Culinary rainbow

So when I went to Ziya at The Oberoi Mumbai,I was absolutely delighted to be presented with the gourmand menu. I often dine on my own — a habit I picked up as a young manager. It gives me time to chat with the staff,peruse all the menus at length and do such embarrassing things like checking the provenance of the flatware. The gourmand menu is a set menu that has been crafted keeping in mind the culinary traditions of India and providing a gastronomic experience that intends to surprise and yet comfort. I am skipping the course structure,but when Chef Renji presents a cloche that reveals a chicken preparation swimming in a white sauce,he asks me to guess. I start to name a dish it resembles. But he insists,“Taste it first”. And surprise,surprise,it’s chicken tikka makhani — in white sauce! I am not feeling very clever,but certainly comfortably tipsy because each course is paired with a wine. Starting with the Bollinger and finishing with a delightful Muscatel-Gewurztraminer for the dessert course. The big win for me was the Louis Jardot Chablis (2009) — with its clean finish and mild acidity,it is the perfect accompaniment for Indian food with a global sensibility and I would have been happy with it right through. It was,however,impeccably paired with the tandoori wasabi lobster creating a moment of culinary heaven.

(Advaita Kala is an author and has worked in restaurants and kitchens in India and abroad)