As the elevator opens at the 28th floor of ITC Maurya’s rooftop restaurant, West View, a loud sizzle from the grill section inside guides your steps to the deep brown wooden door, held open by two attentive waiters and one smiling chef. They subsequently lead you into a mini Czech land, right here in the heart of Delhi.
Ongoing at the restaurant is the Czech food festival that started on April 16 and goes on till April 26. Master Chef Marek Svoboda has specially been flown in from the land of castles and châteaus to the kitchens of what he calls one of the world’s finest Indian and India’s finest global cuisine chains to get food most loved and cooked by him on its tables. ‘‘Czech cuisine is very different from the Indian cuisine. Nonetheless, I am sure it will be well accepted. The last time I was in the country, I gauged what people liked and disliked, thus gaining knowledge about how to perfect my flavour combinations. Do look out for our sauces, as they are the mainstay of the Czech cuisine,’’ says Svoboda.
As he hops from table to table, explaining his preparations, the chef makes sure to tell everyone how he’s always been inspired by his grandmother. ‘‘The Czech cabbage and dumplings are two of my favourite things that I learnt from her. I can now make them as well as she did,’’ he says, giving us a shy smile.
The selection being offered is replete with quintessential Czech dishes like Roast Buffalo Meat, Prague Goulash, Braised steaks, Lamb with Garlic, Lamb with Cream, Lamb with Paprika, Marinated Pork, Roasted Duck with Caraway Seed and Sour Cabbage, Grilled Perch, Bread Pudding with Cottage Cheese and a lot more. ‘‘In our cuisine, we usually start with soup— chicken or vegetarian; the next course is the main dish, followed by a compote or something sweet. Dumplings too, are a popular side dish,’’ says Svoboda, who can barely speak English but manages to make his sentences clear by his animated gestures. He’s quite used to expressing himself by the movement of his hands and eyes. Having travelled extensively to showcase his food, communication now seizes to be a setback. His food does much of the talking anyway.