Everyone eats Papdi chaat . So, if you eat the same at an Awadhi food fest called ‘Awadhiana’ it might not be a novelty. The chefs here make Palak papri chaat , instead of Papdi chaat though. The garnish is an improvisation too.. Awadhiana is a the food fest from the Awadh region at Sheraton and the buffet spread at their coffee shop is overwhelming,to say the least. To try and relish most of the spread for the fest, it has to be more than one visit. Why? The food is rich and heavy, and one cannot over-eat.
The kebabs for starters have rustic smokey flavours. It gives that real feeling of having something straight out from a bed of crackling woodfire coals. Some of the chunky kebabs like the tangrdi kebab is pure meat, but it is succulent. And with absolutely no extra spices, the kebabs are heart-wrenchingly difficult to resist after the first bite. The same goes with the boti kebab . No description of this kebab can match its perfect taste.
The fest had the chefs putting their heads together to offer the best from Awadh. So, even the gilawati and kakorikebabs are flawlessly made and served. For vegetarians, there’s much more than paneer, potato and corn. The names of the main courses are too sweet to be eaten. So, just concentrate on the dish and the ingredients.
In the breads, the choices are more than one can imagine. The stuffing varies from leafy vegetables to diced chicken. The biryani served was vegetarian and goes well with the chicken and mutton gravy varieties. The silky buttery smooth gravies are sinful and too hard to resist. Chef Satish Kumar along with executive chef Kapil Dubey is making sure the fest leaves a mark on the minds of diners.
Desserts are no mean things on the spread. Except maybe for the jalebi, everything else is a must. On the side, the variety of pickles and desi dips which come are good licks all by themselves. Oh! And make sure you sit with a tall glass of thandai before you star to eat. It will add to the feel of that region.
Finally call for a kulhar chai and see how long you can go without wanting to doze off. The fest is on till March 23 for lunch and dinner.
