L’Opéra launches ‘Salon de Thé’

L’Opéra launches ‘Salon de Thé’

Décor: One of the very first French pastry and bakery enterprises in India, L’Opéra, brings forth the brand new concept of Salon de Thé to its Epicuria outlet at Nehru Place, New Delhi. I went there on a very cold afternoon and a cup of warm cappuccino, served as soon as I reached the eatery, comforted me deeply. Salon de Thé means the tea room; and with all its whims and fancies, this place looked like a page from Alice in Wonderland. Quaintly cornered, with pistachio green chairs placed contouring a patch of moist green lawn—this place was so soothing for the eyes. A transparent sheet outlined the space to give it a private feel and cut it off from the rest of the food mall. A staunch Victorian lamp stood with much pride at the centre of the outdoor area and a romantic Parisian terrace blanketed us with much French concoction. The setting only got dreamier, with classical French music floating in the backdrop. Basically, the ambience and décor had me at hello!

Cheese Croissant at Salon de Thé

Food: Apart from its array of mouth-watering cakes and pastries, this outlet serves light meals and assorted bite-sized pastries and snacks. These include the well-known Vol au Vent, flaky pastry enveloping delightfully fresh ingredients such as chicken or assorted vegetables, with France’s much-loved Béchamel sauce or the similar Feuilleté, filled with select cheese. I loved the quiche that they served; crusty pie with a filling of chicken and cheese. There Feta cheese salad served with toasted homegrown bread with a touch of fennel was another super hit!

Vegetable Quiche at Salon de Thé

Also served on L’Opéra’s toasted house bread, is Brouillade, the velvety, buttery, French version of scrambled eggs, which will give you a taste of food from authentic French Provence region. For those looking forward to binging on light snacks, try their Croque Monsieur; it is toasted house bread with ham and melted cheese—elegantly delectable. Also, its fried egg version, called the Croque Madame is equally worth lusting for. All dishes are served with fresh salad.

Mixed salad at Salon de Thé

Lastly, what left me drooling was Café Gourmand, a selection of bite-size signature pastries and snacks served with a brewing cup of hot coffee. The assortment of mini pastries was like celebrating a mélange of flavours. They also serve select fruit juices; the sparkling apple juice was very refreshing. Also, they have a meticulous choice of selected aromatic teas to soothe your soul. Be here for a sophisticated French high-tea experience! The ambience is unhurried and food is impeccable.

Shraman, The Ashok: Recreating classical Rajasthani Cuisine

Shraman

Ambience: Located in the heart of Delhi’s lush green stretch, Shraman stands coyly in a quaint corner at the majestic Ashok hotel. A rustic staircase with subtle notes of royalty, contoured by gentle pots of plants hanging merrily, escorted us to the restaurant. There was something very ‘vintage’ about this place. Wooden furniture embossed with intricate silver work were laid aesthetically; turquoise blue table cloths became backdrop to white cutlery and a grand art piece flaunting a gorgeous peacock , carved in meenakari work stood splendidly on one of the walls. Old-world charm juxtaposed with essences of Rajasthani culture made the whole setup beautifully intriguing.

Shraman

Food: This restaurant serves only vegetarian food, breaking the taboo of Rajasthani food mostly being related to laal maas, etc. Being a pure non-vegetarian, I was initially a little stuck up about the idea; but to my surprise, their varied options on the menu turned out to be pleasantly delightful. I started with khas aur paan ka sherbet—a divinely delicious mocktail made of beetle leaves; it was absolutely refreshing and a must-try! Usually, I don’t take more than 5 minutes to decide on ordering my food; but here, I was left spoilt for choice with so many mouthwatering names floating in front of my eyes. However, after much speculation, I ordered some starters—dahi ke sholey (cakes of fresh curd blended with crushed black pepper and chili flakes) and Shraman chappan bhog (an assortment of vegetarian kebabs). Dahi ke sholey was soft, slightly grainy in texture and downright delectable. The later one had a range of appealing kebabs made of cottage cheese, potatoes, chilies and more; my favourite was the bharwa aloo, which was stuffed potato cubes infused with cottage cheese crumbles, cooked in typical Rajasthani spices.

Shraman

For the main course, I ordered the stereotypical dal bati churma; it is literally synonymous to Rajasthani cuisine. You cannot miss to have this whilst dining at a Rajasthani eatery. This traditional nomad’s meal was brought to me moulded in warm, desi ghee. The dal was rich in flavour and the bati was soft in the center and stiff at the coating; thus, it was very well cooked. I relished upon this one. This was followed by methi malai mutter—a beautiful vegetarian dish that comprises of fenugreek leaves and peas cooked in thick, rich and creamy malai (cream). This was consumed with mutter parantha. By the end of the meal, I think, my whole pre-conceived notion on vegetarian food had majorly altered. I would recommend this place to everyone (including non-vegetarian folks)—if you want to savor upon classical, vegetarian Rajasthani food in an elegant fine dining setup then this is the place to be.

Shraman

My lunch concluded with lip-smacking desserts. I had to myself a plate filled with shahi tukda and a bowl of phirni. The bread slices in the shahi tukda were crunchy and well-toasted and the rabri was fresh, thick and super creamy. The smell of elaichi (cardamom) and occasional fragments of broken pistachios brought forth an ecstatic feeling. The phirni on the other hand was nothing extraordinary. Overall, I had a great experience lunching here.

Chef’s recommendation: With its many cultural influences, this place offers a varied selection of cuisines to satisfy your palate. Signature dishes like Saundhi Paneer Tikka, Shraman 56 Bhog, Paneer Lazeez, Dal Shraman, Gatta Curry, Jodh Puri Mirchi Paneer, Vegetable Lohla Puri, Sabzi Balluchi and Shraman Punch will leave you craving for more.

Find them at: The Ashok, 50 B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Call them at: 011 24672384, 011 24123593

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ unveiled at Quli Khan’s Tomb

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Rohit Bal concluded the Spring Summer 2015 edition of India’s premiere fashion & trade event – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. It was a magical evening at Quli Khan’s Tomb with Qutub Minar as its backdrop came alive with this magnificent show.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’, inspired by the rich and lush Mughal Gardens of Kashmir, is a tribute to the God-gifted and unparalleled beauty of the valley. Mesmerising the audience, through a visual and musical spectacle, the event recreated the erstwhile court of the Mughals through flowers and live music. With guests entering to live Sufi music, the show began with the resounding voice of the internationally acclaimed doyen of Indian classical music – Shubha Mudgal. While she sang, the models walked the ramp, adorned with flowers.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

A delighted Rohit Bal said, “It is wonderful to be back and a great honour to be doing the grand finale at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week once again. It is a perfect platform for me to show uninhibited creativity and express myself through a collection that transcends all seasons and reflects my sense of aesthetics without any constraints.”

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The fabrics range from fine handlooms like chanderi, fine mulmul, matka silk and voile, while velvet lends a hint of luxury. Techniques like hand-block printing have been used with vegetable dyes and gold leaf embossing, with a generous use of quilting and tilla, and hand embroidery in resham. This subtle collection revels in an extravagant use of thread and metallic gold.

Arjun Rampal walks for Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ collection

Ivory formed the basis of this canvas; embroidered and deep jewel tones enhanced the purity of the earthy textile. The use of rich brocade from Varanasi added the right amount of glamour and opulence to the otherwise understated and demure collection.This collection represents the craft and heritage of India. It is pure in its thought and follows a philosophy of timeless style. It is quite, calm and enveloped in a cloak of serenity!

‘Tilt All Day’ launches a new Corporate Menu

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Garlic

Bored of meeting your clients in an office environment? Break the cycle by visiting Lower Parel’s charming ‘Tilt All Day’. This modern, all-day dining restaurant, is now serving a specially designed menu, catering to office going professionals, who are seeking good food, at affordable prices, in a short period of time.

Fettuccini Putanesca

This contemporary menu, offers European and Continental cuisines, with vegetarian, and non-vegetarian options to select from, across soups, salads, appetizers and main course. You can also opt for an option with/without a drink.

Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings

Drawing cues from his immense experience working with modern and classical flavours and techniques, the chef’s menu reads like any foodies’ delight, ranging from dishes such as pulled chicken salad, quinoa tabouleh and lamb kibbeh, to favorites such as, roasted pumpkin soup, BBQ chicken wings, margarita flatbreads and more.

Burger and fries

The main course option features, eggplant parmigiana, polenta, and vegetarian lasagna, complemented with non-vegetarian options like, grilled chicken breast, beef burger, and grilled basa as choices. You can also choose a two course meal including soup and salad for Rs 250 or appetizer and main course for Rs 350 and a three course meal that includes soup/salad, appetizer and main for Rs 450. Beer or Red Bull will be at an additional cost of Rs 100.