KOCHI: It all starts the Korean way, with the sharp, tangy mix of flavours of crunchy ‘Kimchi’ teasing your taste buds. The soft skin of cabbage shimmers and wobbles in the spicy saucy mix and one bite infuses a mix of flavours. The zesty taste of the cabbage preserve, a cornerstone of Korean cuisine, is your initiation into the ‘world’ cuisine arranged here.At ‘The Gourmet House’, you have the world in your palate. The newly opened eatery at Pattom concocts a vibrant set of dishes, offering slices of Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Korea and much more on your platter.
The Korean way of initiation to the dish is the perfect start. ‘The Mushroom Chai’ follows this. The soup arrives in a fine Carafe, a mildly spicy, clear beef broth infused with the goodness of herbs and mushroom. Slivers of Shitake mushroom are placed in a soup bowl, the soup makes its way into the bowl, a delight to senses and warming you up, heralding in a host of flavours from around the world.
Gourmet House is an enterprise set up by two family friends - Mauzzam Mehboob Nathani and Joe John Thomas, who thought it necessary to introduce flavours from across the world to the city. “The concept has hence been to offer pan-Asian and continental dishes. As family friends, we would travel far and wide and we would experiment with food. So we wanted to offer the best from across the world here,” said Thomas John, one of the owners.
The array of soups from across the world makes its way to the menu, warming you up to the core. So here you have the comfort food of Vietnam, the chicken noodle soup Pho Ga which is revered across the globe or the quintessential bowl food from Thai the ‘Tom Kha’ screaming for attention along with a grand array of soups.
With a hot mix of pan-Asian and continental flavours, the eatery offers the choicest of dishes. “When we thought of opening an eatery, we wanted to offer something different to the city. And so we set it as a mix of world cuisine,” said Joe John, one of the directors.Now, how about a Japanese starter. Neatly arranged and tucked into a crispy blanket, they arrive, the ‘Tempura Prawns’, along with a mayo dip fused with herbs and a spicy Siracha dip. This delicacy from Japan adds a fresh spin to one’s palate and is the perfect starter. Be it the ‘Hoisin Glaze’, where perfectly succulent pieces are power packed in the juicy Chinese sauce ‘Hoisin’, or the Korean favourite ‘Bulgogi Beef’, the starter list has an eclectic set of dishes.
The main course is equally delightful, with authentic and signature dishes from across the world.
Among the mains, the hosts suggest the ‘Tenderloin’ and ‘Nasi Goreng’, some of the hot favourites, he says. The Tenderloin has perfectly cooked and tender beef patties stacked together and served with mashed potatoes and veggies. The delicacy is served along with mushroom pepper sauce, which imparts a pleasant flavour, taking the taste a notch higher.
Next in line is the red-hot delicacy all the way from Indonesia, the ‘Nasi Goreng’. The fried rice served along with Chicken Satay will never disappoint lovers of spicy foods. The Russian delight ‘Stroganoff’, the Burmese Khao Suey, Thai and Korean dishes, rest cheek by jowl in the menu along with a wide Italian fare. To cool down the taste buds, a wide array of desserts are available.
The hand-churned ice creams of myriad flavours viz. ice cream of rose petals which uses dried rose petals; chocolate; paan ice cream- made with betel leaves; mixed fruits; mango, jackfruit, among others are available. “The paan ice-cream is a unique one, where we use the betel leaves. It adds a refreshingtaste,” said Mauzzam Mehboob, another director. And sure enough, it gloriously refreshes one’s palate.The mildly toned, classic interiors of the eatery coupled with the warm hospitality offered by the hosts offers the perfect dining experience. Currently the joint is open from 7pm-11pm on all days while brunch is served on Sundays. “Soon we will be including lunch as well,” said Thomas.