Worldly Wise

MR PHILEAS Fogg would have been mighty pleased had he made a stopover at the Cafe at JW Marriott Chandigarh before embarking on his arduous journey around the world. For the Cafe is currently hosting a ‘Starters of the World’ food festival which aims to take diners around the world in “80 starters”. Inspired by Jules Verne’s popular novel Around the World in 80 Days,the promotion clubbed with the dinner buffet rolls out a smorgasbord of hors d’oeuvre. Normally a buffet centres its focus on the main course dishes but this will surely appease the Punjabi palate. “We have zeroed down on a selection of 80 varieties that would be dished out through the duration of the festival,” says Pallav Singhal,the executive chef.

We arrive to find the Cafe offering a special presentation of starters laid out. From Thai,Chinese,Continental to Mediterranean,Arabic and Indian cuisines,the assortment will appeal to foodies with diverse palates. To add to the fun element,there are live stations dishing out the likes of Mexican nachos,Kolkata’s famous rolls and even churros. First to arrive are steamed chicken kothe,mixed vegetable dumplings,steamed fish and homemade tofu served with sweet chilli sauce. Looking at the selection,it’s noticeable that there has been a conscious attempt to strike a balance between vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Even if you are not a Tofu fan,don’t miss the version here. Just when one’s done polishing off the first few starters,a new batch arrives. This cycle repeats itself and that’s the starter surprise. This time it’s paprika spiced crispy chicken,char grilled pork sausages and canapes of mushroom with Thai dressing. The latter is a winner for vegetarians. For those who prefer fish,the lemon grass-flavoured fish steaks and mahi gulnar (beetroot and rose petal marinated fish) is also on the menu. Given it’s a starters line-up,it is indeed quite a huge spread and you might just run out of space (and inclination) to head to the main course. But given the number of flavours that you’ve sampled in one go,there should be no regrets.

Meal for two:Rs 2,400

Location:JW Marriott Chandigarh,Sector 35,Chandigarh

Contact:3955555