Desert Storm

You have to give it to them for thinking out of the box. With their Continental Food and Awadh Food Festival flavours still fresh on the palate,Citco has sent out the invites once again.

Written by Jagmeeta Thind Joy

April 4, 2009 11:29 PM IST

3 min read

After a slew of food fests,Hotel Mountview rolls another one. Get set to sample the Middle East!

You have to give it to them for thinking out of the box. With their Continental Food and Awadh Food Festival flavours still fresh on the palate,CITCO has sent out the invites once again. This time,they are bringing in the Middle East at Hotel Mountview. “It’s our Arabian Food Festival that will offer the Tricity a new cuisine altogether,” mentioned CITCO’s general manger A K Malhotra as he passes on the special menu. But first,it’s the ambience that deserves a mention. Set in the sprawling lawns,the hotel,with help from students from the College of Art,has put together a theme-based Arabic place. “We worked on a ‘Ali Baba and Forty Thieves’ theme and that’s why you’ll notice a cave like entrance followed by specially made 40 caskets,” explains Malhotra. Blending in well are the staff,dressed in traditional Arabic gear. “To complete the whole theme,we will also have two belly dancers performing all through the festival,” the general manager chips in with further details.

It’s time we got to the menu,and it is an attempt at getting authentic here as well! Put together by Chef Rameez,the menu’s divided into many sections,namely Soups,Salads and Cold Mezza,Hot Mezza,Main Course,Meat and Chicken Char-grills,Seafood and Desserts. When it comes to soups,expect shorbas like ‘Dajaj Shorba’ (chicken soup with vermicelli),’Shorba Adas’ (thick lentil soup garnished with crispy bread,served with lemon),’Shorba Khaodar’ (creamy mixed vegetable broth made in Arabic style) and the likes. And when it comes to meals from the Middle East,dig into the all-time favourites like ‘Hummus’,’Falafel’,’Mutabal’ (minced grilled eggplant with tahini yogurt and garlic),’Fatouch’ (mixed seasonal vegetables with lemon juice,olive oil,vinegar and topped with fried bread),’Tabouleh’ and more. “To keep up with the newness,all three days of the festival will see new dishes be introduced,” informs the Chef. So if you don’t really know what a ‘Warak Inab’ or ‘Arabic Mukalal’ is,then time to dig in. For those who relish salads,you can choose from ‘Algaban’,that’s feta cheese served with sliced olives,fresh mint and tossed in olive oil; ‘Al Dgag’ that brings in steamed chicken,mushrooms and baby corn.

The menu has a wide selection of both cold as well as hot dishes in vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian options. The ‘Batata Hara’,French fries marinated with chilly sauce,garlic,lemon juice and Arabic spices with olive oil comes highly recommended so does the ‘Kibbeh’ that brings in minced meat and pine seeds and the ‘Shawrma’. But if the names leave you a tad confused then opt for a sampler platter for two that offers diners the Chef’s selection of four hot and four cold mezzas. “The best way to wrap up an Arabic meal is by indulging in the Basboosa,a semolina cake and the almond cream pudding called Muhallabia,” signals the Chef.

The special buffet dinner has been priced at Rs 595 per person during the three-day festival that’s on till April 6 from 7 pm to 11 pm.

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