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.

Waterside Cafe- Hyatt Regency

The Waterside Café of Hyatt Regency Kolkata, a spacious and stylish, 24hours café located within the massive Italian architecture building, is famous for the beautifully landscaped gardens and water view of the property. Beautiful aesthetics, be it day or night, high French windows opening to the landscaped greens, and an aqua pool beyond add to the charm. Its high ceiling overlooks the atrium lobby, floor to ceiling window overlook the fountain and pool side. The other restaurants of Hyatt are La Cucina (Italian), Guchhi (Indian), Poolbar (Outdoor Dining), The Bakery, The BAR. Relaxed sofa lounge seating along with regular comfortable and stylish sitting arrangements are available for guests to witness a classy world cuisine throughout the day. The regular Indian/European buffet for lunch and dinner might seem repetitive, but the European bistro-style a la carte won't disappoint you. There are steaks, salads, sushi, crepes and delectable desserts to savor. At the Waterside Cafe there is a show kitchen, a fantastic wine list and an unlimited, fresh bread basket with the chef's compliment. The venue offers Wi-Fi connection available 24 hours with an interactive bar. The Bakery (timing 8:00 hours till 23:00 hrs) offers an interactive show kitchen of the restaurant and a 24 hour Flower Shop gives guests an innovative and unique experience. It is the perfect place for dining out with family or for business purpose. I had gone with my family and some guests, and we opted for the buffet dinner. The spread was huge. At least 20 types of salads were there. Some of the tasty main course items were Salgam masala, paneer butter masala, karai murgh, kochi patha jhol, vetki bhapa, mutton tikka kebab, hari daal, beef steak, peas polao, mixed vegetable permigiana. The dessert items of this place are most well-known in Kolkata. Out of the extensive number

of desserts, the best ones were Strawberry savarine, strawberry compote, stuzzel cake, Chocolate banana cake, gooseberry financier, fig compote, coconut tart, prune compote, Chantilly cream, hot chocolate brownie, chocolate mousse, choco pinakota. There are 3 flavors of ice-cream: vanilla, chocolate & butterscotch, with hot chocolate sauce and almond toppings. The Special Dishes of the Day were Thai soup, mutton kebab, pizza margarita & chicken black pepper pizza. The Continental food & desserts was superb, no doubt, but the Indian dishes were not very good as compared to 5-star status. 

Service was very nice. The per-head price for buffet was Rs. 2100 (inclusive of taxes). Whiskeys (60ml) are available from Rs. 800. For more information about Hyatt, visit their website: http://kolkata.regency.hyatt.com/

Location: JA-1 Sector III, Salt Lake City.

Contact No.: +91 33 2335 1234

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