A Big Fat Spread

Can too much of something be good? When the popular multi-cuisine restaurant,Kava,in Sector-26,announced its revamped menu with 245 items on offer,we decided to sample the fare ourselves. Even though it was the middle of the week on a sultry May afternoon,lunch hour looked like brisk business for the restaurant with many tables occupied by customers sampling their lavish lunch buffet. Having being informed of the new arrivals,we begin to flip through the exhaustive menu,which now resembles a fat book,and mind you,not a paperback. There are many modifications,right from starters (vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian) down to the main course.

The European kitchen,headed by executive chef Eraldo Collazo,now boasts of global favourites like Radicchio Au Gratin,served with honey mustard balsamic dressing and capers,Lobster Thermidor and New Zealand Lamb Chops,to mention a few. We started our meal with a portion of prawn cocktail (Rs 450) that arrived promptly and was deliciously dressed in a tangy mayo-based spread. Most menus of fine-diners these days don’t throw up any surprises in the Indian section,but here,specialties like Hari Mirch Ki Tarkari had us enthused. The pickled green chillies stuffed with spicy potatoes,finished in yogurt gravy were well done and pairing them with Warqi paranthas (another new addition to the menu) made them a perfect meal option. On popular demand,Indian specialities like the Konkani cuisine specialty,Jheenga Gassi and Goan fish curry have been introduced in the menu,which seem to be making a serious bid to please all palates. The star dishes in the Chinese section include Braised Sole Fillet; Bean Curd & Corn Kernels; and Sauteed Peanut Chicken.

After exploring the spread in the Indian section,we chose to order a portion of Thai Chicken Jungle Curry with rice. Traditionally,this Thai preparation is made with wild meats,the chicken variant wasn’t disappointing. However,it tasted similar to any Thai red curry. The menu finds a few additions in the lineup of desserts as well and one can try the crispy honey noodles glazed with ice cream. On the whole,a nice toss up of dishes.