JOIN USIt is rare that a bouquet of flavours clicks well, especially when the dishes served are a mixture of world cuisine. The ‘Best of The Oberoi’, a sit-down dinner event was based on just this. This event was held as a part of the 25 years celebration of The Oberoi.
All the dishes served were star items from the different restaurants ‘Polo Club’, ‘Rim Naam’, ‘Le Jardin’ and ‘Szechwan Court’ of the hotel. The celebrations kicked off with some starters like ‘Dim sums’, ‘Satays’ and ‘Yakitori’. Soon after, the guests moved to the sit-down dinner at Le Jardin and the dinner started with an ‘Artisanal burrata’. Sourced from the ‘Polo Club’, it had potato roesti, asparagus, mushroom in a truffle broth and had a comforting flavour. It was paired with a smooth creamy textured Chardonnay, Monestes Reserva 2015.
The next course, from ‘Rim Naam’ is ideal for the monsoon. There was the ‘Yam hed kow’, a mushroom and white fungus salad and the non-vegetarians indulged in ‘Thai chicken dumplings’, which had mint, coriander, toasted rice and pickled onions in it.
These dishes included the five flavours that Thai cuisine always inculcate. Paired with Sauvignon Blanc, Henri Bourgeois, Pouilly Fume, 2015, the ‘Thai chicken dumpling’ is a treat for spicy food lovers.
While the dinner was interspersed with interesting tidbits about the wines and food being served, the next set of dishes from ‘Szechwan Court’, the ‘Crisp lotus stem’ and the ‘Stir fried roast duck’ made an appearance. The ‘Stir fried roast duck’, a classic from the regular menu was made with bean sprouts, ginger and shiitake. Served with Shiraz, d’Arenberg, The Laughing Magpie, 2011, the dish was filling and had a balanced flavour.
The next course which included ‘Robiola and confit tomato agnolotti’ and the ‘Baby lobster moilee’, was a true delight. About the course, chef Ajit N Raman, executive chef, said that they tried integrating different ingredients like coconut oil and mustard seeds to give a traditional Kerala touch to the lobster. “The lobster was oil poached and was served with a yellow broth and toasted coconut rice,” he added.
The most interesting part of any meal is always the dessert. The ‘After 8’, hedgehog-lookalike dessert with mint chocolate sourced from Puducherry, ‘Green tea creme brulee’, which left guests wondering about the flavours and the ‘Tab tim krob’, which was a mix of coconut milk, water chestnut, jackfruit and pomegranate, were the perfect closure to the grand evening.
About the choices of items selected for the event, chef Ajit said that the special menu was meant to cover all the restaurants at the hotel with their star items. He added that each of these specialties will be available for the customers according to availability. “We always want to serve comforting and satiating flavours,” he added.