Every Saturday, the Elitaire Lounge at The Leela Ambience Gurugram promises to take you on a culinary journey that one can only dream of. With a carefully curated menu, senior sous Chef Tournant Abhishek Gupta promises that each bite would be a surprise burst of flavour and a delightful journey for the senses.
The chef will whisk you off on an exciting culinary adventure with intriguing dishes like Pureed Pumpkin with Marigold Flowers, Potato Starch Petals, Sambuca-infused Sous Vide Beans, Cherries and Gooseberry Cooked with Mild Butter Sauce, Farm Leaves Grilled with Smoked Butter.
“To make my cooking unique, I gather influences from global food cultures. I stress on local produce and merge both ancient and modern cooking styles,” says Abhishek, who has studied Botany. His food appeals to the epicurean palate and delivers a unique fusion of flavours, textures and taste in ‘EPIC’ proportions.
The hotel has named the specially crafted menu ‘EPIC’ because it promises to traverse geographical boundaries.
In his recent travels to Copenhagen in Denmark, Abhishek worked with Noma, a two-Michelin star restaurant run by Chef René Redzepi. The restaurant is known for its reinvention and interpretation of Nordic cuisine.
His work with the research and development team at Noma led him to understand the nuances of their unique dishes. “I learnt how best to creatively use local and international produce for a signature menu, in which the ingredients are given a flavourful progression keeping the global nature of the cuisine in mind,” says Abhishek.
The chef relies a lot on the fermentation technique. He stresses how we are forgetting the old fermentation techniques in our quest for aping the West. “I believe in preserving, pickling, and fermenting. When mangoes are in season, I would preserve them so that I can use the fruit for some exquisite dessert in winter,” he says, explaining how fermenting can often help change the flavour and taste of a produce.
He also makes his own oil, salt and sugar rather than rely on mass-manufactured products. “If I want to use a cumin flavour, I would make cumin oil and use that in cooking,” he says. Why are we not surprised when he says feedback from patrons have been extraordinary?