Food: The great dark chocolate rush

(This article was published in 2006)

A lick. A bite. A flavour-rich chew. And you're hooked. That's the bitter truth about chocolate. Yet, chocophiles globally are united by a singular passion for this feel-good cacao product — despite medical warnings of obesity, diabetes and tooth cavities. 

Over the past year, glad tidings have infected chocoholics globally (count me in). Dark chocolate has health benefits, proclaims the media, including quasi-medical articles in Time, Newsweek and Forbes. A reason to celebrate with another bar of Lindt 70 per cent or a Godiva selection or even Ghirardelli intense dark Twilight Delight with 72 per cent cacao.

The great dark chocolate rush was triggered by reports celebrating its antioxidants, found in fruits and vegetables, berries, red wine and natural cacao. These natural compounds, say scientists, can prevent cell damage, thus slowing down the onset of heart disease or cancer.

What's clear is this: milk and white chocolate are now passé among chocolate aficionados.

Big-league global manufacturers recognise that the future market is gearing up for chocolate labelled bitter, dark, extra dark, extra bittersweet or extra-cacao, generally with an unsweetened chocolate content of over 50 per cent.

So, Mars Inc. rolled out its premium CocoaVia line of flavanol-rich dark chocolate, steeped in cholesterol-busting plant sterols. Not to be outdone, Hershey Co. introduced an Extra Dark bar last autumn, while M&M's now offers limited-time Snickers Dark. Nestlé is backing its new KitKat 4 Finger Dark to tap into a UK market predicted by a research group to grow 48 per cent to £191.1 million by 2010. Even Cadbury's UK launched Flake Dark for the 3 million new dark chocolate fans who emerged over the past two years.

More recently, in the US, a thick chocolate-acai berry drink called Xocai (www.mydrchocolate.com) has been creating a buzz. Why? Selling nuggets, protein bars and drink under the banner of the "healthy chocolate revolution" through a network of distributors, they cite Forbes magazine for their cause: "Over a 15-year period, men who ate cocoa regularly had significantly lower blood pressure... men who consumed the highest amount of cocoa were half as likely to die from cardiovascular disease... men who ate most cocoa were less likely to die from any causes."

What is Xocai's USP? The hyped antioxidant power of unprocessed cocoa, Amazonian acai berries, dark grapes and blueberries.

While the Xocai products have yet to reach the Indian market, an online acquaintance did send some nuggets and soya-fortified protein bars to my Bangalore base. First impressions? The nugget, with concentrated cacao, delights the palate with its intense, strong taste. Teamed with a glass of water, it kept hunger pangs at bay for the next three hours.

As for the flavour-layered, chewy protein bar, dieters have used it for on-the-go lunches, losing up to 19 lb over five weeks, according to Kandi Pruitt, a Texas-based distributor.

Of course, the home truths about Indian consumption patterns differ radically. A Mumbai-based spokesman for market leader Cadbury responds on e-mail: "Currently we do not market any dark chocolate in India. In our view, dark chocolate will only cater to niche segment." 

He stresses, "Compared to the West, chocolate consumption in India is extremely low. Per capita consumption in urban India is about 300 gm, as compared to 9 kg in the UK. That's because the consumption of traditional substitutes like mithais is huge."

Yet Indian chocoholics are as fanatical as their counterparts abroad. Why? Malini Suryananayan, a Bangalore-based baker, responds, "I prefer dark chocolate to mithai. People here are still wary that chocolate somehow has eggs or some kind of animal fat in it, which is true in the case of cheap chocolate, which uses animal product-based emulsifiers. Dark chocolate has very few takers in India simply because we do not accept bitterness as a complex taste sensation."

She adds, "It is proven that consuming dark chocolate increases the endorphin release in the human brain, generally putting us all in a good mood. The Aztec ruler Montezuma drank chocolate drinks (roasted cacao nibs pounded and mixed with water) daily because it was believed to increase a man's libido! Personally, I eat just a square, instead of a whole block of milk or white chocolate, constantly searching for that chocolate fix!"

What other chocolate signals are worth heeding? Dr Nandita Iyer, Mumbai-based health and food researcher/writer, says, "I know for a fact that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants. But I see no sense in hogging a whole bunch of chocolates, thereby increasing sugar and calorie intake, for the antioxidant benefits I could have as well got from a fresh salad."

Nandita stresses, "Wine and chocolate, which are touted as good for health, cease to be any good if we can't stop at one glass or a small square. Moderation is difficult to practise when it comes to goodies."

What of the health `benefits'? Dr George Cherian, long a Vellore-based cardiologist, now at Bangalore's Narayana Hrudayalaya, observes, "Most of the short-term crossover trials show that systolic blood pressure readings come down by 10-15 points, or good cholesterol goes up. But little is known of the long-term effects. On their own, antioxidants have been shown to be useless in preventing cardiac complications."

Dr Cherian adds, "I can safely say that if you can afford the calories, dark chocolate is possibly good for you. It certainly won't do you any harm."

Will dark chocolate ever capture mithai-centric Indian city-dwellers? Tongue-in-cheek, Malini responds, "Dark chocolate should be a must in the diet. Imagine the state of bliss one will be in when in a traffic jam or an intense meeting in the office! As for traditional diets, what about lamb chops simmered in chili-chocolate?"

While the jury's still out on whether the dark chocolate buzz will last, there's still time for a quick bite. But no more than a square at a time. Over-indulgence, for certain, could result in bitter medicine. 

(The Hindu Business line 2006) 

Eating out: The Bengalization of Bangalore

Chingri- prawn malai curry

(This piece dates back to 2009)

WHEN The Esplanade, Bangalore’s newest Bengali restaurant, opened in Koramangala in April, it signalled a shift in the city’s food focus. Despite recessionary times, Chef Shubhankar Dhar – a former partner at 6 Ballygunge Place in upmarket Indira Nagar – decided to go solo. Leaping into the unknown, he offers ‘contemporary’ Bengali cuisine, much of which does not exist in Kolkata.  

Dhar thus redefines a foodie phenomenon that began with Babumoshai in 2001. That wallet-friendly eatery in the bustling Majestic area catered to homesick Bengalis arriving by train or bus. It has since opened branches on C M H Road and Hanumanthnagar. Unlike Kolkata, where few would seek Bengali food at a restaurant, while Thukurmas and Kakimas still stir up memorable meals at home, Bangalore was a poor hunting ground. In the 1990s, options were probably limited to loochi, aloo dum, and cholar dal at the legendary K C Das sweetshop on Church Street.

As a local wag put it, the Bengali – however global – is passionate about fine living, including politics and poetry, football and food! But does that account for the slew of Bengali restaurants since – Bangaliana in Koramangala (2002), 36 Chowringhee Lane in Shantinagar (2004), 6 Ballygunge Place in Indira Nagar (2005), Bay of Bengal on Church Street (2007), Oh Calcutta in 2008, and now The Esplanade? Oh Calcutta, from the group behind Mainland China, already has branches in Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. Besides, for simpler fare including Kolkata-style rolls, there is Lazeez in Koramangala and Best of Bengal in Frazer Town.    

Bangaliana, with a fish meal initially on offer from Rs. 40 to 95 per head, had the young IT/ BPO crowd from Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bihar homing in twice a day for flavours like Ma’s cooking. Today, the originally 34-seater mess-like eatery in Koramangala, set up with an investment of about Rs. 3-5 lakh, generates an annual turnover of Rs. 40-50 lakh.

Likewise, at 36 Chowringhee Lane, a bhapa elish (steamed hilsa) fish meal was priced at Rs. 105, while a chicken kansha curry meal was priced at Rs. 85. Addressing a clientele beyond Bengalis, Shubhrajyoti Dasgupta, who set up the no-frills restaurant, recalls when Jnanpith award-winning playwright Girish Karnad and his wife walked in one day, seeking authentic murighonto (fish head cooked with fragrant Gobindobhog rice).  

Bhapa ilish, a popular steamed fish curry

 

Swapan Kumar Ghosh, the brain behind Bangaliana, analyzes the boom thus: “More people are accepting our cuisine. About 40 per cent of my clients are non-Bengalis, including non-vegetarian Tamilians. Some come in with requests for shukto or aloo posto (poppyseed potatoes). Now that Bangaliana is an established brand, I’d like to expand to Airport Road or Total Mall.”

Can Bangalore’s Bengali population support such a crop of restaurants? According to the Bengalee Association, there are approximately 6.5 lakh Bengalis in a metropolis of about eight million.

Bangalore-based since 1986, Chippy Gangjee is a Kolkata-born communication skills trainer. He says, “Bengalis aren’t the only ones here pining for Kolkata’s food. The Marwaris and others who’ve lived in Bengal love the cuisine, too, especially its range of delicious vegetarian dishes.”

How do local Bengalis see it? Jayaditya Gupta, a sports journalist and occasional food writer, responds over email: “The Bengali's love for his own cuisine can't be exaggerated. A friend is a Kolkata-based accountant. When his staff come to Bangalore on work, they stay at a five-star hotel (one of his clients), but eat all their meals at Bay of Bengal. They refuse to eat anywhere else! That's what all these restaurants tap into.” 

Kosha mangsha, of mutton/ lamb

 

Chef-entrepreneur Abhijit Saha, who recently launched his signature tapas lounge/ restaurant Caperberry, was earlier Director, Food and Services, at The Park. Voted one of India’s top ten chefs in a 2002 independent Outlook poll, he analyzes the trend: “I’d call it a coming of age of regional Indian cuisines, beyond the standard Tandoori/ North Indian fare. I feel Bengali food has the potential to make it as haute cuisine. At hotel management school in New Delhi about 20 years ago, I figured out why. The character of this cuisine depends on seasonal ingredients. Most dishes use just one or two distinctive spices, such as ginger/jeera, panch phoron (five whole seeds), or red chilli/ mustard. Its unique home repertoire can be translated into a restaurant menu of 30 to 40 dishes, or six to nine courses.”  

Gupta adds, “There’s always been an interest in ‘Calcutta’ food, not necessarily Bengali food, which includes Raj era food, Mughlai food, even momos and thukpa… Those who aren't comfortable with Bengali food can try the Anglo-Indian part.”

At this juncture, Dhar’s 54-cover enterprise seems on track to capture Calcutta-oriented palates. Besides reviving Anglo Kolkata fare like Jumbo Prawn Thermidor once celebrated at the famed Firpo’s and the Smoked Hilsa from Peleti’s restaurant, his contemporary Bengali cuisine tweaks traditional recipes to present palate-pleasers, fusing culinary knowledge with an adventurous spirit.

For instance, starters like Gandharaj bhapano chingri (steamed prawns marinated with Bengal’s distinctive Gandharaj lime) or Poddo Pataye Kasundi Murgi (mustard chicken cooked in lotus leaves). Fragrant Gobindobhog accompanies unusual main dishes like Chingri Aam Kasundi (giant prawns cooked with green mango/mustard), Kankra Chingrir Palang Ghonto (spinach sautéed with shrimp and crabmeat), or Mochar Dhoka Dalna (banana flower and dal dhokla in gravy). Traditional mishti? No way. Dhar serves baked nut-topped rossogolla in creamy rabri instead; its crusted sweetness melts on the tongue.

Perhaps Dhar’s is the first bold step towards the Bengalization of the Bangalore palate. Or even a leap towards the haute launch of a regional cuisine, if Saha has his way. As Ghosh points out, this business is about a passionate 24/7 commitment from kitchen to customer. Every which way, it’s bon appetit for Calcuttans in Bangalore, now spoilt for choice.  

ENDS            

   

    

Eating out: A chance encounter with master chef Antonio Carluccio

(This article dates back to 2005)


Chef Antonio Carluccio is in an expansive mood in July 2005. Just hours before the gourmet glitterati of Bangalore sample an Italian feast he has conjured up — just as Mamma would have done it — he has stories to share, food theories to propound. And a distinct feeling of coming home to the boutique hotels of his friend Priya Paul.


Because as diners at The Park hotel's i-t.ALIA recognise from conversations with its executive chef Abhijit Saha, its memorable menu is the brainchild of London-based Carluccio. It grew out of 300 original dishes he fashioned in 2001 at the boutique hotel's kitchen over 15 days. Who can ever forget its exquisite grilled king prawns with roast potatoes, artichokes and tomato? Or the divine green apple salad with walnuts?

To dine at the restaurant is to be a confirmed convert to Italian food. A fact that would make Carluccio proud. For this food evangelist has made over a 100 appearances on the BBC. That's besides his wildly successful books on the cuisine. Thanks to his Neal Street Restaurant and his Italian gourmet café-delicatessens, Carluccios, he is today considered Britain's leading authority on Italian food and funghi (mushrooms, to the uninitiated!) No wonder foodies toast this Chef Commendatore for his lifetime dedication to Italian food.

Settling comfortably on a sofa, Carluccio confesses: "We manage very well in Italy to produce a good meal with just a few fresh ingredients. That's the secret to it all. For me, it's important that The Park's chefs recognise the actual taste of a dish from my demonstration — and they can now replicate it."

What do Chefs Saha and Mandaar Sukhantar replicate at the sit-down dinner for 60? With wine, the guests sample unusual antipasti — divine deep-fried olives hinting at a mild cheese, with crunchy frito misto of seafood, even an unusual Sardinian foccacia bread of onion and anchovy.

At crisply-laid tables with elegant flower arrangements, we encounter another of Carluccio's passions — the mushroom. This time, it is a delicious cream of porcini soup that is edgy and innovative.

It takes this diner back to our earlier conversation. "I've been going out to collect mushrooms in the wilds of southern Italy since I was six. I don't understand why the British don't love mushrooms as much as the French and the Italians do. So many good things in life begin with a fungus, like bread and cheese! And the English walk past perfectly good mushrooms at Hyde Park!" Carluccio sounds off indignantly.


The buffet spread assaults the senses. More antipasti — unforgettable pan-roasted red peppers with almond, fish carpione, and assorted salami with traditional breads like grissini, foccacia and ciabatta. Each the answer to a gastronome's prayers.

So are the main courses. Such as a delicate fresh asparagus risotto. Or pasta like tagliolini with white truffle oil. Stuffed tender lamb cutlets sandwiched with cheese. Tuscan tournedos of beef with mushrooms.

Fragrant broccoli with garlic and chilli. Gnocchi with melted gorgonzola. Grilled cubes of polenta with caponata. And a mild, stew-like chicken from Burano (the island off Venice famed for its lace).

For a food writer like Carluccio, with his book on 20 Italian provincial cuisines slated for an October release, how important are restaurant reviews? "Not much," he laughs. "For how can any critic know all about the 80 cuisines now available in London? And even the famed Michelin guide has been known to make crucial errors!" Instead, since the palate never lies, we glide smoothly on to light-as-air Zabaglione in a wineglass for dessert, with brilliant pears poached in red wine, along with a Gianduja and mascarpone cake. Rounded out with coffee granita with heavenly sliced walnut and fig salami.

The Carluccio feast lingers in memory long after the last morsel is downed. These dishes with the maestro's touch will soon be accessible on the i-t.ALIA menu. What's left to say? Bon appetit!

(The Hindu Metroplus, 2005)

Eating out: A D Singh ~ forging the Olive brand

A D Singh: cheers to fine dining

A SPREAD of ochre flooring. Pure azure on slant tile roofing. Roughly daubed white walls, enhanced by random niches, antique furniture, incandescent chandeliers. Sunny blooms in a chunky mug. A bamboo thicket amidst a sea of white sand. 

           Cane chairs and random tables. Alfresco dining by candlelight. A classy bar that serves divine cocktails, choicest wines. The finest of global ingredients, rendered as New Mediterranean fusion cuisine, inspired by the kitchens of south Europe, Asia Minor and north Africa.

What do these translate into, in restaurant terms? Olive Beach. Launched in Bangalore on Nov. 2, it marks new vistas for India’s largest growing brand in the art of fine living. An offshoot of Mumbai’s famed, five-year old Olive Bar and Kitchen, conceptualized by restaurateur extraordinary A.D. Singh, it takes off from the Olive in a classic Delhi haveli. The latter, launched in 2003, was voted one of the world’s best new restaurants by the Conde Nast Traveller. That’s besides recommendations by the New York Times and BBC.

With brilliant interiors by Mumbai’s Nozer Wadia, the Olive brand fuses the talents of its partners. Henry Tham’s restaurant expertise (Mumbai reveres him!). Martin da Costa’s event management skills. Singing star Sagarika’s aesthetic eye. Sabina Singh’s originality. And, at the very heart of it all, A D Singh’s visionary style.

What is the essence of Olive? In an easy, pre-launch conversation at The Oberoi in Bangalore, Singh spells it out, “We’ve raised the bar, pushed the envelope, so that people are coming up with better products now. The first Olive took us 15 months, the Bangalore one took seven. The restaurant business is not about money or glamour. You have to work at conceptualizing, positioning, getting it all right. Then, your product will last ten to 15 years.”

What triggered this concept?  “My wife and I were at a beach at Phuket seven years ago, when we found ourselves returning to the same restaurant every day. Why, we wondered. It was because a lazy, timeless feel. Exactly what an urban environment needed.”

Back in Mumbai, the electrical engineer from Lafayette University and former Cadbury’s and TCS employee, chose to launch Olive in the western Khar suburb. Before Singh could spell lobster on mini bliny or kiwi soufflé, his sun-drenched restaurant had been adopted as a happening place by the Page 3 crowd.

But that was no surprise. Especially since Singh’s forte is ideation. He proved it with Party Lines, which he launched after an NGO stint ~ to organize corporate dos at sea. Then with Just Desserts in 1990, a jazz café that India Today termed the “phenomenon of the Nineties.” By 1996, he had launched Copa Cabana, Mumbai’s Latin bar with a buzz. Soul Fry and Soul Kadi, serving home-style coastal cuisine, followed in quick succession. Next came a landmark leisure concept, the Bowling Company.

As for the Olive brand, since 2000 it has done standalone Indian restaurants proud. “We’d like it to be a space where a customer can enjoy various facets of an evening out ~ drinking, eating or hanging out. Almost unknowingly, we tapped into a move away from formal dining, into more informal, casual dining, to relaxation without compromising on quality,” asserts Singh. “We’ve made sure our food is as good as any you’d get at Mumbai’s Zodiac Grill or Bangalore’s Jockey Club. Our service is customer-responsive.” He adds, chuckling, “We respect our clientele, but we can’t give them tomato ketchup with their pasta!”

How exclusive is upmarket Olive? “We’re the fussiest with our admissions policy. If you dress badly or wear chappals, you’re not respecting the space. Or if a group of drunks wants to make masti or tease women. I don’t like that,” confesses Singh. “When people go to a good restaurant, it’s to enjoy fine food, wines, malt, cigars and gourmet coffee. That’s why we’re strict about kids under ten during dinner, though I would allow infants. Besides, we’re a bar, so it wouldn’t be fitting for kids to hang around.”

Recalling the Delhi experience, Singh says, “We couldn’t get our liquor licence in time. Yet, from November to March, we were full every night as a gourmet food destination. And when we did open our bar, it was for members only, exclusively women ~ and free! By avoiding a rowdy crowd that might mess up the restaurant scene, we lost money, but created the right position.”

What gourmet notes mark Olive dining? “We use very high quality ingredients, be they salmon, lamb, beef, and top of the line local seafood. Very good oils and cheeses,” he insists. “The chefs at each restaurant can take the credit for the food. We’re not trying to standardize it. Because our food combines different influences, it’s difficult to maintain consistency. But we do have some signature dishes. Such as a shashlik-like dish from Portugal, dramatically served on a stand. And a pita platter with hummus, black bean hummus, baba ghanoush and so on. Even pizzas on a one-metre tray. I’m a big believer in table display…”

Since each Olive restaurant cost about Rs. 2.5 to 3 crore to establish, with a three year breakeven period, what essential aspects did the entrepreneur focus on? Singh responds, “Firstly, it’s important to create the idea. What is your concept, your positioning, your USP? It could be about breaking into the suburbs. Put your business plan together. Understand what the numbers are. Concentrate on your back end ~ the supply chain, the control systems, the fund flow. These are critical.”

What is the bottom line? “Most consultants have their own agenda. If you don’t have experience in the industry, bring in a professional,” he offers with deliberation.

Now that Olive is a restaurant brand the world is taking note of, with close to 500 staff, has Singh slammed the door on his former NGO self? Smiling, he replies, “At Just Desserts, we worked with the Sadhana school for mentally challenged kids. We did PR and raised funds for them over 12 years. Olive, Mumbai, contributes Rs. 4 from every bill ~ from our side, not from the customer ~ to support a school for the hearing impaired in Dehradoon. Over five years, we’ve raised almost Rs. 12-15 lakhs. In Delhi, we’ve either partnered with or given our space to many charities. By and large, I like to work with children.”

Among the glitterati who flit through his dazzling 100-cover Olive Beach, devouring exquisite canapés between sips of champagne at the launch brunch, A.D. Singh seems content. With reason. Because the southern metropolis poses a new challenge to his brand. A challenge he loves as an innovator.

            For he did declare: “My excitement in this business is the creation, the dreaming, the vision. Ideally, I’m trying to build teams that take the detailing away from me and allow me to ideate. I’d rather grow beautifully, than quickly.”

(Originally in The Hindu Business Line, November 2005)

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A touch of class

 
(This restaurant review appeared in The Hindu Metroplus, Bangalore, in December 2005)

SOME dining experiences are about great food. Some are about bonhomie over quick bites. But the experience of the new Olive Beach is a class apart ~ and worth several revisits.

By what gauge? Because its leisurely fine dining experience matches Bangalore’s laidback essence. Because its New Mediterranean fusion menu is superlative. And its table displays veer towards superior aesthetics. No wonder the brand’s earlier avatar in a transformed Delhi haveli, Olive Bar and Restaurant, was rated among the world’s best new restaurants by the Conde Nast Traveller in 2003.

Over a tasting array by executive sous chef Anuj Kapoor (previously at the Delhi Olive) from its bar snacks, a la carte and specials menu, we try to understand Olive Beach  flavours. They prove to be ultra-select, based on the choicest olive oil, cheeses, fresh seafood, meats, and vegetables. Warmed by a heady strawberry-kiwi margarita from the sunken in bar with all-round access, we take to the restaurant as shells do to sand.

It’s love at first bite with their signature dishes. Take the Mezzanine of nine gourmet dips ~ including black bean hummus, baba ghanoush, aioli, and an innovative   chilli jam. Served in ceramic containers on a wooden stand, we tuck into them with delectable crisps and special breads. The Chicken Espetada is as spectacular ~ melting chicken cubes presented dramatically on a vertical stand, pit-roasted, fragrant with juniper berries.  

The classic Vegetables en Papilotte arrives at our table in a gold-singed paper bag resembling a giant momo, slit to serve herbed fresh vegetables, nestling on tender pearl barley. Signature dessert notes linger on with a hot chocolate fondant accompanied by delicate licorice ice-cream with a divine balsamic glaze (yes, read vinegar here!). Even a diner who normally hates licorice succumbs to it.

We recognize that the Olive brand (which took Mumbai and Delhi by storm) devotes attention to impeccable detailing. Before the entrees, we wander around the alluring space with its ochre flooring, daubed white walls with surprise niches, muted candles mated sublimely with tiered crockery above pristinely layered table linen. Soothed by the muted indoor ambience, our eyes feast on a bamboo grove by pristine sands under the starry sky, where others dine.

Signature notes apart, chef Kapoor spikes his Caeser Salad with individuality ~ rich with thyme-roasted chicken, crisp bacon, anchovies, and Parmesan slivers. He transforms fresh field greens and feta brilliantly with shallots, sherry vinegar, a hint of mustard. The Meat Platter is plated brilliance ~ delicate Parma ham, dill-garnished Norwegian salmon, even Chorizo sausage, with pickled olives and mushrooms. As for the fried Soft Shell Crab with caper mayonnaise, it is a dream dish with spiced watermelon cubes and arugula greens.   

Among Olive’s soups, the Crustacean Bisque is outstanding, its definitive lobster, crab and shrimp flavours distinctly enhanced by cognac cream and anchovy oil (perhaps a hint of saffron?), though the truffle-scented Minestrone did not match the restaurant’s dizzying culinary benchmarks.

Of the entrees, the Zesty Thyme and Lemon Grilled Chicken is to die for ~ its  tangy accents redefining the tender chicken, presented as a colour-savvy food symphony. The Dorada (Mahi Mahi) Tropical transforms fish as seldom before, luscious with a jalapeno pineapple emulsion. The Lobster Risotto has tender Arborio rice fleshed out with succulent seafood and wilted arugula. The homemade tagliatelle is pasta al dente at its best, its zing stemming from bacon rashers, herbs and asparagus. But then, Olive’s Pizza Spinacci con Caprino is equally nonpareil ~ its thin crust impeccable, subtly layered with spinach, smoky tomatoes, even goat’s cheese.

Chef Kapoor even tweaks the desserts with flair. Winking at coffee lovers, the delectable Tiramisu is served with a shot of Espresso. And a rich pistachio Baklava crust is topped with a mousse of ~ take a deep breath! ~ figs and rose petals. Sheer palate magic! 

Olive Beach, currently open for drinks, dinner and Sunday brunch, will branch into lunch from January 16 onwards. It wafts fresh air into the Bangalore restaurant scene almost effortlessly. Through a trend-setting menu. An easy, stylish ambience over 4,000 sq. ft and 120-covers. And a fine dining experience that combats the debilitating urban rush, as a DJ plays muted world music and jazz, a backdrop to real conversations. It is, in a seashell, the ozone without the grit of sand.

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How to up the ante on fine dining

 

(Originally in The Hindu Business Line in May 2008)

 

TO CHANGE and to change for the better are two different things, says a German proverb. The thought crossed my mind as we sampled Chef de Cuisine Manu Chandra’s just launched new dinner menu at a table for three at the upper crust Mediterranean-imbued Olive Beach restaurant in Bangalore. Outdoors, lights flickered over a bamboo clump as our glasses of superb Sauvignon Blanc clinked, lulled by a timeless feel, perfect within an urban hub.

But questions followed more quickly than courses. Can such a recognized brand, feted by the Conde Naste Traveller, BBC and the New York Times since its November 2005 southern launch, better its art of fine dining? Will its clientele morph in keeping with Bangalore’s evolving palate?

            On initial visits, Olive Beach won us over with its with classy ambience, impeccable service and Mediterranean fusion menu, especially signature dishes like the Mezzanine of nine gourmet dips or the dramatic chicken espetada on a stand. Today, hungry for change, it ups the ante in a dramatic, almost futuristic, leap.

How? Its new avatar menu, with slip-in sheets, has water-colour embellishments by French pop artist Xavier Hiquet, whose work Olive Beach shared with diners in November 2007.

Its pages translate into food as high art. Take the Essence of Tomato and Watermelon. A moulded tian of peppers, tomato, cucumber, and avocado fragrant with coriander leaves is placed before us in large-rimmed, oval-scooped bowls. As watermelon juice is poured on from a long-stemmed bottle, we find ourselves supping on summer distilled.

Three starters enhance the inspired mood. The classic French Tomato Tart Tatin, a medley of delicately herbed goat’s cheese, creamy ricotta, and fragrant tomatoes on a light puff pastry shell was seductive, drizzled with a pistou of garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. The raw Tuna Crudo was superlative: presented as a thin-sliced tender carpaccio balanced with a salsa of tomato/ capers/ olives, then re-invented with pine-nut and herb-rich dolma rice, transformed a third time with a tartar sauce with unusual zing. The three fragrant mounds, on a stretched, pristine platter, were visually enticing. Just as brilliant was the Pan-seared Foei Gras, distinctly from Rougie in France, with subtle notes of port, rich fig and prune, even arugula leaves.

Of the seafood courses, the Red Snapper en Cocotte in dainty ramekins was subtle, the fish cooked in lemon/ olive oil, balanced with a tomato-olive salad. The Atlantic Scallop was flavour-rich, intelligently paired with corn, red peppers and – a surprise here – pepper spatzle! Truly global fusion! Even more irresistible was the Crispened Manali Trout, seared on one side, balanced with a Provencale spring style barrigoule of artichokes and fava beans, aromatic with fresh thyme, lemon and garlic.

A nuanced, palate-tingling Lemon Sorbet with Champagne prepared us for the next treat: 8-Hour Lamb with 10-minute Polenta. The slow-braised shoulder of kid was impeccable, melting to the tongue and touch. It was perfectly offset by the mustard-rich, rosemary-scented, goat’s milk-enhanced polenta.

Even the Cheese Platter was surprise-edged. Between bites of olives, a ripe Brie and Edam, we discovered a delight – honeyed pistas with a whiff of cognac!

Could the desserts be as superlative? Incredibly, they were. The Valronha Chocolate Terrine was a sensory delight, berries sandwiched between chocolate mille feuille, topped with a dark chocolate plume on a painted platter. But the Port Poached Pear proved even superior. Its fruity enticement was enhanced by the warm Almond Financier, a springy, nutty cake with delicious honey mascarpone cream.

To round off the experience, Chocotini cocktails arrive. A dream come true for a chocoholic like me, the crème de cacao, Kahlua and vodka took a while to gain expression between smooth sips. Perfect as a foil to engaging the chef in a chat about cabbages and cocktails, supply chains and clientele! 

As expats, captains of industry and globe-trotters flock to Olive Beach for its culinary adventures and perfectly-sourced ingredients including organic Indian duck, our tastebuds clamour for a say. They agree that this menu on the move is distinctly a change for the better. We raised a cheer to that, with the chef’s homemade Limoncello liqueur, its high notes recognizably those of Bengal’s Gandharaj lemon. How’s that for a fusion grand finale?

(Olive Beach, 16, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar, Babgalore -560025. Tel  41128400/ 99455-65483)