FINE DINING
Casual, yet chic
SUDHA JAIN
|
Visitors to Caperberry take back an unusual experience that leaves them wanting more.
|
Minimalist and trendy: The ambience adds to the Caperberry experience
Eclectic, experimental and enjoyable…that's Caperberry restaurant, Bangalore, which serves Spanish and European cuisine. Nestled right in the middle of the traffic hullabaloo, Caperberry gives you a dining experience worth coming back for. The place boasts of two completely different menus for lunch and dinner.
The ambience is contemporary, minimalist and chic. No kitsch, no clutter; just clean lines and pleasing muted colours. Huge French windows on one side let the light in during the day. Chef-turned-restaurateur-cum-entrepreneur Abhijit Saha's vision of “creating the highest quality of international dining experience right here in India” has come to fruition.
Rated among the top 10 chefs in the country in a survey by Outlook magazine, he is an expert in Modern European, Italian, Spanish and Indian cuisines. He does not shy away from using new kinds of ingredients for a new dining experience.
His surprising combinations and different interpretation of a simple dish keep the loyalists coming back to the restaurant. He even serves an edible gold leaf in one of the desserts. For one of the dishes, duck is served with pomegranate sauce instead of the classic orange sauce. The coffee in Italian dessert tiramisu is replaced with Japanese green tea hence called ‘tearamisu'. They also have sorbets with beetroot wasabi; a quirky combination.
Healthy and classy
The lunch here is a classy but quick affair aimed mainly at office goers who can have a good healthy lunch without compromising on their time. The ingredients used are fresh and the best. Most ingredients are imported from Spain, France, Japan and Italy. The buffet spread consists of ten salads, a cheese platter, six desserts and chef's select menu.
Main course are grilled so they remain a healthy option. The coca, Spanish version of a pizza is healthy and crisp, mainly served without cheese. The gazpacho shots are just perfect. The lightly cooked stuffed cottage cheese steak combines perfectly with barbeque rub and tomato basil sauce to give it a pleasing taste.
What's casual and chic in the day time transforms into a classy and formal affair in the evenings. Starched linen and heavy tableware adds to the elegant expensive air.
For the dinner the diners are offered two options: the tasting menu that gives a wholesome and complete experience of Caperberry and A La Carte.
Once seated, guests are given what is called a water card wherein the price list of variety of mineral water brand is mentioned. It is followed by a champagne trolley, one of the few restaurants that serve champagne by the glass.
They also have an exhaustive wine list, with information on the tasting notes and hints on choosing the right wine to accompany your meal. The amuse bouche served, which could be a ‘ crostini' or mini ‘gazpacho', a combination that tickles awake taste buds and prepares the diners for the adventure ahead.
Stupendous flavour
The mini-appetizer like Mozzarella in a spoon — a technique of holding the liquid to thin crusty layer outside but cool and soft inside — is stupendous; its flavour bursting in the mouth. This is followed by a bread basket served with herb butter.
The potato salad deconstruction, which is the coming together of potatoes, onions, truffle, green peas gazpacho and beet foam, is complex, subtle and totally unexpected.
The tasting menu has a soup, three main courses and dessert. By the end of the meal the taste buds are so stimulated they are virtually rioting. This is when their homemade sorbets or ice-cream come into the picture. The desserts are a nice touch to end a perfect meal. Their homemade sorbet or ice-cream is to die for.
Caperberry also has a gallery to showcase art. It thus also serves as a medium to experience and appreciate art .Artists such as Shibu Arakal have showcased their art here, thus making their creations more approachable for the public. On Sundays, children too can join in the fun, with tattoo and caricature artists called in especially for them.
No wonder then that the diners here take home an unusual and satiating experience. As Saha puts it, “It's not about inventing the wheel all the time but it's about executing something perfectly and beautifully.”
Valrohna Black Forest Deconstruction
Vanilla parfait, cocoa croquet and rosemary-flavoured cherry soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
For parfaitMilk 200 gm; Caster Sugar 80 gm; Egg yolk 3; Double cream 175 ml; Vanilla bean half; Gelatine leaf 1/2; Valrohna tropical noire chocolate 100 gmCocoa Croquant Sugar 30 gm; Water 30 ml; Glucose 10 gm; Oreo cookie crumb 30 gmCherry SoupBlack cherry 100 gm; Water 100 ml; Caster Sugar 20 gm; Cream 50 ml; Rosemary 1 sprig Method: For Vanilla Parfait: Boil milk with vanilla bean. Beat egg yolks with sugar till pale and add the warm vanilla milk. Whisk the mixture over a bain-marie to create a sabayon and add pre-soaked gelatine. Whip cream and fold into the mixture. Divide mixture into two and pour one part in individual moulds filling them half way through. Freeze for an hour.
Fold melted chocolate into the second half, pour over set vanilla parfait and freeze.For Cocoa Croquant: Boil together water, sugar and glucose and cool. Add Oreo cookie crumb and blend in a food processor to obtain a smooth mixture. Spread the mixture thin on a silpat and bake for 4-5 min at 160º C.For Cherry Soup: Puree the cherries in a food processor. Boil sugar, water and rosemary, add puréed cherries and cook for couple of minutes. Remove from heat, allow the mixture to cool and pour in the cream. Strain through a chinoise and set aside.PlatingDe-mould and decorate the parfait with pieces of the Cocoa croquant. Serve with chilled Cherry soup.
