A food thermometer is promptly fetched out from the languishing depths of a nearby storage compartment. It’s immediately handed to Executive Chef Karen Rawat of the newly opend The California Boulevard in Gurgaon. She inspects its functioning, and then digs it into the food that’s been kept in front of her on a shining kitchen counter, just seconds before being served. Once the inspection about the temperature of the dish is done, it’s passed on to the stewardess standing patiently in one corner to take the order. Standards like these are followed everyday, every miniute and every possible second.
When we talk to Karen, she is briefing an attendant on how to precisely carve a decorative piece of carrot. A stickler for perfection, she tells us how a new restaurant needs a certain additional kind of checks and balances. After all, it’s like a baby that needs nurturing till it can stand up on its on.
This multi-cuisine restaurant has tried to re-create a feel of the state of California. “As you enter its vicinity, a custom-painted Harley Davidson Street Bob welcomes you. Vintage posters, popular tunes from Hollywood, and the iconic Walk of Fame has been replicated to add to the character of the restaurant,” says chef Karen.
The choice of food includes plenty, but some of the things that look particularly interesting are Spanakopita Cheese (Greek savory with stuffing of spinach and cheese), Artichoke and Gruyere Tart (artichoke and gruyere cheese cooked in a custard and baked to finished) and Nippon Edamame (Japanese soy beans steamed and tossed with sea salt).
Karen, who earlier mostly worked on cruise liners, now enjoys being on a more stable ground. She believes that it’s all because of the turbulent tides that she has mastered the art of standing firm and fastedious now. With her food matching up to the confidence in her tone, we think California Boulevard could be a good choice to get some weekend grub.