CHENNAI: It was Valentine’s Day, and of course, love was in the air. But at Holiday Inn’s Romance, Roses and Revelry — a candlelight dinner at Cafe G — love was on the menu too. An explosion of cuisines, the array of delectable dishes on display started right where the elevator door swung open. A little cart doling out varieties of chaat stood at the door of the cafe, offering only a glimpse of what awaited you inside.
The real culinary and visual delight began when you entered the restaurant, with heart-shaped decorations and roses everywhere you turn. In the corner of your eyes, you could catch the bright red beet & goat cheese terrine, seated alongside a more pastel guava and mango jelly in a small heart-shaped dish. The cream cheese, surprisingly, did not overpower the earthiness of the beetroot and was a mouthful of flavours. However, the guava jelly, although visually-appealing, still retained hints of the taste of gelatin. The bland tulsi malai hari mirch ka paneer tikka and the dry podi-idli also fell short of the target. But the buttery and crumbly crust of the butter chicken tart and the chicken pate bruschetta are worthy mentions. Apart from these, the counter was chock-a-block with salads, cheeses, roulades, cold cuts, and unexpectedly, vegetarian carpaccios. And these were just the starters.
A lychee-flavoured mocktail, obviously very pink, was an absolute delight for an occasional sip, every time you got up to refill your plate. The main dishes at first glance seemed like organised chaos, but on conversing with Chef Kuldeep Singh, it all seemed to fall into place. “My father was a chef too, and growing up, all I loved to do was cook with him. He was always experimenting with dishes, and a medley of recipes is what I associate with love,” he said. “With this spread, I wanted to innovate and pack a flavourful punch.”
And a flavourful punch it was, with a diverse spread of Indian, Thai, Chinese, Continental and Italian dishes. There was something for everyone, starting from the roasted pumpkin and coconut soup to the wok fried mud crab in Singaporean chili sauce. The aromatic steamed jasmine rice paired with the Thai green vegetable curry was a classic, and the mixed lentil pie and the almond & parsley crusted tenderloin fillet from the continental spread was tender with mellow flavours.
True to its roots, the chicken pepper fry and the murgh Hyderabadi biryani were tasty bites, with a restrained hand on the spices. Our plate of kung pao chicken and flat rice noodles stir-fry could have used a little bit of something more to indeed hit it out of the park. Seated at a table right near the desserts, it was impossible not to sneak quick peeks at the pastry spread. Delicate French madaleines, English bread pudding and other European sweet treats shared the counter with a robust homemade Indian dessert spread. We could mention the delicious kaju katli and apple peda, but that’s just quintessential scrumptiousness. But don’t fret if you’ve missed it, Chef Singh is just getting started. “This dinner menu was just a teaser of the plans I have for food festivals in the coming months. So keep an eye out,” he said.