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sitanshi talati-parikh

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Category Archives: Food

Thai Contemporary: Review of KOH, InterContinental, Mumbai

23 Saturday Oct 2010

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Food, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Chef Ian Kittichai, Food, InterContinental, KOH, mumbai, Reviews, Thai

Published in Verve Magazine, October 2010

 

 

 

 

 

When pregnancy cravings hit, you need something fantastic to stem the stomach-curling desire. Chef Ian Kittichai’s Koh at the InterContinental Marine Drive, seemed like a promising addition to my rather exclusive list, from the moment I heard Deepika Padukone tweeting about how great the food is and my own cousin mentioning the presence of the rather elusive massamun curry on the menu.

On a Thursday evening the Manhattan-style Asian bistro is filled with a lively crowd of familiar and international faces. Where Czar once pulsated with desi tracks, its replacement, Koh’s muted restro-lounge atmosphere is at once sophisticated and global. Propped with comfortable cushions on a table for two that’s too closely set to make it an intimate dining experience, I’m floored by the facing glass wall mural created by Thai artist Patcharapon ‘Alex’ Tangruen. The mural defines the space and cuisine – traditional roots, contemporary accents. You suspect you won’t taste the conventional here, even if the chef has drawn from the flavours of his youth: his own mother’s kitchen.

Evocative fresh fruit signature cocktails with antioxidants (Gojiberry bellinis) set the tone for the flavourful and delicately-spiced food. Steamed edamame dusted with sea salt and Thai spices for the table, followed by appetizers that make you not want to save room for the mains. ‘Chocolat’ baby back ribs (coated with dusky chocolate), an unrivalled palate-opener, juxtaposed in quick succession with stems of stout lemon grass covered with flame-grilled chicken accented with coconut and cilantro make for a delicious first offering. In fine contrast is the hand-pounded rock corn minced with spices, and the tofu…. So, I confess, I hate tofu. Even Morimoto’s tofu couldn’t convert me, but I feel unable to turn down the mild-mannered and unassuming Chef Kittichai’s suggestion of a jasmine tea-smoked tofu. Surprisingly, it lacks tofu’s usual rude texture and it is smooth as butter. The aubergine dish, though tasty enough, has a tough skin texture, leaving it difficult to manipulate while eating. After soaking in the stunning Koh golden corn gumbo – hand-pressed corn swirling in coconut broth laced with Thai basil oil; we’re all set to move to entrees.

Composed of a wide variety of freshly-imported greens and vegetables (I add crisp water chestnuts), the ‘Paneang Curry’ is perfect for my taste buds, while what the general Indian palate may scream for is the hot stone curry-spiced rice – which is akin to a Thai biryani. My husband, Sahil, takes the chef’s apt suggestion and goes with the Chilean sea bass coated with a yellow-bean glaze: a fresh offering that lives up to its promise. You are surprised how easily the hours get eaten up while you are being gastronomically appeased. In entirety, the meal leaves nothing wanting, especially when topped off with the luscious valhorna chocolate dessert accompanied by Thai coffee ice cream. Oh and did I mention the coconut cheesecake? Absolutely lovely. My only regret is being physically unable to sample all the tempting flavours on the menu – but that’s for another evening, another craving.

Koh Notes

– Chef Kittichai’s favourite ingredient that shares its home with India and Thailand is cumin.
– All the ingredients at Koh are imported: meats thrice weekly from different parts of the world, vegetables thrice weekly from Bangkok and Chiang Mai and condiments weekly from Bangkok.
– Come October, Koh plans to add a Jain version to the already extensive menu and its varied vegetarian offerings.
– When travelling you can sample Ian Kittichai’s cooking at Kittichai in Manhattan, Restaurant Murmuri in Barcelona and the gastro bar Hyde and Seek in Bangkok.

 

Literature: Eat Recycle Save (Tristram Stuart)

26 Saturday Sep 2009

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Food, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Environment, Interview, Literature, Tristram Stuart, vervemagazine

Published: Verve Magazine, Nerve, September 2009

The writer of The Bloodless Revolution, Tristram Stuart, is back with another sit-up-and-take-notice book, Waste, about how tackling the problem of waste is one of the simplest ways of reducing pressure on the environment and on global food supplies. The UK (Sussex)-based author tells Sitanshi Talati-Parikh what’s working and what’s not in India

Tristram02

What are we doing right?
In India the recycling tradition has always thrived – kabari-wallahs collect unwanted trash for recycling and food waste is left for animals to graze on, turning it back into meat, milk and manure. As a result, India produces meat and dairy products much more efficiently than Europe and the United States. Also Indians eat more vegetarian food and less meat than other nations, and this is a much more efficient way of feeding people than the meaty diets of the West and of China.

What should we keep in mind as we embrace a more consumerist culture?
Growing food uses land and water, so reducing food waste can help to reduce water depletion, deforestation and global warming.
Nearly one billion people are malnourished in today’s world: we can help alleviate their hunger simply by wasting less food. It means the food will stay on the market where people can buy it to feed their families, instead of the food ending up in our rubbish bins.
We have to keep an eye on food companies, who often waste thousands of tonnes of food for no good reason. When supermarkets get too powerful, they make farmers grow food that they then decide not to stock, causing harm to the land and to the farmers.
The government should help farmers keep their food fresh so it doesn’t rot before it reaches the market. Simple things like fruit crates, cool storage in markets and on farms can help a lot.
Food storage in the home is really important: keep it cool, and use up leftovers – don’t let them go to waste.
Just remember: Buy what you need and eat what you buy!

Curly Fries, Crunchy Crabs and a Patisserie Called Tart

18 Saturday Apr 2009

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Food, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Food, India, recipes, vervemagazine

Published: Verve Magazine, Features, March 2009
Photographs by Nilesh Acharekar

As the young flood Mumbai post international living, education and exposure, Sitanshi Talati-Parikh finds that the city is quickly adapting to their exacting demands and needs, giving rise to a dynamic, fast, racy and global trend. The bagels are lathered with cream cheese, the burgers are juicy and there is authentic dim sum and then some. Warmth and attentive service are their mantra. The choicest of downtown Mumbai’s happening youth-run establishments open their doors to share their unique experiences and tantalising recipes

Henry Tham
Ryan and Keenan Tham

Walking into the Asian bistro you feel enveloped by a sense of serenity. Dim lighting, tall ceilings and Buddhas galore make this little restaurant and bar appear spacious and inviting. In 2005, post a degree in hotel management from Griffith University, Australia, the young Tham brothers, who are suave and affable in their part, brought to Mumbai the trendy upmarket concept, which at the time was relatively new in the area. Post their successful partnership in Olive, and seeing that no other Asian resto-bar existed at the time, they decided to create a place where people would like to come to celebrate special occasions, while also finding it equally comfortable kicking back with a fresh juice martini in the evening. The new-age food and promising seafood has taken the third generation family establishment a step further, wooing the hip young ones and couples. With an ambitious future expansion plan in mind, Ryan (26) and Keenan (24) felt confident enough to create a brand with their father, Henry’s name, riding on the goodwill and knowledge that he has built over the years. The bar reflects the brothers’ personality and is known for funky cocktails pulsating to the sounds of house, jazz and blues.

Rest12

Mandarin Crab
Ingredients: Medium-size live crab, 1 no, 800 gms; Chopped ginger, 2 tbsp; Chopped garlic, 3 tbsp; Chopped onion, 1 no; Chopped green chilli, half tbsp; Chopped spring onion (green stem), 3 nos; Dark soya sauce, 1 tbsp; Light soya sauce, 1 tbsp; Chopped coriander, 1 tbsp; White pepper, half tsp; Salt, pinch; Sugar, 1 tsp; Chicken stock soup, 200 ml; Cornflour mixed in 60 ml water, 1 tbsp; Groundnut oil for the sauce, 3 tbsp; Cooking oil (for deep frying the crab), 400ml.
Method: Freeze the live crab for two hours till it is asleep and in a coma. Rip off the top shell and clean the crab of its grey gills. Chop the crab into six pieces. Pour 400 ml of cooking oil in a wok and deep-fry the crab for about 3 minutes till it is red in colour. Remove crab from oil. In a fresh wok pour three table spoons of oil and add the ginger, garlic, onion, chilli and stir-fry on medium flame till garlic is golden brown. Add light and dark soya sauce and some white pepper, sugar and salt to taste. Add the stock soup. Increase the flame to high. When it comes to a boil, add the crab and toss for four minutes. Add the cornflour mix to thicken the sauce. Add spring onions. Sprinkle the coriander on top and the crab is ready to be served.

Vong Wong and Dragonfly
Aashiyana Shroff

Café culture has really found a place in the echelons of Mumbai city. While chains and independent coffee shops have worked, you would be rue to find a gourmet café that is not overpriced in the Nariman Point area. Originally started as a lounge and bar, Dragonfly has now recreated itself into a spacious café and brunch spot through the day, wooing partygoers on weekend nights. Aashiyana Shroff, 26, who moved to Mumbai from London four years ago, teemed up with her father Deepak Shroff and turned her passion for food into their first venture Vong Wong – a Chinese and Thai cuisine restaurant. Dragonfly, located in the same space, though accessible from a different entrance, rivals the former with voluminous space overlooking the ocean. Aashiyana’s reinvented Dragonfly opened its doors last month, with “value for money; good, comfort food” like pizza, pasta, salad and burgers. Not wanting to take themselves too seriously, the place now has a more approachable and less pretentious feel. Also introducing a patisserie called Tart with a cupcake speciality, this is an avatar worth checking out.

Rest02

Greek Salad
Ingredients: Cucumber, 30 gms; Red pepper, 20 gms; Green pepper, 20 gms; Tomato wedges, 20 gms; Feta cheese, 60 gms; Onion ring, 10 gms; Kalamata olives, 10 gms; Romaine lettuce, small bunch; Vinaigrette dressing, 60 ml; Oregano, 1 tsp.
Method: Cut the cucumber, red pepper, green pepper into cubes. Cut tomato into wedges and olives into half. Mix all the ingredients. Arrange in a salad bowl. Sprinkle chopped oregano on top.

OBA
Rishi Acharya

Thirty-year-old Rishi Acharya has found himself splat in the middle of the hospitality industry despite being from a completely different educational background. While his family business has been distribution and retail of alcohol, he did his Bachelor’s of Commerce from H.R. College, Mumbai. He got involved with Athena, after which his ventures (along with his partners) Lush and Ra (named after his initials) became hugely successful. After an unsuccessful stint in food retail, Rishi decided to join hands with Raja Dhody to start OBA, a New York-style resto-lounge, which encourages an evolving party experience with lighting and ambience that transforms according to the hour and concept – from bright dinner and ambient lounge to a glowing red ceiling light for the night. Rishi speaks from experience when he says that opening a large upmarket space and then changing the clientele demographics from exclusive guest-list only to all and sundry, is not what he has in mind for OBA. He is firm about wanting a sophisticated crowd (ideal age group 28 and up) in his 2300 square foot place, without it getting too crowded. He anticipates a select society, where you come confident with the knowledge of bumping into friends.

Rest14

Pan-tossed prawns with onions, mint, and pak choi served with herb fettuccine and curry oil
Ingredients: Prawns b grade, 5 nos; Curry powder, 10 gms; Butter unsalted, 10 gms; Olive oil, 30 ml; Salt to taste; Fresh red chilli, 1 no; Pak choi sliced, 20 gms; White onion sliced, 10 gms; Shredded mint, few sprigs; Parsley, few sprigs; Lemon, 1 no; Garlic chopped, 5 gms; Extra virgin olive oil, 50 ml; Fettuccine (boiled), 80 gms.
Method: Heat the extra virgin olive oil with half curry powder, garlic, half onion. Let the oil cool and blend. Strain through a fine sieve to clear. Marinate the prawns with curry powder, salt, pepper and parsley. Heat olive and butter in a pan, add the prawns and cook till done. Blanch the vegetables. Toss the pasta with olive oil, red chilli, vegetables, onions and season with mint. Put the pasta in the centre of the plate. Top it up with vegetables. Arrange the prawns on top of the vegetables. Dress the dish with curry oil. Garnish with few mint sprigs and a lemon wedge.

 

Wich Latte
Abedin Sham

Twenty-six-year-old Abedin Sham, returned from Cornell University, USA with a specific idea in mind. An all-day eatery that catered not only to the myriad tourists walking down Colaba Causeway, but also to the people who have spent time abroad and crave the basic café food that is so easily available in the West. With an affordable price tag and imported items that appeal to a younger age group, Abedin conceived a kitchen that put together freshly baked multigrain breads, curly fries and imported cheeses. Known for their soup-in-a-bowl, gourmet sandwiches, bagels and salads, Wich Latte appears to be modelled closely on America’s café chain, Panera Bread. With plans to create express outlets with a centralised kitchen using economies of scale and the franchise model, Abedin is ready to take up the challenges post the success of his first venture.

Rest06

American Veg Gumbo
Ingredients: Tomato puree, 100 ml; Broccoli, 25 gms; Baby corn, 25 gms; Carrot, 25 gms; American corn, 20 gms; Potato, 20 gms; Okra, 50 gms; Chopped garlic, 15 gms; Onion, 10 gms; Celery, 10 gms; Chopped basil; Salt and pepper, to taste; Vegetable Stock, 40 ml.
For Vegetable Stock: Water, 500 ml; Onion, 1 no; Celery leaf, 30 gms; Bay leaf, 1 no; Pepper corn, 2-4 nos; Carrot, 1 no; Leek, 20 gms.
Method: Heat the oil. Sauté garlic, celery, leeks, Add the tomato puree. Sauté along with the tomato puree for two-three minutes. Add the stock. Blanch the vegetables separately. Sauté them in butter. Add to the stock. Boil till tender make sure not to over cook the vegetables. Add 15 gms of roux for thickness. Add shredded basil for finish. Serve hot.

Pub Culture

Twenty-six-year-old executive, Aditya Parikh, decided to set up a ‘Thursday Drinkathon’ with a few friends, where young people get together post-work at a common location (generally in the Mumbai downtown area) to grab a few cold ones. It is networking, unwinding and partying all rolled into one. A peek into two of the many London-esque pubs that have sprouted in Colaba

Woodside Inn

Three young boys, Sumitraj Gambhir (27), Pankil Shah (27) and Abhishek Honawar (25), partners of a company called Neighbourhood Hospitality Management Services, decided to innovate with Woodside Inn, December 2007. They saw potential in the place nestled within a 120-year-old heritage building that has evolved many times, but has been largely successful on this particular instance. The concept is a warm neighbourhood bistro, reminiscent of the London pubs, where one can easily kick back, post work and catch up with colleagues or friends. Images of Mumbai line the walls, where wood, food and beer find a happy marriage in what they call an “urban experiment”. Frequented by artists during the day and professionals in the evening, the place has recall value for its character.

Bootleggers

Thirty-year-old Sushant Kamath, with a wide range of experience in the hospitality industry in Mumbai, Pune and Goa and 32-year-old Kumar Patel, with experience in healthcare in New York, opened the doors of Bootleggers in April 2008 to create a “non-territorial, non-class conscious place” to hang out. It is an “attitude-free space” that is full of interactive games, such as chess and scrabble, with pub quizzes once a month testing the general knowledge of the guests. It is frequented by groups of women who feel comfortable in the space, besides that fact that Tuesdays offer them cosmopolitans on the house. Very receptive to feedback, they have recently expanded their food menu, insisting that the take-away is “warmth”.

Travel blog: Ouzo and Meze (Greece)

23 Sunday Mar 2008

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Food, Publication: Verve Magazine, Travel Stories

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Athens, Europe, Feta cheese, Food, Greece, Greek salad, Interviews: Travel, Olive Oil, Santorini, Verve Magazine

Published: Verve Magazine, Travel, March 2008

Basking in the Mediterranean warmth, Sitanshi Talati-Parikh, in a local tasting sojourn, cruises through culinary lairs in Greece

Food04

Virginity represents the epitome of purity. And a dash of extra virginity is purity magnified. Something so basic has been turned into the lifeblood of a country, into an industry and into a staple. Olive oil, spectacularly virgin, blessedly enhanced with features that are the true test of nature, denuded from the bountiful olive’s original sourness, marinated in herbs like fennel and finally spiked to culinary satisfaction. Olive oil is to Greece, what wine is to France. Drench a traditional Greek salad with it, observe it slide down the hefty chunk of feta cheese, creating rivulets around the oregano seasoning and watch it play a merry hide-and-seek with the folds of crisp lettuce, mountains of cucumber, mounds of olives and soft hills of ripe tomatoes until it arrives peacefully at the bottom of the bowl, waiting to be swished back up with flecks of freshly ground pepper. Ah!

Tourists come and tourists go, and they always leave with a distinct sense of Greece, emblazoned in her cuisine, and the pride with which the locals present their food to the hungry-eyed. With some grudging leeway made for Continental preparations (Greek with a French twist, dashed off with a healthy serving of Italian), it is tough to find truly international cuisine in Greece. Rightly so, for, would one wish to eat paneer tikka or sushi whilst basking in the Mediterranean?

Strolling down Athens’ Adrianou Street, a merry pedestrian path, in the vicinity of Plaka, I am spoilt for options. A host of family-run restaurants and street cafés vie for attention, as lissome Greek men prowl around attempting to charm a wayward tourist into their culinary lair. Uncles, brothers and nephews are all out in full force, with wickedly greasy smiles pasted on for the unsuspecting visitor who hovers expectantly at the entrance, flipping pages of their laminated menus, and once the walk has been made towards the table, they flit quickly to the next victim; I can only assume that the omnipresent mothers, wives, aunts and nieces are all back in the kitchen cooking up something truly divine!

Choosing the restaurant with the cosiest ambience and flickering candles, we slide into one of the crammed tables, and order ouzo – local anise-flavoured alcohol. Likened to the absinth or local fenny, ouzo is so strong (80-proof) that even the local Greeks chase it with water and always eat some meze to lighten the impact. Nothing fancy – something simple like bread doused in olive oil accompanied with a homemade dip, or feta and olives, works. (Beware the tricky ‘cover’ charge, that every table is inadvertently slapped with – for water and bread – whether ordered or not!)

If alcohol isn’t your cup of tea, then try the local Greek coffee, a chilled foam-topped drink popularly known as frappé or fréddo. For those who believe that Starbucks invented frappés, think again! Discovered by an employee of Nestlé way back in 1957 in Thessaloniki, the Greek frappé has its own variations in the iced espresso or cappuccino fréddo. In Greece, the local iced coffees are so popular that the trademark tall, slim glass, brimming with dark brown liquid swirled with pale froth is the drink of choice on sunny beaches, in lieu of fancy cocktails.

Food is a strange thing – even months, or years after having eaten something delectable, it is possible to conjure up, in the mind’s eye, the very taste, the flavour and aroma… In how many places though, is it possible to savour the changing hands of the season? The Greeks are purely seasonal eaters – the horiatiki salata (Greek salad), popular in summer, gets replaced by some version of lachano-marouli salata (cabbage-lettuce salad) at any other time of the year. The healthiest food in winter is the horta or wild greens, steamed or blanched and deftly made into a salad, with a dash of lemon juice and olive oil, eaten as a light meal with potatoes (in lieu of fish or meat). Watching the locals spend hours bantering or watching a community TV over the appetisers and salad, we begin to feel right at home.

As the moon lights up the Acropolis, our main course is served in steaming platters. From a freshly baked spanakopita (spinach and feta stuffed filo pie) to moussaka (a minced lamb and eggplant casserole), stuffed peppers, and pastitsio (a baked meat dish with béchamel sauce) there is much to choose from. Meat is in abundance in Greece – grilled lamb chops, pork and meatballs, and not forgetting game stew and grilled octopus. We look for kat which identifies frozen items on the menu, as the Greeks, by law, must make mention of anything that is not fresh. These baked dishes are great on the mainland, but the islands have their own specialties, though olive oil remains an ubiquitous ingredient across the country.

Food01

On the Cycladic islands, a few days later, as I watch the multi-toned hues of the Santorini sunset reflect onto the burgundy wine, throwing shadows onto mashed fava (split pea) puree drizzled with olive oil and roasted onions, I automatically reach for the blood red tomato balls, as if colour must match colour, in order to synchronise with nature. The melting carafe of local Santorini wine, springing from the volcanic temperament of the soil and microclimate, is as unique as the local produce, giving us waterless yet succulent cherry tomatoes, sweet and sturdy white aubergines (both owing their origins in Suez), piquant green capers and cheese cultivated at home and served fresh, daily.

Hobnobbing with the locals gets us an inside peek into some interesting tastes that grab our palette – louloudakia or stuffed zucchini flowers (a dish found in Lesvos) which can be deep fried with cheese or boiled and stuffed with rice and herbs. And a local appetizer popularised in the Mykonos taverns, louza, a deep ruby-coloured ham flavoured with spices, left to dry and sliced particularly thin.

It is simply sinful to leave Greece without having experienced the popular Greek fast food of gyro (pita sandwich with rotisseried meat, accompaniments and tzatziki sauce) and souvlaki (cubes of meat on skewers). We steadfastly maintain that neither dish tasted remotely close to the original, hole-in-the-wall version, when attempted at a fancy restaurant. It is not difficult to find a little joint in the island towns or on street corners in Athens. A corn-on-the-cob and roasted pistachios from the little street vendors work as great accompaniments.

The generous physical proportions of the Greeks is not surprising, what with a daily dose of lovingly syruped layers of delicacies – from Turkish baklava and melitinia (small cream cheese pies) to the Mykonos specialty of roasted marzipan. For a lighter dash of sweetness, there is always the local seasonal fruit (giant juicy figs, melons and pears) or my personal favourite – yoghurt doused with fresh fruit, honey and groundnuts – the famous local concoction, particularly delicious, creamy and thick.

As I sit back, sipping on the local digestive liqueur masticha, swirling the flavour of anise around my tongue, after twelve days of food tasting in the land of myth and history, I feel like I am a part of another world, a world rich in food and culture, and yet simple to the core. Maybe it is the lack of popularisation of Greek cuisine abroad, or the fact that when in Greece, get fed like the Greeks do, that I feel content. Or maybe it is all those chunks of feta swirling in extra virgin olive oil…

|  Filling the gaps between words.  |

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