Freedom Fare

Interestingly,the Independence Day celebrations kicked off at Buzzczar on August 11. A discount coupon is now being offered to all guests for every Rs 500 they spent at Buzzczar till August 14. This 50 per cent discount coupon can be redeemed on August 15 at the special Indian buffet in the honour of the tricolour. We suggest you reserve some space for the rice kheer,traditionally made in Punjabi homes on days as special as this,to round off your I-Day feast.

And while you are at Buzzczar,do lend a ear to some patriotic music with the in-house DJ already making changes to his playlist. Children visiting the restaurant will also get to take home tricoloured kites.

Elsewhere in Zirakpur,the team at The Chandigarh Ashok,which was looking to offer an India-centric special,has come up with an Awadhi food festival which will be on till August 21 at Spice Cafe,the multi-cuisine restaurant. “We had been planning to host a food festival for a while and given the Independence Day theme,we decided to roll out Nawabi fare that’s much appreciated here,” says owner Bharat Rattan Grover.

Planned along the lines of Nawabi shauq in food and ada in presentation,the menu is robust and will appeal to those who like strong flavours and spices. The dinner buffet is priced at Rs 675 with a complementary pint beer and mocktails,and includes specialties such as salans,biryanis and special Awadhi breads. If it’s true Nawabi richness in food that you would like to sample,don’t miss out on Korma dum biryani,Yakhni biryani and Galawati Kebab.

Taking forward the spirit of unity,the menu at The Cafe at JW Marriott Chandigarh on August 15 will boast of some of the most popular dishes culled from all across India. The variety in Indian grills — Bhatti da Murgh,Haldi and Chilli marinated fish,Patrani Machi (a Parsi favourite,which is served grilled) is worth sampling. According to general manager Deepak Manocha,the selected dishes for the lunch and dinner spread on August 15,priced at Rs 750 per person (excluding taxes),would be from Punjab,Kashmir,Rajasthan,Goa,Maharashtra,Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Dishes on offer would be Malabar Parantha from Kerala coupled with Chicken Chettinad from Tamil Nadu,Fried Amritsari Fish tikka from Punjab,Paneer ke Sule from Rajasthan,Iced Gola station with Aambpanna and Kala Khatta from Mumbai.

While you are there,you can test your I-Day quotient by participating in some trivia,crossword and questions printed on the mats. A lucky winner stands to win a one-night stay for two at the JW Marriott Chandigarh with complimentary breakfast.

Speaking of special discounts,all senior citizens in the city can choose to lunch at Taj Chandigarh’s fine-dining Indian restaurant,Dera,and get a discount equivalent to their age. “Our senior citizens lunch is very popular on Independence Day. This year,we are also hosting a unique way to honour our freedom fighters. We have zeroed down on a few of them from the city and we will host a meal for them at any of our restaurants that they prefer,” says Taj Chandigarh’s general manager,Anil Malhotra. The menu at Dera will showcase an array of traditional delicacies from Punjab with specialties from Amritsar,Lahore and Peshawar as well as a few live counters dishing out special fare.

The Lobby in Sector 26,Chandigarh,will be dressed as per the occassion. On offer will be an all-inclusive dinner priced at Rs 700 offering a mix of cuisines — Indian,Oriental and Continental. The guests lunching at The Lobby on August 15 can treat their companions for free.

At the neighbouring Kava,there’s a special lunch buffet named after freedom fighters,featuring all Indian dishes. The buffet here will be priced at Rs 699 (excluding taxes).

Also sticking to the unwritten dress code for the day is Hops ‘n’ Grains in Panchkula. Apart from the patriotic music which will be interspersed with rock numbers,all the dishes for the day will stick to the tricolour code. “The staff will be in full spirit and will address guests likewise,” says Dr Priyanka Gupta,owner of the restaurant.

Among the special dishes for the day is the one called Trio Peppers,with yellow,red and green bell-peppers stuffed with risotto and polenta with grilled vegetables on the side.

A lip-smacking way to celebrate freedom this time…