Pan Asian – An Island of Flavors!

Thai food remains one of the most celebrated cuisines in the world today. Given its simplicity yet complex flavor, it has successfully created a niche among gastrosexuals even in Delhi, a city that boasts of its Mughlai cuisine. However, there are many occasions for people of the city to celebrate the essence of this wonderful cuisine. However, the recently concluded Sawadika Thai Food festival organized at the Pan Asian restaurant in ITC Welcome Sheraton in Saket was outstanding. The talented team of chefs led by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava with association from Chef Som, who is from Thailand, made me sing that Bruce Springsteen song, ‘Is that you or just a brilliant disguise?’

The Delhi heat is cruel. And, it easily rob off the beautiful mood that one develops on its way to Pan Asian. However, as soon as we reached, we were greeted with a brilliant Cucumber Drink that was laced with Kaffir lime leaves. Now, that is how welcome drink should be. The cucumber brings in the coolness in the drink and that whiff of essence from the Kaffir lime leaves takes you right back into the mood for some more food. This is a definite must try especially to beat the brutal summers of Delhi.
We have had the luxury of guidance from Chef Bhargava in choosing our food from the select range of dishes that this unique menu had to offer. The first to enter the stage was this brilliant ‘Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad.’ Now, the best element in this dish was the prawn cracker. There were no prawn to be seen but its flavor dominated the salad which is ingenious. The light salad that was server with the Prawn cracker give that ‘beach’y feel that you tend to go back at it again and again.

The Peanut Butter Corn Cakes were good with all those crunchiness but I really can’t bring in a comparison with the salad. You know there are things that’s good & there are thing that’s good. The salad was the latter. The Lime Chicken that was served along tasted alright with juiciness of the chicken intact & the subtle texture of spices elevating the taste of the chicken.

Chef Bhargava, while allowing us to savor these beautiful delicacies, also gave a milieu to the growing maturity of the customers. Gone are the days when customers would demand some Indian tadka into any cuisine. However with economic prosperity, exposure to multi culture and frequent travels, ensured that they develop that unique flavor of any cuisine. Thai cuisine is no exception as the flavor of fish sauce & pungency of other Thai ingredients. Such development has helped the gastronomical scenario to improve in the city & we can devour some more flavors from Sawadika.
It is often a misconception that anything south east Asian is non-vegetarian. Well, you will be surprised to know the depth & variety that Thai cuisine offers in vegetarian options, thanks to the tropical weather that allows various fruits and vegetables available. For example, the Thai Pomelo Salad is an absolute ace & a winner of this Thai street food festival. The freshness of Pomelo is omnipresent only complemented by nuttiness of peanuts and to be surprised by sudden spurts of hotness from the freshly chopped chilies.
When Chef Som suggested us to go ahead with the Pineapple Fried Rice, my amateur cook’s mind imagined dices of pineapples tossed into a bowl of rice stir fried with other stuff. To my surprise, this was a dish whose service was quite dramatic. Chef Som described how a whole pineapple is scooped out of its critical part to be used in the dish and the skull becoming serving tray. Now, that looks bloody impressive. The Thai Roasted Chili Prawn was eloquently delicious with the fried rice. The sweetness of the rice and sharpness of the prawn gave a nice balance and kick that is a signature of a good main course. This was beautifully achieve when they served the two together.
I had tried the Mango Sushi almost a year ago when Chef Bhargava shared this with us for the first time. I still relish this beautiful piece of sushi as my best sushi that I have tried so far. Fresh, elegant and innovative, this is one of the best that I have had. And, let me remind you, that it is completely vegetarian. Whenever you go to Pan Asian, please don’t forget to order this wonderful creation of Chef Bhargava.

It is surprising but I don’t have a top of the mind name for an Oriental dessert. However, the Mango & Coconut Sticky rice did the trick for me. It remained one of the most common yet delicious dishes that I have had. A definite try for someone who loves freshness & is new to the Oriental desserts.

Food is always savoured best with friends. Chef Bhargava was not only offered us tips & knowledge about various aspects of the food business but his warm friendship and hospitality is the most invaluable aspect of this beautiful evening at this elegant ITC Welcome Sheraton in Saket.

Chef Vaibhav Bhargava

You can actually look forward to Chef Bhargava’s recently launched ‘Meal in a Bowl’ is an exciting proposition. For more such Thai street food festival, stay tuned!

Let’s CREO some Food!

The idea of a good time is not always run of the mill Saturday night carouser. I try to find some solace through meditation on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and being the foodie that I am, I meditate upon food cooked to suit my taste in the comfort of my own crib. For this very reason my hesitation outweighed my excitement when I received an invitation to the Sunday brunch at Taj Vivanta, Dwarka, New Delhi.

After being filled with a lot of loathing with the GPS, which always finds a new route to irritate me and braving the hot summer sun, we finally arrived at the Vivanta by Taj at Dwarka, quite late in the afternoon. Upon our arrival, the valet promptly grabbed the keys from my hand and I stepped into a place which seemed to me like an Oasis in the midst of a desert at that moment.

The Seating at The Creo, Taj Vivanta, Dwarka

Even before I had checked in at the reception of the restaurant, which has been named as Creo, my ears picked up the melodious beats of the song Red Red Wine (Of UB40 fame) being played by the in house performer and conveys the message to me that son you are in the right place. After confirming my reservation at the reception, I was helped to secure a table to my liking. The place has put natural lighting to good use and the interiors including upholstery of the chairs and table linen were in sync with the occasion of a Sunday brunch.

We had a chat with the Executive Chef Elangovan Shanmugam, who was courteous enough to provide us with a walkthrough of the day’s menu. Creo offers a global menu on card with the combination of European, Oriental, Indian and south coastal main courses. The kid inside me took a few spankings to behave when we were strolling past the chocolate fountain in the kids counter assorted with mouth watering savories.

After tasting a majority of the dishes albeit in small portions, I can safely admit that there is no compromise on variety which adds credibility to Creo’s claim of providing fine global cuisine under the same roof. The versatility begins right from the first course with its Sushi, salad and cold cuts. Take this tip: go for the cold cut of duck. It’s amazing. Most of the dishes would leave one asking for more, particularly the Prawn in Malabar curry served with Appams which apparently is prawn curry as the name suggests but cooked to perfection with mangoes and kund chillies – a variety of chilli indigenous to the southern region of the country.

The other dishes that stand out are the Misoyaki chicken – a Japanese version of roasted chicken, mutton Rogan Josh and the freshly baked thin crust pizzas. The Thai white curry and noodles, however, was not satisfactory especially when your taste buds are on a high from the previous encounters, and along with the tender loin which seemed to me a little under proves to be the Achilles’ heel.

The sweet tooth is a naughty one, and why it should not be when you have that variety. The lot competed rigorously among each other but the Mango Mousseline emerges as the magnum opus.

By the end of the day, I was stuffed to the brim with good food, mostly owing to the cajoling from the extremely hospitable crew of the Creo and the relaxing environment set up by the music from Mario – the in house artist who has been associated with Taj for decades.

As I poked the key to crank alive my car, I thought to myself that, for a change, I decided to spend my Sunday away from home only to find myself at home.

Tête-à-Tête with Brent Owens, Masterchef Australia

To talk to a winner of popular show, Brent Owens of MasterChef Australia, and not to ask him questions about their brilliant judges, will be a sin. And, I am pious fan of the magnificent three. Let me start the blog post with another clichéd question but I am sure we, the lovers of Masterchef Australia, won’t care even if they have heard/ read it before. One of the favourite questions to Brent: What do you think about Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston of MasterChef Australia? Brent said these, “George is the funny guy” with whom he would go out partying. “Matt is the genius” and he would ask him for knowledge on food. “Gary is the father figure” whom shoulder he would lay his head and cry. In order to promote the upcoming #MasterChefAustraliaSeason 7 Coming Soon Only on on Star World Premiere HD

Brent Owens, in a cheerful conversation about Indian food

, Brent Owens is on the run. This time he is in India. And, I chanced upon to talk to new Australia’s MasterChef who loves to eat Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps for dinner in his cosy home. I asked him, “What have you been eating in India since you have arrived?” The question was an attempt to garner more Indian masala for my Indian readers. He did not disappoint me. His food sojourn at #Juhu beach in #Mumbai was a memorable experience. He had what we have when we are at Juhu beach: eat #PaniPuri, Sev Puri, Idli, Kulfi, Pao Bhaji and what else but Vada Pav. Following it up, I asked which one of these will he take it back to his culinary studio in Australia and give it a modern makeover with an Aussie bling. Brent found ‘Pani Puri quite cool’. ‘Some Oz fun around Panipuri’? Brent, I am waiting for it.

On his food pilgrimage around the world, which he is travelling after winning the title last year, he found Indian cooking is quite technical. The tampering of spices bowls him over. He has that innate desire to try out so many other dishes and learn something out of them. But his busy schedule has allowed him to try out “#Dosa” so far. He has definitely grown beyond Vindaloo, one of the few Indian dishes that he knew before he arrived in India, or Butter Chicken, another popular Indian dish, and wanted to learn more about tempering spices. Brent also want to learn different breads of Indian cooking. Brent affirms that easiest part of Indian cooking is ‘eating it.’ I agree. On the hardest part, Brent admitted that Indian cooking is quite technical and tempering of spices, which is an art form, is tough. In Australia, it is not known. When asked if he has to prepare a dish called Life, then what would be the ingredients that he would use? This question led him to think and slowly he cooked us a dish only for our readers. The dish called life would include Palm hearts which will be its base ingredient. To give it kick into it, some smoked paprika and some lime suice and then tossed with some honey. The dish is soft and tender just like how our life should be. Isn’t it delicious? Aloopitika Blitzkrieg:

When he was juggling

Favourite Chef: Jamie Oliver

Favourite restaurant: Cookie in Australia

Favourite restaurant in India: Local eat outs in Juhu Beach in Mumbai and China House in #GrandHyatt

Favourite dish: Mexican Corn salad; or something Mexican actually

Favourite movie: Batman (Chirstopher Nolan) movies. No, Brent is yet to see ‘Julia and Julia’ and ‘Ratatouille.’ He has however seen ‘Chef’ which he found pretty cool.

Favourite Music Band: Roachford

One thing that we don’t know about Brent: He is an avid #Cricket fan and plays it too as an #all-rounder.

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‘Diggin’ Italian food in an English Restro!

Whether you want bottled water or regular, is an option that all eateries offer. Diggin was no different. But here, I made a different choice. I opted for regular water. The waitress, dressed smartly in a white shirt and black trousers, smiled and poured me a glassful of water from a bottle. The water tasted different, it tasted fresher, mintier. A welcome flavor for the summer heat! In those bottles of regular water were mint leaves that gave the unique flavor. I knew that instant, this is a place that did things differently and for the better.

Located opposite to Gargi College, Diggin is an Italian restaurant. As I entered the place, the tasteful English decor was the first thing I noticed. Brightly done in white and a contrasting brick wall with tall windows and white curtains, it reminds me of a typical British pub. Italian food in a place with British interiors! I could hardly wait.

I was not surprised to find that the menu included a wide range of pastas and pizzas. After all, it’s an Italian restaurant. What really caught my attention and with it my appetite, was items like Risotto and Eggplant Parmigiana. A well compiled menu, indeed.

As I struggled to choose the right dish, chef Vishal Kochhar offered his expert advice, “Why don’t you start with Minestrone soup and follow it with Herb Chicken Bruschetta.”

As the soup arrived, the helpful chef explained how there are different version of this herb infused popular soup. “This soup perfectly complements the weather,” smiled. The heavy July torrent had given way to a cozy drizzle as I spooned the rich soup. The first note of the soup was comforting as I could feel the aroma of rosemary, basil, celery and thyme. It made me dream of Italian countryside.

Next came Herb Chicken Bruschetta! One look at it and all I could exclaim was, “Ahhhhhhhh!” One a white plate those biteful of bruschettas looked like warriors. On a brown base was a generous heap of chicken and herb topping and on it stood gallantly a piece of dried tomato. The symmetry with which they were placed and the colour play indicated it was created by the experts.  I was bowled over by how they looked. And was bowled over twice when I tasted it. It tasted even better than it looked!

After that, the chef suggested we should try their Bacon stuffed Chicken leg. It was so perfectly soft that I could not help but get into the technicality of cooking. The patient chef had no other option but to satisfy my curiosity. “We braise the chicken long enough to get it to the right texture. It’s a long, time consuming process but it has a wonderful effect on the meat.” We could not agree more. It was succulent, juicy and zesty. The sauce that accompanied the Chicken leg was refreshing with a zing of sourness and fieriness.

The taste outrage made me hungrier. Risotto is a tricky dish as they say. Chef Vishal explained to us about the origin of Risotto and how he struggled to serve a dish that is as original as an Italian would love to try. But then, you have to localize your product to suit the weather and mood of the people. It was little overcooked but, for most of people, this is the perfect risotto one can have in Delhi. The crunchiness of the dish was lacking but it complemented perfectly to the English weather. It was delish.

Spaghetti Bolognese

The Spaghetti Bolognese was a dish that was recommended to us by many. So, we asked for a portion of it to be served as well. However, to my utter dismay, it was not something that I was expecting. With its rich lineage from Bologna in Italy, I expected this meat based sauce to be zingier than it was. Let me tell you that it was not bad but it was not my ‘pick of the day’ for sure. Given the critical technicalities involved in preparing this dish, I believe it still has room for improvement for this world famous Italian dish.

Honestly, I was done to death. I had no room to squeeze in my stomach. The small portions of those wonderful dishes prepared by the team at the Diggin gave me a wonderful culinary experience as well as feeding extravaganza. But then, all good things must end with a sweet note.

I never had a sweet tooth. Or, so I believed unless I tasted Coffee Crème Brulee. The bitter sweet taste just lingers on and I enjoyed it so much. I think this is the perfect dessert if you don’t have a sweet tooth. Just ample sweetness amidst a burst of coffee flavor! Oh, how much I loved it. The Chocolate Fondant was alright. Neither bad nor good, it’s just about right.

Yes, you got a price to pay. But I believe the overall cost benefit ratio of eating out at Diggin is positive. The price is reasonable when you see the quality of food, service and location. You won’t mind paying for a good meal if they live up to its value. I think they do. The only thing that may be a hindrance is lack of parking space.

(With inputs from Rupamudra Kataki)

Lay back in the arms of Nature & Food

The place has to be special for it was an important moment in our lives. Post wedding and a hectic month, we wanted to just get out of our kitchens and slouch back at a place with cosy atmosphere and good food. The reason I fell for my woman is that she is a fabuous foodie and she has selected the perfect place for such a quick gateway for the entire family. It was to be Machan restaurant within the Greenwood compound. Located in the midst of natural greenery with resting peace, this place is just situated at the edge of the periphery of urban Guwahati. But, it was amazing that it preserved the natural feeling of pristine peace and laziness. I loved it.

At Greenwood Resort, Khanapara, Guwahati

Coming to food, did they cook some brilliant food? Oh dear! Look at those pictures and you can let your imagination take care of the taste. I always complained about a good place where you get good food, with nice yet subtle interiors, great natural exterior and that is not too far from the city. That day, I got my answer. The food was deli-sh and it won’t burn a hole in your pocket. As we were coming out, we bought some nice bakery items that were fresh like the morning sun for our evening tea in our home. An out and out complete experience in this nice place.

You should try it.

Hooked to Hakka through Noodles!

Hakka Noodle by the bank of Barapani

There cannot be a better way to relish anything when you are tired and wanted to eat something nice to rejuvenate your body. All that is required at that point of time is some freshly cooked nice and tender food that is fresh and hot. This is what happened when I, along with my best friend, sat down by the beautiful and picturesque Barapani Lake on our way to Cherrapunji. As we lazily started eating, we were soon hogging this wonderful Chicken Hakka Noodles. yes, this is the most common thing that you find in any Indian eatery. What makes it stand out from the crowd is its exemplary ambiance and absolutely delicious flavours from fresh vegetables! This is priceless. Enjoy!

An Evening with French Crepes!

Estragon Crepes

The sheer magic of food is just outstanding. This typical French dish is one of the most delicious that I have ate recently. Its like a thin pancake with varying filling. While this one had filling of grilled chicken, mushrooms, Dijon mustard and yogurt sauce, emmenthal, it tasted the savoriness of the Chicken, the pungency of the Dijon and Emmenthal just lift up your gastronomical senses.  As it is known, this wonderful dish has originated from the Brittany region in North West of France. Bon Appetite!

Food Sweet Food in India : Assamese Dinner in New Delhi

Love for food is pure, simple and universal. This wonderful aspect of any living being came calling to meet two wonderful persons along with an old friend who came calling at my place in Delhi. We talked, travelled, visited market places, ate, drank, chopped, cooked and at the end, ate. A wonderful evening it was captured nicely by these two people from Paris and you can have a sneak peek into the episode. The whole episode will be up and running only in some time. For the time being, please enjoy this little sojourn of gastronomy on the streets of Delhi and I’m trying to cook something from culinary tradition of my home, Assam. As they travel around the world and currently in one of my favourite food destinations, Vietnam, I wish them loads of food, experience rich with sweet, sour spices. Stay tuned for more on food!

Tryst with Chicken Razzmatazz

Homemade easy Chicken Razzmatazz

As clouds open up to a rainy sky, as the Sun goes for a vacation letting monsoon take over the business of the day, it is time to go your favourite gastronomical way. One of my favourite meat, Chicken, was beautifully prepared by a professional chef using Dabur Hommade products and other usual items easily available in our kitchen. Chicken Razzmatazz as it is said, gives you a flavorful palate of zingy flavours, that are so well entwined and complements each other. Prepared with Tamarind, as the shock element, this piece of Chicken needs no mercy. I say, grab it to bite & chew it to oblivion. I shall post the recipe soon. In the meanwhile, you may relish this tasty dish, through your eyes only. 

Custard Pudding! Something Sweet!

Custard Pudding

Done with your lunch. How about some delicious cold custard pudding served with dates and cherries? When you put that cold spoonful, did you feel that cool feeling engulfing your mouth and mind? You want another scoop of this delicious home cooked Pudding! Keep tracking the Mashed Potato!