Rice, rightly called the jewel of Asia is a staple for almost half of the world’s population. And what better way to showcase this jewel than to have a week-long food festival to celebrate the multi-faceted, multi-hued forms of this humble grain. This is exactly what Chef Veena Arora of Spice Route, Hotel Imperial endeavours to do this week and I got an advance peek at the delicacies that the guests were going to be pampered with for the next seven days.
Having been seated at the restaurant fashioned to look like a classic Malabar style villa with a central courtyard surrounded by a running verandah of solid teak wood pillars and roof, the murals hand painted with vegetable dyes, Chef Veena set off her exposition showcasing the Indian basmati, Thai Jasmine and Vietnamese rice.
The combination and interplay of spices and condiments play an important part in most Asian cuisine. Flavours and aroma, undertones and texture, heat and coolant constantly jostle with each other to deliver that lovely bouquet which mesmerizes the senses with every mouthful. Which is what Chef Veena rustled up for lunch with the different rice dishes.
But before that, she tantalized us with a scrumptious Thai Vegetable Spring roll served with three different sauces, plum, sweet chilli and vinegar, and the staple Green Papaya salad. Gorging on the crunchy hot rolls and the luscious salad, we listened to her explaining that to add to the intensity of the salad, in Thailand peanut is added, while in Burma it is sesame and in Laos shrimp paste does the honours.
KHAO KLUKH KRAPI– Stir fried rice with Thai shrimp paste, served with sweetened shrimp was typical Thai, the spices balanced by the sweetness of palm sugar, with the filament like egg omlette making for an unusual but tasty garnish.
COM HOANG BAO– Imperial Vietnamese rice was subdued but the CHEF’S SPECIAL-Wok fried rice with red curry paste, bamboo shoots, peas and cherry aubergines, garnished with crispy basil, was excellent, the aubergine’s mild bitterness offset by the crunchy tender bamboo shoots.
KOZHI KODAN BIRYANI– Kerala style chicken biryani reminds one aptly of the spice capital of India, redolent with aroma and spices, the boiled egg wedges perfecting the dish.
But the crowning glory was the NASI KUNING- Malaysian yellow rice, cooked in coconut milk, stock, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves. The coconut milk infused rice was aromatic and seductively fragrant with lemon grass and kaffir lime that one could simply eat it as it is. Chef Veena sure has a winner here.
The Chef’s specials, khaeng kheow waan chae -Vegetables in Thai green curry was a perfect accompaniment to the Nasi Kuning while the HED PHAD MET MAMMUANG- Button mushrooms, coral mushrooms and cashew nuts in Thai stir fried sauce shall appeal to the vegetarians with the rich smoky flavour of sweetened Shitake mushrooms sauce.
The meal was rounded off with THUB THIM KRUB– colourful Thai water chestnuts served in sweetened coconut milk and crushed ice. The chestnuts were smaller than the one available in India and were dyed red with grenadine syrup and green with khus. It was a cool closure to an appetizing and spicy meal except that personally, I would have liked it a little less sweet.
Rice done as nicely as Chef Veena has, shall surely cut the ice with the NCR crowd.
Disclosure: This review was done upon the invitation of the restaurant.
Ratings (Out of 5):
Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.5 | Service: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0
Duration of Rice festival: August 19-25th, 2013
Meal for two: Rs. 6000/ (without alcohol) | Credit cards: Accepted | Alcohol: Yes
Address: Spice Route, Hotel Imperial, Janpath, New Delhi | Tel: +91 11 23341234/41501234
Wow…Such a delight for rice lovers!