Modern European cuisine seems to be gaining popularity in Bangalore. Yet another restaurant is now serving a western platter. The all-day dining restaurant, Le Jardin at Oberoi, has changed its entire ala carte menu and is introducing a new repertoire of fine dishes from Europe.
Chef Mir Zafar Ali, who specialises in the western kitchen, introduced us to the menu. “It’s an ingredient-centric menu, which draws influences from other cuisines like Japanese and Thai. Only good ingredients make good food. In the pasta section, we have moved away from the regular penne and fusilli.
“We are offering rusticella, which is the best pasta and four times more expensive. We have also dug out fishes like Ahi Tuna, Atlantic John Dory and Scottish Salmon. We want to emphasise on new flavours,” explained Chef Zafar.
Our gastronomic journey kicked off with an appetiser called ‘Lemon grass scented prawns’ with tempura made of vegetables and wasabi soy dressing.
The jumbo prawn was subtly flavoured and the crispy tempura made for great accompaniment. The spicy saucy soya dips added to the intermingling of flavours effectively. The big round plate created enough knife space, making for a comfortable culinary experience. A small portion of ‘Tenderloin carpaccio with arugula and parmesan’ mellowed the spice with its green leafy additions.
What had the tastebuds reinvigorated was the refreshing ‘Pan-fried Atlantic John Dory’ with saffron leek risotto and basil butter. The crunchy fresh fish and the butter yellow risotto made for light and gentle flavours on the palette. The platter also made space for ‘Pacherri smoked turkey and porcini cream’. Meanwhile, small portions of vegetarian dishes were also served. Like that of ‘Steamed silken tofu’ with noodle broth and ‘Orecchiette with garden peas, kalamata olives and blue cheese crumble’ on a white creamy sauce.
But what took the cake on the veg platter was ‘Crepes with porcini, chanterelle mushroom and roast pepper coulis’. Enchilada-like, the wheatflour pancake with it’s juicy saline mushroom filling made for a filling main course.
The scrumptious meal ended with an interesting dessert platter. While the chocolate goodies concocted the usual flavours in the mouth, the ice cream dollop had everyone perplexed. The raspberry-chilly flavour caused tingling sensations as it made its way from the tongue to the throat. The sweet, spice and ice made for an unusual gastronomic experience that only the hard-hearted must try.
While this was just a tasting menu, the complete menu is exhaustive with over 20 other pre-plated dishes to try. Vegetarians have something to cheer as there are many delectable dishes on the menu for them. Talking about the demand for western cuisine in Bangalore, Chef Zafar said, “It’s extremely popular. Bangaloreans are globe-trotters and are well aware of cuisines across the globe. The dishes have scientifically designed portion sizes for a comfortable dining experience.”
An average meal for two will cost about Rs 1600 (inclusive of taxes). It’s all about simple food, simple flavours, simple presentation yet a great culinary experience.