Gourmet food - RAW

Sure yoursquove had uncooked nonvegetarian food If you are a nonvegetarian that is Did we hear Sushi Caviar too Good Welcome to the next level then Japanese cuisine one of the more popular cuisines on show in Mumbai has won us over with Sushi and its slightly bolder cousin Sashimi But the Japanese arenrsquot the only ones who likeu00a0it raw Europeans Arabs Latin Americans and Koreans too have amazing dishes where certain meats and fish are completely uncooked unboiled even unsteamedu00a0 ldquoSome cuts of beef are best enjoyed rare if not completely rawrdquo says chef and ace restaurateur Rahul Akerkar ldquoIn France meat is always served halfcookedrdquo says Busabarsquos Chef Nikhil Chib But Akerkar knows that enjoying raw meat is an acquired taste ldquoNot everyone in the city is willing to take the mindset leaprdquo he rues which is probably why his menu for the moment only has one raw meat dish mdash a Venetian delicacy called Carpaccio So while raw fish dishes are available widely across the city ldquoItrsquoll be a while before the city accepts raw meatrdquo predicts Akerkar Chib is also concerned about the quality of fish and meat available here ldquoTo serve meat in its raw state it has to be absolutely fresh Local fish reaches us eight days after its caught because fishermen must go deep into the ocean to avoid pollutionrdquo he says Restaurants that do serve raw fish and meat most often import it from across the globe mdash mainly Scotland where the finest beef comes from Norway Korea and Japan Steak Tartare Origin France Available at Arola Fenix Westin Mumbai Garden City and others ldquoSteak Tartare is a preparation of finely chopped raw meat served with raw egg yolkrdquo says Arolarsquos the Spanish restaurant at JW Marriott Chef De Cuisine Manuel Oliveira Seller While the idea that Steak Tartare gets its name from Tartar the people of Central Asia is usually poohpoohed by experts it is widely recognised that the modern version of the dish was served in France in the 1900s and was called Steak a lrsquoAmericaine At Arola they serve the knifecut steak with a soyagingerwasabi infusion and a raw egg to be eaten on baby Romaine leaves Perhaps due to the cityrsquos aversion to beef especially when served raw and because it is difficult to source the perfect cut of meat restaurants such as Fenix and Vinoteca by Sula prefer to serve a tuna version Westin Mumbai Garden City is among the only other restaurants that serve beef tartare in the city But walk into Indigo or Indigo Deli and ask for a Steak Tartare and yoursquore sure to be indulged promises Rahul Akerkar Jamon Iberico Origin Spain Available at Vinoteca by Sula Iberian ham or Jamon Iberico is cured in Andalucian sea salt and kept hanging for approximately three years before it is served Now while this would not count as raw meat for food experts neither is it cooked boiled or steamed ldquoThe Indian government classifies it as raw meatrdquo says Chef Silvia Grimaldo at Vinoteca The chef who is referring to the strict laws our country has against importing raw meat unless it is FDA approved says the Iberian ham served at Vinoteca is flown in from Guijuelo in Salamanca to the west of Madrid ldquoMy father was from the region so I know thatrsquos where you get the best hamrdquo she adds This is served as an extremely thin slice of the ldquomeltinyourmouthrdquo ham with an olive on top Right So the next time you want to show off your gastronomic knowledge you know what to order moeenahalimmiddaycom Tenderloin Carpaccio Origin Venice Italy Available at Indigo Two One Two Aurus and others First served in a Venetian bar in the 1950s the dish got its name from artist Vittore Carpaccio who had a tendency to use reds similar to the meatrsquos hue in his paintings Traditionally the dish consists of extremely thin slices of tenderloin served with shavings of Parmesan cheese olive oil and a bed of rocket or arugula leaves Restaurants in Mumbai also serve options such as tuna salmon or scallop Carpaccio for those who do not have beef According to Two One Two Bar and Grillrsquos Outlet Chef Mohammed Bhol ldquoAny meat pounded flat and raw can be referred to as Carpacciordquo Bhol serves a lightly pounded version of Aberdeen Angus beef with a house balsamic vinegar dressing rocket leaves and slices of 24monthold Parmesan cheese ldquoThe idea of slicing it thin is so you break down the tissue and fibre of the meat or fish making it easy to chew and digestrdquo explains Chef Tarang Doshi of Indigo who prefers to dress up the tenderloin a bit more serving it with fried mustard mayonnaise truffle powder wild rocket Parmesan and an olive tapenade While Two One Two imports its beef from Scotland Indigo insists on using local meat ldquoThe meat has to be absolutely fresh We use the undercuts of local buffalordquo reveals Rahul Akerkar Ceviche Origin Peru Available at Vinoteca by Sula Koh and others ldquoPeruvian cuisine has keen Japanese and Polynesian influencesrdquo reveals Chef Paul Kinny of InterContinental Marine Driversquos restaurant Koh According to Kinny Peruvians began eating raw fish in the form of ceviche or tiraditos different in the way the fish is cut and served thanks to Japanese immigrants Ceviche he explains has very thinly sliced fish served with a tiny bit of citrus or another acid such as vinegar Vinoteca by Sula serves locally sourced Kingfish which is finely diced not sliced with a drizzle of lemon sweet lime and orange juice as a tapa Tuna salmon and other varieties are widely available across the city but Chef Ian Kittichairsquos version served at Koh has a rather interesting Thai twist to it Sliced onions both raw and browned Thai roasted chilli powder mint and kaffir lime leaves adorn a paper thin slice of Japanese Yellowfin Tuna ldquoto be eaten the minute its brought to your tablerdquo warns Kinnyu00a0