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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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.

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. 

Quintessentially Summertime Lunch!

Quintessential Lunch in a hot, sweaty summertime

Small wonders of life! I read this morning that everyday may not be good but there is good in every day. As the mercury keeps rising with the powerful Delhi Sun basking in its summer glory to the fullest, the people are sweating it out by praying to rain god in vain. But, there is still good in this world. Especially if you can get hold of a nicely done simple home cooked meal served with sour tropical lemon! A simple plate of rice, some boiled lentils with little to nothing of ‘Tadka’ and a typical dish made out of Soda (‘Khar’) is just taste amazing as the lemon will ooze out the citric flavour that you longed for in this heat. Give your palate a hot bite with that green chilly, as you gorge a mouth full of rice, mixed with dal and some ‘Khar.’ You know where to find your heaven when the Sun God put across an evil smile!