HYDERABAD: Apop-up kitchen series of Sichuan cuisine is ongoing at Oriental Kitchen & Bar, Park Hyatt, Banjara Hills. Titled ‘Wonders of Sichuan Wok’ the food festival promises an authentic experience of Sichuan region of China.
At a media dinner preview, we had for the starter, lamb noodles soup with large chunks of broccoli. The flavour of the soup was mild. But we wished that the chunks of the broccoli were smaller. They were too large to fit in the mouth or rest on the spoon. But the taste covered up for that. Main course was poached seafood of fish, prawn, scallops, mushroom and Chinese cabbage.
Next on the menu was shredded lamb with coarsely grounded cumin seeds with spring onions, coriander leaves, and sesame seeds. The meat was cooked very well and had taken the exquisite flavour of sesame seeds. The cumin taste hit the taste buds but didn’t overpower other flavours. Szechaun chili chicken with ginger garlic, Sichuan pepper and chili was a delight. The pepper ground coarsely can put the tongues of those on fire who are not used to it. However, wok-tossed noodles with vegetables was lightly done. What we liked the best was wok-tossed mildly flavoured vegetable fried rice. It was mixed with green peas, sweet-corn and shiitake mushrooms. The stickiness of the rice blended well with flavours of the vegetables. It was rounded off with a unique dessert of mango pudding prepared with mango pulp, coconut milk, cream and milk. Who would expect a pudding as the finale in a Chinese meal? It was nicely done, especially the setting the puree on the top. Cost for two approx 2,000. The food festival will be on till April 24.