What could be a better name for a restaurant than ‘Sen5es’? That’s what the all-day dining restaurant at Pullman, Gurgaon, is called. It exudes a warm contemporary feel with a culinary drama. A visual delight, the alluring aroma of food wafting through the restaurant, authentic and delectable world cuisine, all combine to bring to you an indulgent experience.
The 130-cover Sen5es revolves around the five interactive show kitchens displaying a sumptuous array of food, a dining concept that brings the excitement of cooking from behind the scenes to the table.
But for me the USP of Pullman is its young and creative Executive Chef Tanveer Kwatra. He is one chef who knows his food and is trying to bring out the best flavours. Knowing my preferences, Chef Kwatra served me a nice duck noodle soup. The duck was straight out of the oven and had a nice aroma which lifted the preparation, transforming the simple soup bowl into a treasure of flavours.
Making good use of the leftover fresh duck I was offered duck guo buns, simply called Chinese sliders. The buns were fresh and soft, and held the stuffing to perfection. They were so good that I had two in about a minute’s time. Tweaking the macchi tikka, the chef marinated it with kaffir leaves which ended up dominating the flavour of the fish.
But the surprise for me was the palak and goat cheese shammi. I have not tasted a better vegetarian shammi in recent times. The goat cheese worked wonderfully to keep the shammi moist and tender. Even the murgh tikka had very balanced spices and was worth every bite. Before the main course, the chef served a thin crust pizza with a nice base topped with lots of greens. It was not loaded with cheese and was very well balanced — perfect to have in between the meals.
Nalli ka salan and butter chicken, both famous in their gharanas of cuisine, competed with each other, and the Awadhi delicacy won with ease. It was subtle with a perfect shine on the curry, whose silky texture was bursting with aroma. The butter chicken, on the other hand, was way too sweet and could have been better. The achari lauki was just too good. Though mango desserts were on offer, for a chocolate lover like me nothing could beat the sinful fondant.
Meal for two: Rs. 4000 plus taxes
