Flavours of North at TFE

Tugnar Ekim 01, 2022

What International Brands inherit and how they try to incorporate the Local essence means a lot in the Hospitality industry. Park Hyatt has been putting in efforts to maintain a balance with various cuisines at their beautiful Multistoreyed restaurant - The Flying Elephant. The Food Promotions they have too are pretty diversified.

The most glittery part of TFE is the Sindoori Wall at the North Indian section and it super active as Chef Anil Khurana took over the kitchen for a special Promotion. The place was buzzing takes centre stage.

Festival: The First floor of the restaurant that houses the Indian section was buzzing with activity and Aromas of the North Indian Food Flavours.

Venue: The Flying Elephant

Location: Park Hyatt, Guindy

Date: 5th August to 14th August, 2016

Price: As per the a la carte menu featuring Chef Anil Khurana’s delicacies

When three decades of experience does the talking in the Kitchen, you just sit back and relish. From Welcome Group Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi, to Peshawari, to all over the world like Chicago, Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong, he has been everywhere spreading his magic. He has been with Hyatt from 2003 and there's no looking back.

The spices, the recipes, the tadkas and chatkas are all Dilliwala in his food.

The menu is a one pager with about 12-14 starters and about a dozen of maincourse curries and dals. There's no soup or desserts from this flavour, but there's the regular menu for the same. I couldn't wait to start tasting as soon as I heard that the Chef is so particular about his recipes that he carries all the necessary dry ingredients with him.

The usual Amuse Bouche, freshly baked soft bread with sauce is always a delight to munch on.

SOUP:

Called for a vegetable broth soup and it was a super start.

MOCKTAILS:

These colourful beauties were a delight. These are not part of their regular menu, nor actually the North Indian menu, but the Bar tender has come up with this amazing drinks especially to go with the North Indian dishes. A lot of places in Delhi, diners prefer healthy drinks like these instead of aerated drinks, hence.

Watermelon Mule: Seedless watermelon, Fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, and ginger juice. Very light and good to go with the starters.

Banana & Orange Drink: Banana Puree with chilled water, finely chopped carrots, lime juice, orange pulp with mint leaves...A bit heavy, but this was my pick amongst all the four.

Apple Kiwi Punch: A blend of Kiwi, Apple, Lemon Juice, Honey and Chaat Masala. For me, this was odd, but my family loved it. It was again on the thicker note. Interesting combination though.

Cucumber & Pineapple Mocktail: Cucumber, Pineapple and lime juice, as simple as it can get and as refreshing. A very light one.

APPETIZERS:

Hara Bhara Kebab – Stuffed spinach patty with cheese and spice. You need to actually see, eat and experience this. Such super soft kebabs, best substitute to Galouti Kebabs, if you are a vegetarian. Even as a Non Veg eater, I liked this. It has nuts etc stuffed at the centre, making it sweetish there and I am not fond of the sweetness in a salted dish. Overall it tasted good. Very good portion.

Khubani ka Paneer Tikka - Apricot stuffed cottage cheese steaks cooked in charcoal oven. Whoa. This took me to Delhi for sure. My most fond memory of Delhi food amongst many other things is the quality of Paneer, softness, freshness and huge portion. The cube was real large and so succulent. Well flavoured and awesome taste. The only thing is the apricot, though gives it the Royal feel, but adds sweetness.

Murg Afghani Tikka: Chicken thigh marinated with black pepper, cumin, yoghurt and cheese. There are three options in Chicken starters and all good ones. I chose this one and I was so happy. One of those dishes where you wanna keep having much more beyond the tasting portion. Very tough to stop eating. Creamy and so flavourful, and what a texture.

Mahi Tikka – Market Fish, carom seeds, Chilli, ginger, Garlic Paste : This actually almost covered up for Tandoori Murg. But I loved the Afghani Murg Tikka most.

Tandoori Jheenga – Prawn marinated with carom seeds, ginger, garlic, yogurt. I definitely wanted to try this and I would recommend this for prawns lovers. Nothing like what we have here usually. Just basic ingredients but such classy outcome.

Definitely Chef Khurana Ke Haath Mein Swaad Hai.

In fact now, there are two new additions to the vegetarian appetizers in the special menu and one of the dishes is Baingan Ka Bharta! Just imagine how it would be. My mouth is watering already.

Each Gravy was so different than the other and that's one aspect that speaks a lot about the Chef and his expertise.

Rarra Gosht: Slow braised lamb and lamb mince cooked with brown onion, tomato and whole spices. Not too fond of lamb, but felt like trying it. It was different with the lamb being minced. The gravy felt regular.

Kasoori Macchi Masala: Fish Curry, Onion, Tomato and Garlic Masala, Dried Fenugreek : That Kasooru Methi flavour gave it the real feel, just how it should be.

Amritsari Chole: Chickpea Stew, Bishop’s Weed, Raw Mango. This came with the Amritsari Kulcha. How could we not order this and how could the Chef not serve this! Ah, the Chole flavour is still lingering on my tongue and I want to have it again and again. There is so much Punjabiness in that Chole, that I miss a lot of people from my family right now. I am gonna make sure my friend from Amritsar, who is here, craving or this, visits TFE before the Promotion ends.

Paneer Gulistan: Paneer Roulade Stuffed with Spinach, Cheese: This sounded very exotic and looked too. The Spinach and cheese parts were perfect and so was the bright orange gravy. The only thing odd was the paneer roulade, felt it a tad bit hard .

Dal Makhani: Braised Black Lentils, Cream and Butter. It would a crime not ordering this. Every nook and corner of Delhi and Punjab smell of the most yummilicious Maa Di Daal, and I had a piece of that memory in this slow braised dal. A tasting session doesn't justify this dish at all. I wish I had packed some for home, missed it.

Amongst the Indian Breads, there was also some Missi Roti and my all time childhood favourite Flavoured Lachcha Paratha.

Tha Kulchas were stuffed, the Missi Roti was crisp and yum. But But But, my thing was the Lachcha Parathas and even more than the parathas, the magic sprinkled on top. Ah, taht's what my grandma used to make for breakfast and we used to lick that masala. All you need is that paratha with a glass of tea and the breakfast is sorted, no accompaniment required at all.

Well, here's the secret masala sprinkle, right from Chef Khurana (Thank me Later)

Yellow Chilli powder, Dried Mint, Anar Dana, Chaat Masala, Kala Namak (Black salt).. Killer powder, I tell you.

DESSERT:

The Flying Elephant Signature Chocolate Cake with A Chocolate Shot: A light airy cake, made with layers of extra bitter Guayaquil cacao barry chocolate, biscuit sponge, chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse. Served on a crunchy base of cocoa syrup-soaked hazelnut biscuit. Vanilla Icecream on the side. The chocolate shot had tea, while I was expecting chocolate or atleast coffee. Well, the kid didn't like the cake cause she found it hard. It was perfect for me. But she she loved mixed the shot and icecream. Have it all together and it is heavenly.