I find most coffee shops painfully stifling so Tamra (Sanskrit for copper), the all-day dining and coffee shop at Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel in the Capital, with its jute dividers, wooden rolling pins on the ceiling and bright sunlight, was a happy surprise. This contemporary 186-seater, which replaces 19 Oriental Avenue, boasts of five live theatre kitchens: Indian, Asian (Thai, Malay, Singaporean and Chinese), Western Grill, Japanese-and-Teppanyaki, and a dessert counter. There is also a large salad bar and a cheese counter.
The good stuff
The Western Barbeque, the non-vegetarian section of the Western Grill, featured cuts of meat and fish, live-grilled and accompanied by light complimentary sauces or jus. I’m a big fan of good sauces and these hit the mark: coffee barbeque sauce with the chicken, citrus cream sauce with the fish, rosemary jus with the lamb, and a green peppercorn reduction with the tenderloin.
As impressive was the sophisticated assortment of vegetarian dishes on the Western Vegetarian island, the vegetarian section of the Western Grill. I had a creamy polenta cake, a beautiful cabbage dolma with a fiery pomodoro sauce and crispy herbed potatoes. All light, flavourful and delicate.
Just like the Caesar salad. Simply done using a large, crisp romaine, tossed with charred asparagus, corn niblets and assorted toppings, a choice of olive, walnut and avocado oil dressings—I chose the walnut—and topped off with toasted superfood seeds (from flax to sunflower), with Parmesan shavings adding texture and flavour.
From the Indian section, we had the signature Paneer Ka Lifafa ( ? 950), similar to a grilled quesadilla: malai paneer dices tossed with vinegar onions, encased in a lightly fried roomali roti. The marinated Aambedi Fish Tikka ( ? 1,100) had an interesting, tangy flavour. At lunch they also have a saag station with “healthy" food, from blanched veggies in turmeric and salt to lightly fried bhindi (okra) or baingan (brinjal).
Dinner at the Ghar Ka Khaana buffet, a part of the Indian section, is more elaborate. The chef makes two dishes using only five basic spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli powder and salt. These are served with fresh phulkas of multigrain flour, masala flour and besan (chickpea flour).
My lunch companion tried the lamb massaman and said it was delicate, with complex layered flavours, making it the best dish off the Asian counter. She also endorsed the mixed rice with veggies. I tried the laksa from the noodle soup station: tangy and spicy, with toppings including shredded chicken, bean sprouts, spring onions, coriander, fried shallots and lime wedges.
And then there was dessert: The Tamra Chocolate ( ? 500), dark chocolate with a chocolate mousse-filled sphere, a chocolate dacquoise base and sesame orange crisps, with caramel sauce poured at the table. The Aag Jamun ( ? 500), gulab jamun flambéed with Old Monk and topped with kulfi, was an inspired sensory feast.
The not-so-good
The Tofu Denngaku, deep-fried tofu with miso sauce ( ? 500), was soggy. The Ohn No Khaoswe (noodles in a coconut-based chicken broth) was overpowered by what seemed to be red Thai paste. Most of the Chinese dishes were a disappointment, even somewhat baffling: The lamb had a sauce straight from a Chinese 101 cookbook, and the greens were watery, not wilted.
The crêpes at the live dessert counter were bulky and dense, and could not be salvaged by the syrupy sweet sauces and assorted fruit.
Talk plastic
The lunch buffet is ? 1,950 per person. The dinner buffet is ? 2,100. There’s also a breakfast buffet for ? 1,100 (exclusive of taxes).
Tamra, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, 19, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi. For reservations, call 011-41191010.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Published: 28 Mar 2015, 01:14 AM IST