The Spice Route food festival at the Square restaurant at Hotel Novotel is not just the usual gourmet affair. It is a culinary journey that takes you through the rich food culture of the Spice Route that draws its cuisine from the ancient trade links between South and South-East Asia, from the Malabar Coast through Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia to Thailand, Vietnam and Spain. The offerings reflect the culinary combinations of pungent and the bland spices from these regions.
Right from its modified décor, the festival lures you into a spice feast. The elaborate salad counter is decorated on a long countryside boat, the typical Kerala flavour which is very much one of the highlights of the Spice Route. Spices and ingredients procured from places like Thailand, China and Japan that delight your taste buds and aromatic condiments are all neatly showcased to tell people about the variety of flavours that have gone into the preparations of this meaty treat.
“The specialty of the Spice Route is its vast cuisine and yet a familiar link that binds them together. For instance, there are a couple of spices that are constant in most of the cuisines like cinnamon, turmeric, chillies and pepper corn,” explains the hotel's executive chef P. Mahesh.
And as hinted by the chef, the buffet menu is an elaborate offering. Steaming varieties of dimsums are placed on the table by the staff. Prawn sumai, chicken kothe, veg dumplings or Beijing onion cake – there are quite a few choices to select from. The subtle aromatic flavour of the Vietnamese glass noodle and chicken dumpling soup is instantly refreshing. On other days, there are soups like Thai Tom Kha Kai, a spicy chicken and coconut milk soup, flavored with lemon grass and galangal or the Burmese Khaosuey soup.
Chef Mahesh eagerly lists out the signature dishes to look out for. “These are our special highlights. You must try the Teriyaki chicken, Malaysian Rangdang curry (lamb), Kai Krapao (minced chicken with Thai chillies and beans) and the Spanish Empanadas (big gujiyas stuffed with pumpkin and cheese),” he says.
One of the key Indian regions to feature in the food festival is Kerala and you will see the traditional Kerala Appam, Malabar Paratha and Uppi Karri dished out in one of the live stations. The other live stations serve different cuisines like Chinese, Japanese and Middle-East delicacies.
What makes the culinary affair particularly memorable is its authentic flavour which the chef and his team have taken special care of. Many of the key ingredients are sourced from the neighbouring countries. “We have got the white fungus from China and things like pickle radish (diakon) from Japan,” says the chef excitedly. Desserts promise to throw up some surprise as well. Mirchi ka Halwa is one of the highlights of the dessert that should not be missed.
The buffet spread will have five menus that will be alternated during the 10-day festival that will be on till March 22.
Venue: Square
Festival Timings: 7:30 p.m. till 11:30 p.m.
Menu: Buffet offerings
Rate: Rs 999 plus tax
