International cuisines have been making their way into India of which the oldest entrant would probably be Chinese cuisine. Chinese food has been very popular with Indians be it the food available at vans / food trucks, take away joints or restaurants. The Chinese food available at most of the places here in India is given the name Indian Chinese as it is probably more of an Indianised version of the cuisine rather than authentic Chinese.
I am here at K3 JW Marriott Aerocity, where a bloggers table has been organised to carry home an authentic Chinese cuisine experience by the new Chef de cuisine, Oliver, from China. The event which is on for 10 days starting 11th May will offer diners a dining experience of delicacies from the Northern Province of China till the 21st May. Olivers Kitchen is open from 7 pm to 11 pm everyday giving diners an opportunity to get a taste of Chef Olivers culinary skillls and experience authentic flavours of Beijing apart from their elaborate buffet on offer.
This is Chef Oliver’s second stint in India. He was here for a few years till 2015 as Chef de cuisine at Stix, Hyatt Regency Chennai. His fondness for food as a child got him interested in cooking and thus began his journey as a chef trying his hand at a variety of dishes from his region. While in conversation with him I learnt that he personally does not enjoy spicy food hence found it slightly difficult to understand and cater to people with a spicy palate. In his own words he admitted that while preparing the dishes he found it tough to decide whether he should add more spices or less.
Chef Olivers kitchen at K3 JW Marriott includes Zhi Ma Bo Cai (spinach with sesame butter), Bai Zhuo Xian Lu Sun (steamed asparagus with Maggi soya), Yu xiang ji (stir fried chicken strips), Zhu tong fan (bamboo rice), Hong Shao dou fu (tofu with mushrooms), Cai Dan you yu (Octopus and celery salad) , Tang Cu Yu ( whole deep fried fish with rice vinegar rice), Shui Zian Bao (pan fried bao) besides other delicacies. Sea food from the hot plate included Octopus, squid, prawns, shrimp and scallop. The cumin sauce (one of Chef Olivers special sauces) used as a topping on scallops was interesting. For drinks I chose to have a Smoked dragon Fashion which turned out to be a good choice with the spread. The whiskey based drink with star anise, Cassia sticks and orange zest was a nice mix of flavours.
The beauty of anything lies in it’s authenticity or originality. Authentic cuisine can best be appreciated when experienced first hand so don’t miss this opportunity of trying out dishes belted out by Chef Oliver especially if Chinese food is one of your favourites. K3 JW Marriott offers a warm comfortable environment for one to enjoy their meal and combined with Chef Olivers warmth and interesting talks on his food you will be carrying home an experience to remember.
