BENGALURU: Experiments with food go a long way in breaking out of the traditional ways we eat. Keeping this in mind, Chef Rayomund Pardiwalla from My Place at Gokulam Grand Hotel and Spa, Mathikere, has given a twist to crabs and lobsters for their week-long shell fish festival.
Focusing mostly on mussels, lobsters, crabs, oysters and clams, the exclusive menu comprises of Continental, Indian, Italian and Thai cuisines, so guests can choose from ample seafood variations having myriad flavours. After a glass of watermelon juice, I started off with Tom Yum Soup with Mussels, Clams and Noodles. The warm, soothing soup complimented well with the shell fishes. The Udon noodles makes the soup a complete meal in itself.
As a starter, I tried Russian Lobster Salad that is cold, full of veggies mixed with yoghurt, and diced lobsters. Taste-wise, it’s not a worthy option as it lacks flavour, but if you want to have something healthy to munch on, this can be added to the list.
Moving on to the starters, Crab Meat Spring Rolls nestled inside a crab shell were a delight as one can easily take a smooth bite into them to feel the fresh crab meat. Savour them with the fine sauce that they serve and you’ll crave for more. The 40-50 cm long Lobster Pollichathu was a sheer treat to look at. Served completely with its head, tail and claws, the Kerala-style fish hosts ingredients like curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek, chilli and more. Too bad that the meat is too less in lobsters. Before you know it, it’s over! Tandoori Lobster was a little hard to chew on, mostly because it is oven-roasted and gets a little difficult to maintain optimum temperature while cooking the full piece.
Mangalore Crab Sukkah paired with Kerala Matta rice or Kerala paratha was the most loved main course dish of the evening. Boneless crab meat, perfectly flavoured in the Mangalorean way, melted in our mouth and soothed our palate. Take a bite of onions in between and you’ll be sorted.
The Lobster Thermidor, covered with cheese and served with mashed potato and veggies, is also a great pick if you are in the mood for some Continental food. Scoop out the soft meat and eat it along with the cheesy potato, you’ll love it.
For a north Indian flavour, go for Kadai Lobster. Pair this with some steamed rice and you’re good to go. To end it on an Italian note, ravioli stuffed with lobster meat is a good enough item if you love pastas. It’s low on flavour but the cheese and meat will keep up the culinary spirits.
The shell fish festival is a dinner-only menu and on till Nov 24. Cost for two: `2,000 (approx)