An afternoon with the Grand Master Chef @ ITC Sonar

When KFB got an invite from ITC Sonar to a part of their press lunch with the Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi there was no way I could say no. I had heard a lot about the man solely responsible for bringing the royal cuisine to the masses.Chef Imtiaz Qureshi has an impeccable lineage, his ancestors were cooks in the royal courts of Awadh where Dum Pukht originated some 200 years ago. Now when you get an opportunity to be a part of such history you do jump with joy. Chef Qureshi presents some of his best creations from a culinary journey which spans over 50 years. A burly old man with white hair and moustache, he gives out such positive vibes. You are only charmed as he shares with you anecdotes in pure Urdu. I was awed! And the fact that he has such a modernist approach to traditional cuisine only adds to his persona. I couldn't believe it when he said that he used olive oil for the Biryani - something only a man with so much experience can fathom.

Dum Pukht, ITC Sonar offers a fine dining experience serving food with a Royal lineage. Guests are guided through the menu and each dish is presented with signature service rituals.A dining experience here takes you back to the royal era and each dish has its own story. We had the privilege to sample some unique innovative dishes crafted by the Master Chef and his team.

Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi

We started with the Jhinga Qureshi ( Puff pastry covered jumbo prawns stuffed with dried apricot and cheese ) and Raan-e-Huzoor ( Baby lamb legs cooked on dum with date sauce)
It was a great start I must say - with me being totally bowled over by that Raan -meat literally falling of the bones and melting in your mouth.

The main course had a whole lot of dishes, the most innovative and totally new for me was the Samudri Ratan ( Soft marbles of fresh crabmeat in a tangy gravy ) which Chef told us was cooked with tamarind and raw mango extract.The Desi Murgh ishtew ( country chicken braised over slow fire  cooked with onion and other spices ) was a deviation from the normal stews that one could think of. Now if we are taking of Awadhi cuisine we have to talk meat. Koh e Awadh ( Chef's recipe of lamb shanks cooked in its juices and marrow) was delicate and flavourful. The meat again melting in your mouth. By now I was stuffed and in food heaven. The star dish here  for me was however the Dal Badami ( White urad dal cooked with almonds and spinach). A total exit from the signature Dal Dumpukht. This was light and creamy and totally balanced out the other dishes.

Finished our meal with the Dudhiya Biryani ( Tender lamb shanks cooked in milk) For dessert we had the famous Shahi Tukda and Lab-e- mashook ( Frozen dessert of reduced milk scented with orange)

The entire menu was graced beautifully with a fine spirit. Mr. Sandeep Arora  - the whiskey expert - curated the whole event and enlightened us  on whiskey pairing ( Royal Salute 21YO)

So there! If you love your Shorbas, kebabs,Qormas and Qaliyas you know what you need to so. Yes, head straight to ITC Sonar and be a part of this iconic food journey presented by the legend himself.

The Signature Collection is available at the Eden Pavillion from 22nd june to 30th june,2014 for Dinner.
It is a part of the Dinner Buffet - priced at INR 1850 plus applicable taxes per guest.
 
There is also the Royal Repast at Dum Pukht ( Dinner Only ) from 22nd June onwards priced at INR 6500 + taxes.

 

Mother's Day - The ITC Sonar Way!

ITC Sonar organised a Mothers Day Brunch specially for Kolkata Food Bloggers where the bloggers were invited along with their moms! When I got a call from A of ITC telling me about the event I was mighty disappointed as my mother lives in a different city. But things which are bound to happen..happen...and as if by magic I got a call from Maa that she would be visiting me that weekend!! There I was, all set to enjoy an afternoon out with Maa. ITC hospitality is impeccable and they would never let you down. We reached the venue at the specified time and henceforth started the fun and a super relaxing afternoon with a humongous spread of good food. There was Antara and Manjari joining in with their moms as well. The moms instantly hit it off and that was one of the best thing about that afternoon.





Let me start with the Salad Bar..I mean the spread was simply wow! This definitely has to be the most elaborate salad selection you will find in the city.There was everything that your heart desired. I made up my mind that I would focus on the salads and fill myself up as much as I can. The Mezze Platter with four kinds of dips,Prawn Cocktail,Mixed Seafood Salad,Grilled Chicken Salad and the freshest of greens to name a few that was on offer. I would rather do the pictures do all the talking!

Moving on to the Main course,the spread was again simply superb. You could divide the spread into Indian, Western and since it was mothers day there was an added Bengali section as well. Starting from Biryanis to salans to Kosha Mangsho to Bhetki Paturi to Tenderloin Steaks..they had everything. A special mention of the Dhakai Chicken Biryani that was so flavourful and had moist chunks of chicken.

The Western spread had Jerk Grilled Chicken that was nice and juicy served with some asparagus and carrot. The Ragi Manicoti with Cheese sauce was a new dish for me..it was light and creamy. Egg Florentine, Tenderloin steaks,Grilled Veggies made up for the rest of the menu.

Now coming to my most favourite section - The Dessert Bar! Oh boy what a selection. I was thoroughly confused and greedy and couldn't decide what all I wanted.

I have a soft corner for Bengali sweets so I stuffed up on the Aam Kheer, Chomchom along with the Rum balls,Black Forest Mousse. There were some sugar free options as well that was very thoughtful I felt. And before I forget there was also an awesome spread of Breads as well. Donuts, Garlic bread,cheese bread and many more.

After all that great food there was more to come. Entertainment was also amply taken care of. A live band that was playing some of my favourite old classics added up to the charm. Balloon Art, Cookie making counter,an Artist Corner, an Illusionist who does table tricks left us mesmerised.

Aptly called "The Brunch and Beyond" - You can enjoy this fun filled afternoon with good food and lots of activities for yourself and your kids at the Eden Pavilion of ITC Sonar every Sunday. Talking about kids..I found it truly wonderful that the hotel is thoughtful of the children and they envisioned ways to keep them busy and happy while the parents enjoy their meal. This is something that is not easily seen around the city. As a mom to a 6 year old I would be very comfortable taking my kid to a place which holds his interest too!

The Sunday Brunch is priced at INR 1850 + taxes that includes food and soft beverages along with the fun activities mentioned above. The menu is versatile and changes every week!

Poila Boisakh Feast with ITC Sonar

Poila Boisakh or Bengali New Year is the time for hogging! We welcome the new year with sumptuous feasts and spread the love and cheer for better times ahead.When I was a kid this time of the year brought in a lot of happiness - new clothes and lots of good food. My family being the traditionalists one day before Poila Boisakh - that is on Sankranti we would be served pure vegetarian food - Enchod er Dalna( Jackfruit curry),Aam Dal( Lentils with raw mango) and Shojna Chorchori(Drumsticks cooked with mustard). This was basically done to cleanse the palate so that we could gorge on the non veg delicacies the next day! The tradition continues in my household. But with times certain things do change and now one has the luxury of taking the day off from kitchen on this auspicious day and still indulge in such traditional delicacies! With the emergence of speciality restaurants and the concept of fine dining taking the foodie world by storm one has so many options to choose from. All you need to do is dress up pretty and head to your favourite restaurant to relish the delicacies. KFB was invited by ITC Sonar to preview their brand new POILA BOISAKH MENU that has been specially designed by Chef Gaurav Lavania Sr. Sous Chef at the hotel. The interesting thing here is that Chef hails from UP and is married to a Bengali so that kind of influences his take on authentic Bengali cuisine.He brings in some subtle twist of taste to his dishes and as he rightly said that there has to be something different from the everyday home cooked meals. I couldn't agree more.

Our meal started with Gondhoraj Lassi. Very mild flavours of gondhoraj lime surely added to the taste and in this awful weather that we are experiencing here in Kolkata it was the perfect start to a wonderful afternoon.

The starter platter was a very interesting mix - something new and something very very rooted. It had Bhetki paturi (Fish fillets with mustard steamed in banana leaves) - quintessentially served as a main course I quite liked savouring it as a starter. Then there was Triguna Chingri Bhaja( crispy fried prawn) which had this quirky coating of posto,til and kalojeere! Crispy outside - soft inside - it was my most favourite item on the menu. And then there was our  good old Jhuri Aloo Bhaja.

Triguna Chingri

Bhetki Paturi

 As is the rule whenever we have such meets  - there was endless chatter and non stop flow of food. The main course had an extensive spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes served along with Luchi and Ghee Bhaat.

Aloo Posto ( Potato with poppy seeds), Narkel Diye Cholar Daal, Mochar Ghonto( Banana blossom curry) and Thor ( Banana stem curry) it was all there.I personally love vegetarian Bengali dishes so you can guess how happy I was to sample these.

Chingri Malai Curry

The non veg fare had every bangali's favourite dish - Chingri Malai Curry(Prawns cooked in coconut milk) Rui Kalia ( Rohu fish in a onion gravy ) and Kosha Mangsho( Spicy lamb curry). The Malai curry was nice a creamy, would have liked it a bit more sweeter though (blame my Dhakai genes, we put a pinch of sugar in every dish we cook) but I can understand that it was controlled keeping in mind varied taste of the customers.

Rui Kalia

The Kosha Mangsho was spicy and robust and full of flavours from slow cooking. The meat was succulent and juicy and was a match made in heaven with the Phulko Luchis! Got to know from Chef that it was more of a Murshidabadi preparation.

Kosha Mangsho

We finished off our meal with Aam Khejurer Chutney ( Raw mango and Dates chutney) and Papad just like we would do in a Bangali Biye Bari ( Wedding feast).

Aam Khejurer Chutney

I was totally full by now but my love for Indian/Bengali desserts took over me. I cannot resist Indian sweets - give me a sandesh or a rosogolla over chocolate truffle anyday. The dessert platter had Nolen Gurer payesh ( Date palm jaggery rice pudding), Rajbhog( a kind of rasgulla) and Chhanar Jilipi ( sweet made of cottage cheese). My favourite was the payesh - not too sweet and very flavourful. Relished on the Rajbhog and Chhanar jilipi too!

So that was the end to a great Bengali meal. Am leaving you with few more images to drool over. This is sure to make you crave for this meal this Poila Boisakh.If you are looking to take a break from savouring home cooked Bengali food and enjoy a selection of dishes with a subtle twist of taste - then this is surely for you.

All you have to do is head over to ITC Sonar and indulge in some great food which as they say is the soul of any ITC hotel.They believe that a hotel is a spirit of the city in which it stands and they work with this philosophy.

The Bengali Fare Buffet is on at the Eden Pavilion from 11th to 19th April (dinner buffet) and on 15th April traditional Bengali delights would be showcased both for lunch and dinner buffet).This would be in addition to the live action stations at the Eden Pavilion. The spread would include an array of Bengali veg and non veg delicacies.

Its priced at Rs.2000 plus taxes with soft beverages and Rs.2750 plus taxes for unlimited premium brands of select alchohol.

There is a Special Menu planned at Peshawari too if you crave for some North west frontier cuisine

For reservations and further details call - 033-23454545