It’s not every day that one gets to experience gastronomical magic served by one of the biggest names in the global food industry. So trying out celebrity chef George Dimitrios Calombaris’ at the JW Marriot signature dishes was a no-brainer. Sharing his thoughts on local food, George confesses softly: “Indian food is not the same in Australia. It lacks the authenticity of flavours and the subtle Indian finishing touch to the dish.”
He adds that India has a lot of love that gets dished out in every meal he has here and that’s what makes his experience here one he always comes back to. “Food is my religion and almost every food lover I meet in India shares my faith.”
He points out that he fell in love with the masala dosa in Airlines Hotel which he dug into after his morning job in Cubbon Park. “The masala dosa is one absolutely delicious Indian dish. It tastes better every time I eat it. And the savoury, crispy, deep fried doughnut which you guys call vada. Yum!
How can you go wrong with that?” he grins with content.
George, who judges MasterChef Australia and owns seven restaurants in Melbourne unveiled The GC Collection on Zomato, a guide to restaurants in 12 cities globally. After the unveiling, George headed to the open kitchen and joined his team to whip up a meal.
First up was ouzu cured Indian sea bass with miso eggplant, celery and herbs. Drawing from his strong Greek and Cypriot heritage, George blended the anise-flavoured aperitif with the cured sea bass.
The soft shell crab souvlaki with honey lime, coriander and mint was to die for. The juicy crab flavoured with dripping honey lime and spices and served in a cone of tandoori naan was a mouth-watering delight.
The big glass of salted caramel rice pudding with generous crumbs of almond biscuit and topped with rice ice cream was a dessert worth waiting for.
The audience agreed to George’s statement that if he were to set up a roadside stall in Bengaluru’s selling souvlaki and dessert, he would do very well!
George graciously agreed to take selfies with the audience and later celebrated Independence Day dressed in traditional Indian garb.
