Will degustation menus impress Mumbai's foodies?

Picture this As you soak in the swish ambiance of a Mumbai fivestar hotel a small portion of Brittany lobster wrapped with asparagus shoots and topped with morel mushroom sabayon makes its way to your table Arrested by its plating you dig in savouring the crunch of the shoots tinged with the flavoursome lobster Soon another dish follows and two hours later yoursquove relished eight small courses without looking at the menu By now yoursquove also learnt about the chefrsquos culinary skills as he visits your table This experience could summarise chef Laurent Peugeotrsquos popup that begins this Saturday at Juhursquos JW MarriottFirst course Dutch Asparagus Cigarillos Truffle Cregraveme Fraiche Hosted by 4XFOUR the Michelinstar chef will present an eightcourse FrenchJapanese fusion degustation menu The following week Chef Giovanni DrsquoAmato will serve an Italian degustation fare at the same hotel Pavithran Nambiar General Manager explains about introducing this concept ldquoThe city has warmed up to the concept of degustation menus as the Indian diner is evolving and has different taste preferences As our target audience travels internationally they sample tasting menus including fine dining experiences and appreciate itrdquoSecond course Tiger Prawn Stuffed Cajun Crab Artichoke ImulsionD to Z of DegustationThis French culinary term is an avantgarde dining experience that involves a careful selection of some of the chefrsquos signature dishes focusing on exposing and utilising all five senses while involving extensive culinary techniques At many city restaurants it is served as a set tasting menu One such example is the ninecourse Chefs Tasting Menu at Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra Zorawar Kalra Founder and Managing Director Massive Restaurants explains ldquoThe concept has its origins in French classical cuisine but has come to widely being used in contemporary dining across the culinary traditions of the world Though the earlier concept of deacutegustation menus served a few courses with the mains serving fullsized meal dishes at each course the modern variant has been inspired from the concept and offers either a three five or ninecourse set menu with individual portioning to help the diner experience the cuisine in its entirety and yet not feel too stuffedrdquoOffered at a premium price this menu undergoes frequent changes based on the availability of ingredients often it is paired with wines to complement each dish At The Taj Mahal Palacersquos The Zodiac Grill a bespoke ninecourse degustation menu gets a makeover every fortnight and costs a whopping Rs 7950 taxes nonvegetarian and Rs 6950 taxes vegetarian ldquoOur inhouse sommelier works with our expert chefs These days chefs love to create new and interesting ways to introduce food to their guests With a deep focus on inciting all five senses over fine epicurean creations a degustation dinner is one such experiencerdquo explains Chef Amit Chowdhury Executive Chef ndash The Taj Mahal Palace MumbaiDessert Amaretto Souffleacute Ipoh White Coffee are part of the ninecourse degustation menu at The Zodiac Grill PicsAtul KamblePlan perfectPlanning a degustation menu is no cakewalk as chef Irfan Pabaney of The Sassy Spoon found out during the French Week celebrations He recalls ldquoThe challenge was to pick dishes based on peoplersquos palates and the availability of ingredients For instance if people werenrsquot fans of Bombay duck we served them tilapia The Indian customer wants to have a choice and be in control of what heshe is eatingrdquoThird course Pan Seared Lamb Loin Horseradish Cregraveme Brulee Shallot JusThe trick with this concept is to ensure that the entire menu follows a theme that maintains a balance reveals Chowdhury adding ldquoYou could focus on a specific region cuisine or producerdquo Raajith Bambasal AGM Hakkasan that dishes out set lunches and dimsum degustation menus agrees that the ideal degustation menu should offer starters and small bites along with a nonmessy main course Options are a must in each course to meet varied guest requirements Customer feedback also helps to plan this menu Peugeot who intends to create spicier fusion fare to suit the city palate elaborates ldquoThe concept of degustation allows me to talk the patrons and based on the feedback I may tweak the tastes for subsequent dining experiencesrdquoThe price factorHowever with such a highprofile concept the price could be offputting But the experience makes the price worth it believes Chowdhury ldquoEach course is served with flair and is intended to present the chefrsquos culinary genius on a plate These meals could last up to three hours and with todayrsquos grabandgo culture this might seem like a bit of a stretch Having said that an evening of a wide array of deliciously diverse food with friends and family might be just what people need todayrdquoPabaney lets us in ldquoBy using local ingredients the cost is kept under controlrdquo At Hakkasan the degustation menu is priced lower than their a la carte fare ldquoThe reasonable rates attract guests who would have otherwise visited only on special occasions in their liferdquo maintains BambasalPan Fried Satay Chicken Bun as part of the dimsum degustation lunch at HakkasanWill it workThose who dine out frequently would admit that after a point it can get tiring to pore over menus Worse imagine if you pick the wrong dish Or lose precious time while negotiating an exhaustive confusing menu This is where the appeal of a prefixed degustation menu lies ldquoItrsquos the simplicityrdquo believes Bambasal adding ldquoWe use it as an induction to the restaurant Once theyrsquove experienced the essence of what we have to offer they are tempted to come back A majority of our patrons are corporates who drop by for a quick lunch meeting This small prefixed meal that is priced slightly lower than the regular menu works for themrdquoMichelinstar chef Laurent Peugeot with his creations clockwise Scallop burned and marinated with Sake Soja Puree Pumpkin Pomelo and Takuan second course Green Asparagus Morel Mushroom Sabayon Britanny Lobster fourth course Langoustine scampi Eggplant Dengaku crispy Soja three years old third course and White Cube of Maniquette Pepper Liquid Heart burn Miso eighth course PICSayed Sameer AbediDal Chawal Arancini AcharPapadChutney at Masala Library by Jiggs KalraChowdhury believes that Mumbai is the perfect destination for degustation menus ldquoDegustation meals help you sample everything on the menu and gain insight into a chefrsquos gastronomic philosophyrdquo Kalra seconds it ldquoThe biggest advantage of serving this menu is that the guests do not need to think too much if they want to holistically experience the cuisine served by the restaurantrdquoHere to stayAccording to Kalra this concept outside the confines of a fivestar hotel is new in India and not well exposed to diners ldquoPrice remains a deciding factor for consumers but with smart planning and execution more restaurants can implement this effectively while allowing more guests to experience it across cuisinesrdquo he observes ldquoDegustation menus are here to stay as they offer an element of surprise to guests making them look forward to the dining experience It also helps chefs enhance their creativity by crafting bespoke culinary experiencesrdquo sums up Chowdhury