"maybe there was too much curry under my palate"
An Italian restaurant has issued an apology for telling an Asian diner that curry had affected her palate and left her unable to appreciate “our unique dishes of Roman cuisine”.
Malavika Prasanna had gone to the Ci Tua Osteria Romana restaurant in Notting Hill, London, with two friends on March 31, 2024.
After her meal, she posted a three-star review of the restaurant online but was shocked to find the “racist” response.
The restaurant had responded:
“I understand that moving from tandoori chicken to real cuisine can have a surprising effect…
“But perhaps there is too much curry left under your palate to appreciate our unique dishes of Roman cuisine, made with the highest quality raw materials. Ci Tua!”
She explained: “Two of us had recently been to Rome and we were craving some good pasta. I had the carbonara.
“The food was not bad, but it was just not the Roman Osteria they advertised it to be. So I just gave them an average, but nothing over the top.
“The restaurant environment was actually quite nice. The only thing that felt like Rome with the way the restaurant was set up and the energy. They had little things written on the walls in Italian.
“The experience was perfectly fine. I have a habit of reviewing restaurants that I go to in London because I look at other people’s.
“I am a slightly picky eater so I like to see what someone said was good somewhere or what someone said was bad somewhere.
“I just gave them an average three stars for at least(being) a nice place. I didn’t really say anything more because I felt I didn’t get their full menu.
“I usually give four or five stars. Five is a bit of a rare one unless it is a perfect restaurant. I just went with three because it was good.
“Then I woke up the next morning with the reply to my three stars which said maybe there was too much curry under my palate to appreciate.”
Malavika had visited the restaurant on the recommendation of a hotel manager in Rome who had lived in London for 10 years.
She added: “I think that was very unnecessary and reflects all the stereotypes around food. Food is not culturally isolated and does not exist in a vacuum.
“I think particularly South Asian food or foods that are stronger in terms of spices and smell in the West have generally been an easy way to make fun of someone or another culture.
“I think this really feeds into it and it should have been well avoided and was extremely unnecessary.
“I definitely think there were racial connotations in this.”
“I am not one to pursue these things in the more official routes, but what I did I want to do was make it clear in my network that this might not be the place they are most welcome at.”
The Italian restaurant is owned by Stefano Calvagna.
Albert Ballardini, a consultant for Mr Calvagna’s business, said he did not write the response and had been in Italy for two months.
He said: “He has been ill and has no access to the reviews.
“The response was written by a staff member in Rome and it was stupid and we apologise. We are not racist in any way.”
The restaurant has since fired the staff member responsible.
A spokeswoman for Ci Tua said the restaurant had apologised to Malavika.
Head of management Karolina said: “This is a genuine unforgivable mistake from one person who was co-operating with us.
“I can guarantee you and anybody else that we are not a racist business and as a matter of fact I am Polish and others have different religious and cultural backgrounds too.
“The restaurant is culturally from Rome where there is an attitude to joke with people.
“We recognise that this time it has gone too far. I was not aware of the review and had I known I would have obviously stopped it from being published. We have reached out to the customer to apologise.”
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