Thoda hatke Gastronomics take heart... the city is in for a treat with some unusually themed food festivals

Thoda hatke

Gastronomics take heart... the city is in for a treat with some unusually themed food festivals

Are you a foodie and bored with what’s on offer? The city now offers ways to experiment with some new flavours and open your mind (and stomach) to an evolving world of food. Saptami, a multi-cuisine restuarant hosted an herb festival ‘Herbalicious’. Executive Chef Sudhir Pai pulled a leaf from ancient food history and introduced a menu inspired by herbs. Sudhir says, “We always try to do some unique festivals. These days’ people travel far and wide and are aware about various cuisines and types of foods.” The special menu had dishes prepared with thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, mint, fennel, brahmi etc was a treat for food connoisseurs. “People are very health conscious these days and have accepted the food very well. We used herbs which have nutritional as well as medicinal values,” adds Sudhir. You can treat yourself to carrot and roast garlic soup baby fenugreek; thyme and garlic scented prawns on a bed of mango couscous salad; and rosemary and parmesan crusted New Zealand lamb rack with red wine jus and garlic mash. As the world celebrates National Asparagus month, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and indulge in this seasonal delicacy this week at Shamiana, The Zodiac Grill and Wasabi. Chef Hemant Oberoi has twisted this aristocratic vegetable into some exciting new avatars. Hemant says, “We are excited to bring the asparagus mania to Mumbai when this exotic vegetable is at its best. Guests can enjoy an array of asparagus delicacies prepared with a green, white and purple asparagus specially imported from Europe to bring out the best flavour to the dishes. Since asparagus is low in calories and high on vitamin C, it finds a place on the must-have lists of health conscious guests too, Hemant adds. At Wasabi you can enjoy authentic contemporary Japanese cuisine made with this exotic ingredient. You can even zing up your meal with Elbo Room’s Lime and Lemon Fest. Enjoy Insalata di vista salad; smoked Salmon on preserved eggs; crispy Calamari spiced-tender Corn O-bento and finish the night of with a tangy lemon cheesecake. “Lime is very versatile and adds tanginess in any dish. People don’t actually go looking for lime/lemon dishes. But it actually adds flavour to food. Hence, we decided to dedicate a food festival just to lime and lemon,” says owner Ravi Sharma. With all the food options out there, there’s no saying where the indulgence will end! Happy trails!