The Several Sevens

Lately with Mumbai going abuzz with it’s Restaurant Week where one could pick and choose a set meal in participating restaurants at drop dead prices and be pampered with a three or seven course meal (Chef’s table week), I had the opportunity to be invited at a Chef’s Table at Hyatt in Mumbai at their glass-apart restaurant and bar called Stax. Their ever charming Italian guest Chef Luca Casini had put together a delicious Tuscan seven course meal for a select few paired with fine Italian wine. Charming as the dinner was and the hospitable Hyatt F&B team, the concept of Restaurant Week and Chef’s table resounding from people who had been around to other places was not so enthusiastic. Though Hyatt was not on the official roster for participating restaurants, they did put together their own little event and I would say it was a fulfilling affair, considering expected dishes but done to the ‘T’. They fascinated us with their talented and well renowned chefs, effervescent PR heads and F&B personnel’s who ensured that the Chef’s table was never left empty and were loaded with goodies, including my veritable penchant for their Tiramisu which they gladly fished out. It was a casserole full even though we had gorged on all the courses right down till dessert.

The dishes which were on our table course by course

Fresh Baked Bread with Sundried Tomato & Cold Pressed Olive Oil (a)

Pan Molle (b)

Tomato, cucumber and onion salad with traditional bread and wine vinaigrette

Insalata tiepida di carciofi grigliati (b)

Warm grilled artichoke with cherry tomato and lemon dressing

Served with: Riff pinot Grigio, Terra Alpina

IGT, 2009

Gnocchi di ricotta alla fiorentina (c)

Ricotta cheese dumpling with fresh tomato sauce and saute spinach

Tagliatelle con zucchine arrosto e menta (c)

Fresh tagliatelle with roasted zucchini and mint

Rosemary and Herbed Steak, Tuscan Style (c)

Fresh, light and delightfully well done – A Special order by a fellow foodie

Served with: Marchesi di Frescobaldi, Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva

DOCG, 2006

Piatto misto di verdure marinate e al forno (e)

Roasted stuffed mushroom and zucchini, marinated bell pepper, eggplant and beetroot dressing

Sogliola di fiume alla livornese (f)

River sole Livornese style, fresh tomato, garlic, and parsley

Served with: Tormaresca Puglia Chardonnay

IGT, 2003

Zuccotto alla fiorentina (g)

Frozen vanilla and chocolate pound cake

Their Box of Goodies which ensured we would be on a sugar high through the week (h)

The reverberations from others who had been to various places around town was quite similar to the ones felt when Restaurant Week started a couple for years back, the food cited as substandard, the innovations mediocre and a very mixed feedback as the target audience was taken for granted. I really do believe that Restaurant Week should be all about food, service and hospitality and less about the money element which is given a lot of emphasis as restaurants struggle to downsize their usual to accommodate the ‘week’. I personally have no intention of going to any of the participating restaurants till this week is over and done with and I am sure this citation would be agreeable to many of my sorts. This is a sad loss for the food industry, when they could have cashed in better in such a lime-lighted opportunity.

I am not new to the concept of seven course meals. Infact, I appreciate them as the perfect routine for dining. A lot goes into developing the courses, the selection of dishes and ingredients to compliment each course as they are brought out and last but not the least, visual appeal. A dinner or lunch of this sort is a welcome addition to my style of dining once in a while. Infact, while travelling abroad, such as this trip of mine to Thailand and Malaysia on the Star Cruises, Libra they had a Gala Night put together for the passengers on board. This was to be set at their Four Seasons Restaurant on board and a prestigious formal event with the Captains also joining in on the revelry. I had an opportunity to meet the head chef and chief operator for food and beverages section on board – Chef Frank Schmitt. He showed me around his kitchen while the preparations for the gala dinner were on full swing and I was on a rumbling hunger trail by the time I was done clicking photographs of the food which we were going to be served in the courses spread out through the evening.

Since the set menu was in total four courses from appetizer, soup, main course and dessert, since we were in a group of four, I had the privilege of tasting each and every dish. The dishes served were

The Pastry Shells being baked for the Escargot (a)

Appetizers:

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio (h)

with lemon herb dressing

Escargots served in Freshly Baked Pastry Shells (g)

A ragout of snails and mushrooms in a creamy sauce – a first time dish for me

Caesars Salad (f)

All time favourite, served in the Chef’s signature style

Soup:

Was a choice between:

Traditional French Onion Soup

Complete with toasted bread and grilled cheese dropped in the bowl

Cream of Wild Mushrooms

An earthy delight with a melting pot of various mushrooms

Main Course:

Grilled Medallions of Beef (b)

Serve with Black and Green Pepper sauce, and the accompaniment of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes was a fun innovation

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass on Braised Lettuce (d)

Light and lightly flavored with Green Apples and Raisin Compote with a mellow onion and mustard butter sauce

Red Chilli & Citrus Marinated Chicken Breast (c)

Succulent breast of chicken, perfectly marinated and served with fried rice, eggplant, natural jus and hollandaise

There were Vegetarian options which were a true delight to Vegetarians as it comprised of Indian courses right down to Naans.

The crème of the evening was the dessert – which we polished off royally, after all, who can say no to Chilled Caramel Macchiato Cheese Cake? (e)

The Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Resort back in Penang had us swooning with their daily buffet spread for the evening; though they have a variety of multi-cuisine dining at their Spice Market Café, their Chefs from various locations, specializing in their particular cuisine had put together special dishes for us to try, probably what I would love to see in a seven course dinner.

We had a demo just like you would at a gourmet tasting event and we had the liberty of munching away on dishes such as these:

Otak Otak (b)

A delicate fish and basil dish steamed in banana leaves, an extremely popular Thai dish

Gula Melaka (a)

A sinful Malay sweet dish made out of a sago pudding in a coconut cream sauce and drizzled with Gula Melaka (which is sugar from a coconut tree) and lots of fresh seasonal fruits

Sweet Potato Mousse, Oyster Gratin served with Chinese Prawn Dumpling (d)

A gourmet treat put together by Shangri la’s talented Chinese chef in charge, a fusion of the east and west

Saffron Rice with Mint Chutney Aloo Chaat and Squid made Goan Masala style (c)

A surprising Indian Fusion dish which had us craving for much much more

Fish & Bean Curd Mousse with Crispy Sesame Prawn and Apricot Jam (e)

Another South East Asian fusion delight made specially in their kitchens for tantalizing our taste buds

Pengat Pisang (f)

A Malaysian (Penang) specialty made out of Bananas in a sweet sauce, light, easy and delightfully flavorful

Its true what they say about South East Asia, you have to have an extra stomach and you do tend to eat more that normal, you would not be surprised if I told you that after the food escapade by fantastic chefs we made a beeline for their buffet which was another gastronomic roller coaster ride with cuisines ranging from Chinese, Indian, Nyonya-Baba, Japanese, Thai, Western and international followed by an Australian Barbecue at the Feringgi Grille by the beach side.

Coming back to Mumbai with my taste buds lingering with the flavors of South East Asia, I had to make place for Nasi Goreng, a favorite of mine at The Courtyard Marriott. It would be interesting to note that the Nasi Goreng (fried rice) is not a complex dish and is much like a seven course meal in one dish. Nasi Goreng is an out and out street food creation of South East Asia and it comprises of Spiced Rice (Nasi), Satay, Fried Prawn Crackers, Marinated Prawns, Spicy Peanut Sauce, Nam Prik Pao and Fried Egg (Indonesian Style)

I leave you with a recipe of Nasi Goreng which can easily be called South East Asia on a plate

Nasi Goreng

Ingredients

• 1 cup Long Grained Rice (soaked for 15 minutes and boiled till just about done)
• 1 small red onion – chopped fine
• 2 red chilies – chopped finely
• 2-3 cloves garlic – chopped finely
• 1 small green onion – chopped finely
• ½ cup – Shrimps (shelled & lightly stir fried in sesame oil)
• 1 tsp of Brown Sugar
• A pinch each of Cumin, Turmeric and Coriander (finely ground)
• 1 tablsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tablsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Egg (Fried with a little oil, runny and sunny side up)
• Salt to taste
• Few Fried Prawn Crackers (easily available in specialty stores)
• A serving of Satay
• A small bowl of Peanut Sauce
• A small bowl of Nam Prik Pao

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, ground spices and soy and fish sauce and keep aside.

Mince the garlic and add to the prepared sauce mixture.

In a large wok, heat a little vegetable oil and thrown in the red onions, stir fry on high heat till fragrant and add the chilies. Add the shrimps and the prepared sauce mixture and give it a quick stir. Mix in the rice and fold gently so as not to bruise and break the delicate grains. Remove from heat and toss in the green onions. Mix well.

To serve transfer rice to a deep bowl, top with a fried egg, and surround with prawn crackers and place some Satay’s around the bowl. Serve hot with peanut sauce and nam prik pao.

Last but not the least a very nice dessert creation typical to South East Asia shall close my adventures but leave my taste buds craving for more in the next post coming up shortly.

Star Cruises, Libra and their Chefs were a delightful lot when they allowed us access to all places on board possible. Most memorable were inside their kitchens. Impeccable and a true foodies delight.

The Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Penang, made our stay a fantastic experience. Mr. Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman (The Director of Communications) not only introduced us to us all his Chef’s but also insisted we sit ourselves down for the buffet spread, starting the buffet a little before dinner time so we could get a the best pickings and the full attention of the staff.

The main dish photograph: ‘Nasi Goreng’ is courtesy of the Courtyard Marriott in Mumbai. Chef Praiwan, the in-house Thai Chef from Thailand makes this really dish well and I am lucky to be right next door to the Hotel. A hop, skip and jump for my monthly fix is an absolute must. The Courtyard Marriott is one place which you can also visit in Mumbai for authentic South East Asian Cuisine.

A special mention to The Hyatt Regency, Stax for putting together a fine meal by Chef Luca Casini for us and their Tiramisu whose taste shall be tattooed on my tongue forever.