Gourmet Dinner with French Michelin Star Chef Baptiste at ITC Sonar & Four Seasons Wine

Last night I was invited to a formal sit down five course gourmet dinner at the wonderful Pool Side of ITC Sonar, located off EM Bypass organized by Four Seasons and ITC.

Invitation Card

 It featured Michelin Star Chef Baptiste.

Voted as one of the top 6 young chefs in France by the famed Gault Millau Guide, Baptiste took over as the executive chef of his family owned restaurant, La Tour at the age of 29 and received his Michelin Star in 2011. Having worked with three-star Michelin chefs including Guy Savoy, Pourcel Brothers and also with one of the best chefs in Paris, Alain Passard, Baptiste garnered extensive experience. He also travelled around the world to Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal and other countries discovering new flavors. Baptiste has taken the food scene in Sancerre (France) by storm with his cutting edge style and use of fresh ingredients.

The event started at 7:30 pm and took place in open air with soulful live music and a nice wine bar. Being early winter evening, the weather was cool and perfect. The dinner tables were beautifully arranged and the ambience was great. We were welcomed by cool champagne as soon as we entered. Abhay Kewadkar, Director of Four Seasons Wine and Zubin S Songadwala, General Manager, ITC Sonar, gave a welcome speech. We were served the following food and wines:

• Fresh Eggplant and crunchy vegetables with shrimps SERVED with Four Seasons Chenin Blanc

• Artichoke Risotto with Black Truffle SERVED with Four Seasons Sauvignon Blanc

(The melted buttery cheese present in it was awesome)

• Steamed Fresh Water Perch on Spinach with Lime Court Bouillon SERVED with Four Season Sauvignon Blanc

(Spinach was flavorful and well done, the fish soft and succulent. It tasted like the Bhetki)

• Roast Saddle of Lamb with Zucchini, Asparagus and Panjus SERVED with Four Seasons Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Wine)

(Juicy tender meat that comes from quick searing from all sides and then roasting till it is just done. Loved every element in this dish)

• Fresh French Surprise

(Scoop of basil sorbet and thin slice of dehydrated pineapple flanked by pineapple ravioli, which could have been easily a dessert in itself )

• Hazelnut and White Chocolate, Ice and crispy cappuccino SERVED with Bouvet Brut

(Perfectly roasted crisp hazel nuts, a strong whiff of cappuccino and mild white chocolate)

They also gave complimentary red wine bottle and box of chocolates to all the guests when the event finally ended at 11:30 pm.

Overall, it was a pleasurable and memorable evening.

Shiraz Golden Restaurant - Park Circus

Shiraz Main Entrance

Biriyani

Shiraz is one of the most renowned restaurants in Kolkata that is well-known for its exceptional biryani. That is not to say that it’s not known for chaaps, kebabs and Tandoori Chicken; they are as famous as the Kolkata Biryani that they make. Kolkata's biriyani is different from its Lucknowi or Hyderabadi cousins! But as a hard-core food addict, I swear by Kolkata's Biriyani to be the tastiest amongst the 3 cousins. Blame it on my palate or partiality towards Kolkata - but for biriyani, I would rather wait for a seat at Shiraz Kolkata than at Abid's or Paradise at Hyderabad. A very contentious topic in Kolkata "where to get the best BIRIYANI?". Kolkata Food lovers swear by their favourite joints and very often, this becomes a topic for a heated argument. I know many other Kolkatans would instantly think of some of its closest competitors like Arsalan, Nizam’s or Aminia being better that Shiraz, but I am a die-hard fan of Shiraz when it comes to biriyani! The rice used in Shiraz's biriyani is slender, smooth and unbroken. And then when you take a spoonful of its mutton or chicken biriyani, it almost melts in your mouth! Legend has it that biriyani was never made with chicken - only recently has the modern Bong demanded the "lesser evil" chicken over mutton - and hence we have chicken biriyani.