Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon – Kerala food festival

Call it stereotypical North Indian, but we can simply not distinguish between the cuisines from down south. In an attempt to try something new, we headed to the Glass House at Hilton Gurgaon for their Kerala food festival. We absolutely had no idea about how the food will taste from God’s own country hence we asked chef Ashok Eapen who is the executive Chef at Hilton Garden Inn, Trivandrum. Our intriguing chat with the chef acquainted us with the different communities and their respective cuisines in Kerala; how their food differs from each other and what and what not used while preparing the food.

Where to go – Bani Square, Sector 50, Gurgaon

Whom to go with – Friends, family, business partners

How to get there – The nearest metro station is Huda City Centre, from there you can take an auto/cab.

What to order –

            Appetizer – Glass house is a multi-cuisine restaurant so you can order appetizer as per your choices. Though our focus was on the buffet and I recommend trying the same to get the most of Kerala.

            Mains –

·        Nadan Kozhi Roast (NV) – Fish roasted with herbs and spices, very tender and cooked till perfection

·        Meen Mulagittathu(NV) – Fish curry prepared in light coconut gravy

·        Moplah Mutton Chap(NV) – Mutton cooked in red curry with coconut, very tender and tasted wonderful

·        Vegetable Thoran(V) – It was a dish from Brahmin community which is on the verge of extinct. Very simple banana curry made in coconut paste. It was a combination of sweet and salty.

Deserts –

·        Pista Burfi

·        Baked Cheesecake with strawberry compote

·        Cherry Crumble

·        Rasbhari

·        Sugar free cheese cream with fresh fruit

·        Elaneer payasam

·        Malabar Halwa

·        Passion fruit mousse

·        Mango tart

·        Chocolate truffle

Must try – Elaneer payasam and Malabar Halwa

Cost for 2 – Rs 3000 approx.

What we reviewed – This place has everything what you may look from a four star property. The ambiance was changed to keep up the tradition and cultural value of the state. Being a novice in Kerala cuisine, the chef’s guidance certainly helped us to understand the food and the logic behind various ways of cooking. Along with the main course they too had a very large scale desert counter, featuring some local and international deserts.

Glass house is not limited to food festivals, hence you can head there anytime for lunch, dinner or a scrumptious Sunday brunch.

Text and pictures by- Gaurav Choudhary

Affordable luxury in North Goa: Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort

I lie down in my private spa chalet, hearing raindrops drizzle on the roof, while treating myself to a rejuvenating Swedish massage, surrounded by foliage on all sides on my first visit to Goa in 23 years. I had never been to Goa *insert judging sneers*. Especially having lived in Bombay for 10 years, Goa should have been my second home. Only that it wasn’t, and least did I expect that my first visit to the state would be a work visit to a property in North Goa.

Invited as a part of the bloggers meet at Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort in Candolim, I packed my bags in what is usually considered ‘off-season’ in Goa. I wonder why, since the rains, coupled with the greenery gave me a Kerala-sque peek of the state. Definitely, we couldn’t enjoy the usual sun ‘n’ sandy beaches people flock to Goa for, but the rains made India’s most popular tourist destination a wondrous celebration of nature.

Dining options

Passing lush green avenues and rain soaked roads, we arrived at the Accor property, to treat ourselves to a lavish lunch at Chy. Being a pure vegetarian, I was sure that either I would starve myself to death or just convert into a non vegetarian, given the variety of Goan coastal cuisine. But was I pleasantly surprised! Not only was I spoilt for vegetarian food choices but also found myself enjoying authentic north Indian food, in Goa! 

Be it Oriental, Italian or Indian, food poured in from Festa, their all day-diner, to the point where food became one of the highlights of our trips. Evening commenced at the Junho bar, where I sipped on a posh champagne cocktail and martinis before heading out to explore Goa’s nightlife. When at the property, one simply can’t miss the seaside Sunday brunch at La Brise, complete with live music, live counters and delectable desserts. This was followed by the traditional Goan Saraswat Thali

 

Meditation and yoga activities

One of the most exotic spas I have been to, Grand Mercure takes their wellness activities very seriously. You enter to a plethora of foliage into their spa chalets and villas, which include an Ayurvedic massage room and a couple’s massage area. Since the property hosts several wedding, there are dedicated bridal packages at Balæ Spa. 

Start your mornings with yoga sessions and meditation activities. Kids and adults alike will have a great time zorbing and zip lining at the pool, while enjoying hourly treats which do the rounds for guests.

Why Grand Mercure

Apart from serving as a leisure destination, Goa has increasingly started garnering MICE tourists, who prefer having offsite conventions here. 

With the property’s dedicated banqueting facilities, meeting spaces, combined with a waterfront restaurant and poolside party hall, one could easily plan an office convention or a destination wedding, well within the premises of the hotel. Plus the executive suites, in a duplex set up are perfect for a family getaway or even an exciting bachelorette event.

Well, it may have been a 2 day visit, but I couldn’t have asked for a better first trip to Goa! Thanks to Grand Mercure Shrem Resort for making me lose my Goa-ginity!

Fresh, delivery and take out in Fort: Kaboom cafe

A quiet café adjacent to the Grand Hotel in Ballard estate, Kaboom evolved from the idea of a food truck serving budget, yet fresh lunches to people in and around Fort area.

Having lived and worked abroad for 10 years, the owner, Yohaan Dattoobhai was obviously surprised to not find a single food truck in India, especially since we thrive on roadside, budget, street food. 

Plus, while there are several restaurants in the vicinity, there aren’t many which serve food in the price range of Rs 200- 400.

 

What’s new- The entire restaurant is designed like a food truck with playful interiors and boasts of ideal lunch options, with cuisines which change daily. Their menu goes up on Facebook around noon and barring regular drinks and desserts, there are newer dishes on the menu every day.  Monday is Southeast Asian while Tuesday is Italian, and so forth. There are separate breakfast and lunch menus and a completely different evening menu. Their economically priced lunches set them apart, which can even be called for delivery around Ballard estate area.

 

What we loved- A Bombay sandwich, much bigger and hygienic than the one served at a roadside thela; costs Rs 70 and a cup of coffee is for Rs 110. Plus, everything comes in a takeaway box—literally grab and go! You just can’t miss the hand cut fries, anda pao, cup noodles and nutella sandwich

Since the café focuses mainly on office-going professionals in the Ballard estate and Fort area, it shuts at 6:30 pm. Hence order in or head there before that.

These Coffee and Dessert Pairings are a Match Made in Heaven

For a generation of young people, often straddling a dead-end job and a tortuous relationship platter, coffee is usually what goes best. There are those, of course, too jaded to care about where their coffee comes from – a machine-dispensed drip in a Styrofoam cup does just fine. But then there are others who’d go the whole hog for the coffee they love so much. These highbrow ‘coffee pundits’ know their Mochaccino from a macchiato and like it that way.

But that’s hardly enough. Just like with wine and cheese, coffee tastes best when served with the right dessert. In fact, coffee and dessert pairings are right up there in the culinary hall of fame – next to pizza and beer.

Get your coffee and dessert pairings just right, by referring to our list below!

Espresso and Pistachio

This coffee is an intense concentration formed from brewing freshly grounded coffee beans in a small portion of water (30ml).

Paired best with: A pistachio biscotti or a muffin.

Ristretto and Chocolate Tart

Twice as strong as espresso, ristretto is an intense and aromatic coffee, with a deep flavour and a more concentrated extract. It uses the same amount of coffee beans as espresso does, but uses only half the amount of water – thus making it stronger than espresso. ​

Paired best with: Anything sweet like a chocolate chip cake, chocolate pudding tart​ or truffle cupcake.

Cappuccino and Choco Lava Cake

This coffee is prepared with an espresso, a little hot milk and lots of steamed milk foam. Cream can be used as a substitute to the milk, making the coffee more rich and dense.

Paired best with: Oats cookies, chocolate pastry or chocolate lava cake​.

Macchiato and Blueberry Muffin

Commonly confused with cappuccino, macchiato is an espresso with a dash of foamed milk, which is beaten to a froth and has a much stronger and aromatic taste. This differs from cappuccino in that it has no milk, only froth. 

 Paired best with: Muffins – choco-chip, walnut and fig, carrot, blueberry muffins.

Caffe Americano and Red Velvet Cupcake

It is prepared by adding hot water to a single shot of espresso. It is a strong coffee and is ideally had best after meals when you’re already pretty full.

Paired best with: Red velvet cupcakes/pastry, macaroons.

Latte and Fruit Cake

Commonly called ‘milk coffee’, latte is a combination of espresso and milk in a ratio of 1:3, with some foam or cinnamon on top.

Paired best with: Dried fruit cake, lack forest gateaux​, almond or lemon cake or chocolate tarts, dark chocolate pastry/truffle.

Turkish Coffee and Fudge Cookie

This is very intense in flavour as it uses coffee beans that are freshly grounded and brewed in a pot. The residue is left behind and only the coffee concentration sampled in all its glory.

Paired best with: Fudge cookie

Irish Coffee and Tiramisu

Irish coffee is coffee combined with whiskey and whipped cream – often further sweetened with sugar.

Paired best with: Tiramisu

Café Mocha and Banana Cake

This is a combination of cappuccino and cocoa powder or chocolate syrup. With ingredients such as those, it’s little wonder that the drink is such a favourite!

Paired best with: Dense almond cake or banana caramel cake

Frappe and Brownie with Ice Cream

This is a refreshing drink made from instant coffee, milk and crushed ice. Perfect for a hot and humid day!

Paired best with: Walnut brownie topped with vanilla ice-cream and warm chocolate/caramel syrup – or the classic chocolate lava cake​.

There’s much to be said for sourcing the right combinations in life – whether in life or on a hot plate. A coffee and dessert pairing is a match made in sensory heaven, and once you’ve hit on the combo that works for you, it will serve as your very own signature in the annals of a fulfilling food journey.

Also – if we’ve sufficiently managed to whet your appetite for a classic coffee-dessert meal, rush to these budget cafes in south Bombay immediately!

(With inputs from Rahul Leekha, Director, DiBella India, Vivek Bhatt, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai Sahar and Rushda Azmi Shaikh, Sugar Rush Bakery, Mumbai)

This article on coffee and dessert pairings was also published on the quint.com

All pictures from  iStockphotos