Category: Event review

Taste of Mumbai, Baklava Hunt, and Tea Centre

In terms of eating and exploring stories around food, this has been a relatively weak year. But the weekend which just went by, I think I did some justice to what I truly believe in, and enjoy doing.

It all started with the Taste of Mumbai festival, which was held at the Grant and Wilson Gymkhana Grounds from 22^nd to 24^th Mar, 2013. Taste festivals are organized globally across major cities with a promise to offer world-class cuisine, demos, interactions with leading Chefs and other events.

I attended the festival on a (really) hot Saturday afternoon. I was initially lost observing the details of the venue (minus the Taste festivities) as after my reading of Ramchandra Guha’s Corner of the Foreign Field, I have started looking at these Gymkhana grounds in a special way. Although the thoughts of the Palwankar Brothers and origins of Cricket in Mumbai quickly faded out soon as I set my sight on some amazing food.

My favorite set of dishes came from the Caperberry stall. Caperberry is a Bangalore based restaurant which is introducing the concepts of molecular gastronomy in India. It is just not a simple extension of the famous El Bulli school of cooking, but rather an experiment with Indian flavors contributing significantly to it.

At the festival they served Assorted Spherifications, Cauliflower Espuma, and Stuffed Morel.

(Clockwise starting from left) Assorted Spherification, Cauliflower Espuma, Stuffed Morel from Caperberry

I have been waiting for the spherifications to burst in my mouth ever since I read about El Bulli and the concepts of Molecular Gastronomy. These forms and textures just hit with you a pleasant surprise. I loved the Mango-Feta one with a hint of Ginger, although it seems the public opinion was vastly in favour of the Pani Puri one. When you are having something like this your taste-buds wait with a certain expectation, but the surprise hits you hard, in a delightful way. The Cauliflower Espuma had quite easily the best flavours of the afternoon for me. Cauliflower subjected to a series of Nitrogen induced experiments (or what is popularly called Cryo-Cooking) was a delight to consume.

With Chef Abhijeet from Caperberry

It was great to have a chat with Chef Abhijeet, the man behind these delightful creations. We had a chat on the different viewpoints about Molecular Gastronomy, with a significant lobby of Chef being not in favor of such techniques, as you play around with natural forms. Chef’s simple reply to the argument was, “ In order to be different and successful, you sometimes need to face a bit of criticism”. As the taste of the Mozzarella Sphere lingered in my mouth, I couldn’t agree more.

I got to taste a few more interesting dishes as the afternoon progressed (check the entire set here). Somehow I had a strong craving for Prawns and I loved the Garlic Prawns from Arola and the Aglio Olio from Westin Prego. Kofuku is one place is on my hit-list as I got a Wasabi-attack after a long time from a Sushi place. Will be visited soon for some Sushi.

(Clockwise starting from Top-Left corner) Porcini Carpaccio from Arola, Aglio Olio and Tiramisu from from Westin Prego,and Tempura and Sushi from Kofuku

There were cooking demos, book launches, and some drinking happening on the sides. I had some good cocktails at the Mai Tai lounge and some fennel flavored beer. In between everything I finally caught up with Sneh and Aditi and tasted some of their amazing breads from The Baker’s Dozen. Do try them out if you happen to visit Prabhadevi.

Breads from The Baker’s Dozen

On the sidelines of the event caught up with Shivani, Prachi, and Richa. It was also great to finally meet Pooja Dhingra from Le15 and Roxanne (The Tiny Taster).

It was a great event but the name is slightly misleading. As I was chatting with someone the other day, calling it the Taste of Mumbai with no Malwani Seafood, Gujarati Snacky food, or Matunga Idlis is not that correct. Nothing against the festival though, hope they keep doing it every year.

Orange Chocolate Fountain was a topic of much debate

By the end of it I was a bit tired with the heat, but a discussion on the Orange South American Chocolate Fountain tasting like Orange Cream Biscuits we had as kids, and the journey ahead kept me alive.

Disclosure: The organizers of Taste of Mumbai festival covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

Post the festival I roamed around the Hindu Gymkhana looking at the Cricket match for sometime. Thoughts of Palwankar Brothers were again interrupted by a call my friend Harsh (my partner in Crime). He had been talking so much about this Baklava place at Bhindi Bazaar (which he had tried looking for a week back, rather unsuccessfully), that we felt like we should try once. Rushina had a written a detailed post on this two years back. Given that Harsh is generally so excited about sweets (read his recent post on Baklava and its sister concerns) our journey through the cramped roads of Bhindi Bazaar felt as if it was just a short walk.

I could see the tinkle in his eyes when we were about to reach the store. even my tiredness was all gone when I sensed his energy and quickly moved pass the heavily fragrant attar shops.

The Baklava Story at the Iranian Sweets Palace, Bhindi Bazar

We reached the Sweets Palace but unfortunately couldn’t catch-up with the owner, Hasan Bhai. The Baklava was very different from the ones I have had (very high proportion of the filling to pastry), and the Louse Pista was fascinating. Regret not buying the Louse.

After the long tiring day we celebrated the Baklava achievement with a peaceful evening at Tea Centre. I had been to the Tea Centre after almost two years, a long time to stay away from a place I have liked so much in the past.

Tea Centre

Looking forward to more such weekends. Hope I keep exploring Mumbai with the same rigour in the days to come.

March 25, 2013
Happy High on Coffee

Coffee? Vodka? Caramel?

The first whiff of the drink had me confused, and a bit curious. My sense of smell was elevated, probably as a result of my blindfolded vision. I could almost see what I was smelling. A cup of filter coffee, a shot of vodka, a bowl of caramel pudding, or an interesting new note of fragrance. Ok it was time to taste.

The tip of the tongue had a bit of caramel on, with some coffee at the back of it, but I knew it is Vodka as it rolled down my digestive system with a slight tingling feel. The after taste was more coffee than anything. A sweet, coffee taste. I loved it.

Just to make things clear I am not a coffee expert. But I have my set of memories and experiences associated with it, be it the tongue-tingling Indian Styled Espresso, or my favorite filter brew at Matunga. I love my filter coffee, milky and strong, but without sugar. Over the past year though, my coffee consumption has risen, as the Vodka consumption has fallen. Given the circumstances Smirnoff Espresso seems like quite a discovery.

I was introduced to this new flavor this weekend at an Espressology event hosted by Tim Judge at Out of the blue, Bandra. The audience was mix of interesting people, bloggers, popular faces from twitter and some f&b experts. The event was a well-organized one, a neatly laid out space (although a bit cramped leading to 6-7 glasses breaking during the session), but the arrangements and a energetic facilitation by Tim ensured that the audience was hooked on for the entire duration.

Neatly laid out table setup

A bit of spice

Tim started by providing an overview of the coffee and vodka market, and gave just the right context before we started experiencing the drinks. First up was the blind tasting, followed with a few cocktails: an Espresso Martini, an Irish Coffee, and a really innovative Vodka-Cola-Sorbet. Also I got a chance to create a new cocktail, the Vodka Hazelnut Rabdi along with Karishma.

What’s more, in possession of a bottle right now and planning to use for a house party soon. You are invited for an Espresso Martini, Shaken not stirred .

In case you can’t make it, here is the recipe.

Espresso Martini using Smirnoff Espresso

The Smirnoff® Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

60ml of Smirnoff™ Espresso, 10ml of Sugar Syrup, Double fresh Espresso Coffee shot

Method:

Fill shaker ¾ with ice. Pour in all ingredients & shake. Strain into cold martini glass or pour on the rocks in old fashioned glass

Serves 1

Alcohol content: 17.77gms

December 19, 2012
Catching Up with Chef Sergi Arola

I got an opportunity to interact with Chef Sergi Arola this weekend at Arola, JW Marriot, Mumbai. Chef Arola is visiting the country and HT Café organized this interactive session with a group of food bloggers.

In many ways the work of Chef is similar to that of a management consultant. Both have a strong set of methodologies and belief systems, something which they seldom move away from. Most of the chefs believe in simplicity and simplifying the problem, or in their case the cuisine in question, a trait common with the most successful consultants who can break a complex problem into simple, solvable sets. And above all they are beautiful presenters of both their thought process and the final end product, with the presentation always being a critical component of delivering the solution.

One of the most intriguing things about Chef Arola is his association with one of the Chefs I adore, Ferran Adria (the King of Molecular Gastronomy). When I got an opportunity I was quick to grab and ask Chef Arola about his experiences with Adria and El Bulli. Although he was appreciative of his association, I think he doesn’t identify much with the concepts of Adria and what he does with his food. Perfectly fine.

The table layout was a simple one, with minimal ingredients, which was in line with the Chef’s philosophy around simplicity in Catalonian food. He believes in bringing the best of Spanish Culture for Mumbaikars, through minor customizations to suit the Indian palette.

We made three dishes, a popular tapas (Patatas Alioli), a tandoori lobster with a simple dressing, and a brilliant dessert. In between the recipes Chef also shared a Tandoori Roti customizations of the Spanish Bread and Tomato staple.

Patatas Alioli

Tandoori Lobsters

And the Dessert

Tandoori Roti with Tomato, Garlic, and Olive Oil

For me the dessert was the dish of the evening, with the foamy custard, cream-cookie mix and the cookies mixing perfectly. It was the lightness of the dish which struck me, as it gave the dessert a slightly guilt free feel.

I look forward to visiting the Arola sometime soon, and I am surely ordering the plate of Patatas and the dessert.

Check out the pictures from the event here.

Disclosure: Restaurant’s Public Relations agency covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

December 18, 2012
Rajasthani Food Festival at Hornby’s Pavilion, ITC Grand Central

Last year during my visit to Rajasthan on the occasion of a friend’s wedding, I had an elaborate interaction with Rajasthani Cuisine. I respect the cuisine for its design under constraints, something which is evident by limited usage of fresh produce (rarely available in earlier times); its ghee-laden richness which resonates with its royal heritage and tradition; and Rajasthani people’s ability to eat hard and work harder to digest a rich cuisine.

So when last week I got an invite for a Rajasthani Food Festival at Hornby’s Pavilion, ITC Grand Central, I just couldn’t say no, I had to go.

Before I start and get lost in the food, I would like to mention the presence of Chef Kailash Chand Meena who is the in-house expert on Rajasthani Cuisine for the ITC Group of Hotels and was the brain behind the event. He gathered his expertise serving in the kitchens of Jaipur and Udaipur royalty and is someone who loves narrating his experiences. I had a great discussion with him on the innovative use of ingredients in Rajasthani meals, the royal traditions of designing elaborate menus, and the flavors of laal maans vis-à-vis safed maans. After all this he promised to make chakke ki sabzi and gulabjaamun ki sabzi for me on my next visit. You can catch up with him at ITC Soner Bangla (Kolkata), or at such Rajasthani themed events ITC organizes.

There were two starters on the Rajasthani menu, the simple chicken one and the Tilwaale Paneer. Tilwaale (Sesame) Paneer is something I first tasted a couple of years back in a Jain wedding and taste has stuck since then. Paneer is coated with Besan and sesame and then sort of stir-fired to make it crispy. One of my favorite dish. The chicken dish was normal.

Paneer Tilwaale

Daal-Baati Churma is a core constituent of any Rajasthani meal and people tend to be very particular about it. I have had the rough of ones of roadside dhabas in Gujarat and the really rich royal ones served in weddings. I asked Chef Kailash to make it for me the way he likes it, so he crushed the Baatis, added the Daal (which even independently was quite tasty), a dash of Ghee and sprinkled some Jaggery over it. I have never had Daal Baati with Jaggery on top and I liked the sweet flavor which went well with the Ghee-moistened baati.

Rajasthani cuisine generally doesn’t disappoint the vegetarians, and as expected there were the traditional Badi, Besan domianted sabzis. I lovedPithori ki Sabzi (Besan batter, steamed and cut in cubes with Tomato Gravy) and Mangodi ki Subzi (Moong Daal Badis in Gravy). One unique dish which I tried out was the Moongfalli ki Subzi (Raw Peanuts in a rich creamy gravy). I love peanuts in all forms and this is something I will surely try cooking at home too.

Mangodi ki Sabzi

Pithori ki Sabzi

In the non-vegetarian fare there were a couple of dishes, Chicken Kadhiwaala and Laal Maans. Chicken Kadhi was ok, and not that exciting for me. Laal Maans was spicy (as it is supposed to be) and the mutton was perfectly cooked. Although I could have taken another step on the Scoville Scale, guess this was good for patrons flocking ITC currently. Loved Laal Maans.

Chicken Kadhiwaala

Laal Maans

Accompaniments included the chapatis, the bajra bhakris, and sev-pulaav. Although another interesting dish were the green-tinged Papads. The saltiness (and the green tinge) in the Papad was a result of using the foam of Sambhar Lake as a key ingredient. These Chefs do go the distance when it goes to sourcing stuff.

Special “Sambhar Lake” Papads

Sev Pulaav

The dessert included the Ghevar (which I am not a big fan of and so won’t comment anything on it) and the Lapsi Halwa which has been a childhood favorite for me. Simple and nice.

Lapsi Halwa

All in all a good, controlled experience. Sometimes the Thali Restaurants tend to get on my nerve and overwhelm with so much food, having it in such a setting was a neat experience. Looking forward to meeting Chef Kailash again sometime soon.

Disclosure: ITC’s Public Relations team covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

September 19, 2012