With the leader of the free world visiting the world’s largest democracy, all eyes are trained on President Donald Trump’s maiden voyage to India as President Of The United States (he has previously visited the country, before taking office). And even as the president’s formidable cavalcade of cars, anchored by the armoured presidential limousine, known as The Beast, causes the inevitable snarls in the Capital’s traffic today due to VIP movements of high-ranking dignitaries being ferried around Delhi, there’s a glut of information surrounding the two-day state visit.
Not least among these are the food menus planned for President Trump, first lady Melania, as well as first daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. And as usual, it’ll be ITC Maurya that’ll be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to catering to heads of state. However, given the Trump’s short stay (they landed in Delhi last night and had a private meal instead of a formal function, and will fly out tonight after a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan), the clan may not get as extensive a sampling of the hotel’s food as previous first families.
It is largely expected that POTUS 45 will follow the tradition set by his predecessors and sample a specially curated Presidential Platter, served at the hotel’s iconic restaurant Bukhara, which specialises in cuisine from the north-west frontier, with a focus on tandoori items. Donald Trump is the fourth US President to stay at the Chanakyapuri hotel, which previously crafted customised meals for Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Barrack Obama, culled out of Bukhara’s 41-year-old menu and tailored to their individual tastes.
Obama’s platter famously included Tandoori Jhinga, Machhli Tikka, Murg Boti Bukhara and various kebabs, as well as the signature Dal Bukhara, a cornerstone of the restaurant’s culinary legacy. Similarly, at the time of the Clintons’ visit, the chefs had created a Clinton Platter and Chelsea Platter (the latter dedicated to the president’s daughter), with minor alterations, as informed by the then first family’s tastes.
Speaking of tastes, Trump is notorious for his marked preference for American classics like cheeseburgers, steaks, and meatloaf, and is not known to have an adventurous palate. CNN and other US media outlets have noted that whenever the POTUS 45 travels abroad, his hosts as well as his own team try and ensure the president’s meals are well stocked with steaks and miniature ketchup bottles. This may potentially be a problem as presently India isn’t particularly known for its appreciation for beef, and we’re not sure how well dishes like Sikandari Naan and Murgh Malai Tikka would go with ketchup, but then the chefs at ITC have always been on top of their game, so doubtless we’ll have no Twitter rumblings tomorrow.