, light dough and taste. The small size makes for a feast of flavours. As we looked wide-eyed at the oven, which bakes over 800 pizzas a day (we were told), we spotted some very interesting combinations — Caesar Salad, pesto and chicken, wasabi-mayo-chicken, prawn and bacon spinach-paneer, broccoli-bacon, pizza Florentine or even chocolate and banana!
We also ordered a la carte, which the waiters aren’t that interested in taking down… the unlimited pizza meal is the real deal…! After some explaining, we were brought in a chicken lasagne (very, very average and small portioned), tomato, herbed mushroom and broccoli bruchettas (toasty and cheesy), and a sour and sweet platter … Italian pickled veggies with a crispy cheese foccacia with a sour cream dip (the best). The freshness of the foccacia was unmistakable.
Starters arrived after the mains, which was unfortunate, but the pizzas – they kept on coming!… We ordered bacon-wrapped prawns, that were good, with a nice chewy bacon glove instead of slivers given elsewhere. Not gourmet, but wholesome!
You can also make your own ravioli but there’s little else to choose from if pizza isn’t your thing. When it came to dessert, we felt like intruders — they came in tiny glasses, and given our predilection for sinful sweets, the small portions were disappointing. Might we suggest bigger sizes for the adults at the table? The toffee banana was sweet, sticky and good, the chocolate mousse was creamy. Alright, a tad like the five star buffet spread, not great, but it was over before we started. It does seem like a bachcha party, for ruckus is on the agenda each evening with so many mouths to feed. For a quiet meal, this might not be the best, but for a quick dose of fresh pizza, this is wonderful for its price.
The name had us a bit flummoxed as it didn’t sound anything like a pizza place. Sona informed, “Onesta is Italian for honesty. It manifests in the food we serve, we use freshest ingredients, we produce our own cheese without chemicals or preservatives. We make our own sauces, and our pizzas are hand-made.” The price point works well, the smaller portions might induce over eating, or are for smaller people, but ‘unlimited’ clearly works.
Grill House: Kamanahalli # 7M -414, Roof Top, 80 feet road,7th Main, HRBR 1st block extension, Kalyan nagar, Bengaluru l Ph: 080 4852 1473/ +918904001531
The unlimited packages:
Rs 369 to Rs 629
All the a la carte dishes cost between 120 to 200, though portions are likewise.
Must haves: The pizzas, all of them. Bacon wrapped Prawns, Chicken wrapped skewers, Farmhouse special Pizza, Cream roasted chicken Pizza, Chocolate mousse and Mango cheese cake.
Other outlets: Koramangala, CMH Road, JP Nagar, New BEL Road, HSR Layout, Virginia Mall
