Are you a foodie? Do you live in Delhi? Then gear up, Palate Fest is here!
Signature treats from nearly 60 high end restaurants from across the capital are up for grabs at affordable prices under one roof at the second edition of the Delhi Palate Festival that began on Friday.
Featuring over 100 stalls, along with a market square which sells both Indian and international gourmet products and ingredients, the festival was inaugurated by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma at Nehru Park.
“The festival is open to the common man. We feel that the common man forms the majority in the country. We cannot imagine visiting a 5-star restaurant everyday. I appreciate the efforts and vision of the festival organisers.
“This time we also have a special initiative. We have received requests from renowned chefs from across the country that since they are also specialising in a process which is close to everybody’s heart their names should also be sent for the Padma awards,” he said.
Sharma said he had forwarded the request to the appropriate authorities.
“I feel that the chef business is also an expertise and when we give awards in music, dance and art then why not in this field of specialty. Of course we are not the selecting authority we are only the recommending authority and we have recommended the request to the government,” he said.
Participants in the festival include restaurants like Dusit, the Kempinski, The Park, Taj, Farzi Cafe, The Great Kebab Factory, Ashoka and Indigo Deli, who have all priced their products between Rs 100 and Rs 500.
“The amalgamation of participating food professionals will result in many new experiences for visitors. We wanted to create an event that celebrates everything we love about food in this city. It makes a great day out with food markets, cookery workshops, live music, tasting and dinners,” festival conveners Aditi Kapoor and Ruchi Sibal, said.
Authentic Awadhi cuisine from Lucknow and the North West Frontier region is being offered at Kempinski Ambience Hotel’s pop-up Dilli 32, which recreates the decor of the original restaurant, with their quintessential spice wall.
“We have brought original elements from the restaurant to maintain the essence. We have tried to recreate the transparent partitions and the spice wall from our original outlet,” Neelabh Chugh, Director, Food and Beverage service, Kempinski said.
The restaurant has put out small portions of their signature dishes like Nehari Gosht and Kacchi Mirch ka Paneer at extremely economic prices of Rs 200 and Rs 150 respectively, with traditional drinks like banta, jaljeera and shikanji to go with.
“The three Taj hotels here – Taj Mahal, Taj Mansingh and Vivanta by Taj – have come together to showcase the specialities of each of them,” Anan Sharma, Manager, Machaan, Taj Mahal hotel said.
Their mouth-watering menu includes mutton shikampuri kebab, chicken seekh on pita roll, boti pao, the signature gosht and subz gulzar biryanis in main course and bulls eye, and banoffee pie for the final bite.
The vegetarian and non-vegetarian items are priced at Rs 250 and Rs 200 respectively, the desserts can be savoured at merely Rs 150.
Taj has also invested in a double storey set-up at the fest, which offers an extraordinary view of the colorful venue.
Besides showcasing delicacies from their existing premium hotel Devrana, Dusit is also introducing the menu from three of their upcoming restaurants – DEL, Kheer, and a chic bar-cum-restaurant Chidiya Ghar.
Pomelo salad, ragda keema kalegi, zuccini and mushroom pancakes and baked yogurt are among the few treats to look for from the Dusit Kitchen.
The market square at the three-day-long culinary celebration also has on offer an array of stalls catering to gourmet products and ingredients from across the globe for visitors, which can be used to whip up innovative recipes on their own.
For those with a sweet tooth, the market is dominated with home-made and hand-crafted saccharine goodies like chocolate tarts, custard cups, apple pies, push up cakes and a variety of sauces.
The Palate Fest 2015 will also be hosting demonstrative cooking session for culinary enthusiasts. Renowned chefs including Kunal Kapur, Vicky Ratnani, Ranveer Brar, Rakhee Vaswani among others will showcase their chef skills while offering tips and suggestions in the process.
Amici, Fio, Farzi Cafe, Kylin, Smokey’s, and the Toddy Shop are others who are offering their fare.
Live music will be omnipresent with popular bands like Daftar Zild, Euphoria, Mrigya, Bhuva Bam and Mix Veg Band performing at the event.
(with inputs from PTI)