“You must try the lobster bisque,” insists Thomas Kurian, food and beverage manager. It’s good advice, for what arrives is light-red creamy-rich goodness. Made from stock of sautéed lobster pulped into puree, with occasional pieces of grilled lobster meat, the soup is a great beginning for a filling meal at the ongoing Steaks and Grills Festival at Regency restaurant in Abad.
The seafood chowder soup that’s up next doesn't quite match up. It is better suited for those with bland preferences. Senior sous chef, Mohan Babu, says the soup is made in typical North-American style, comprising fish, shrimp and squid accompanied by capsicum. The starters bring more American fare with BBQ chicken wings, served with abundant barbeque sauce. For vegetarians, the chef suggests his innovative baby corn lollipop — corn stuffed with cheese and fried — or mushroom remoularde, (crumb fried mushrooms with tartare sauce).
The meat of the matter comes at the main course. Although generously skewed to the non-vegetarian dinner, the menu does offer two vegetarian options: a platter of grilled vegetables marinated in spicy tomato sauce, and the classic cannelloni (a baked breed of pasta stuffed with corn and spinach). Of the 12 other dishes offered, chef Mohan says his seven seas platter has been the hot favourite of the season. It features squid served with an Indian spiced sauce, prawn served with butter-garlic sauce, fish fingers served with a lemon butter sauce and lobster with a Mexican sauce.
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His other quick mover is the traditional beef steak, named the Tournedos Opera — a chewy, chunky affair that comes doused in pepper sauce with more pepper sauce on the side. Several of the menu’s offerings are also available on a sizzler platter, given that you like the dance and drama of smoking meat and boiling vegetables. For the quieter sorts, the meal comes primly plated on white dinnerware. The Regency’s steak festival has been an annual staple until the restaurant underwent a recent revamp, explains Thomas. “The menu hence comprises creations that have done well in the past, and some new ones for this season,” he says.
One of the newer entrants is the ranch burger steak, made of grilled beef burger that comes with a cheery fried egg sunny side up. The chef also recommends his Chateaubriand bearnaise, beef again, marinated in oyster sauce, and named so for chateaubriand refers to the particular undercut of meat used, and the bearnaise is an egg-yolk and butter based hollandaise sauce. We’re also served the braised chicken supreme roulade, which was the highlight of the meal: chicken breast stuffed with minced chicken and mushroom. Chicken also comes in Hawaiian style garnished, of course, with pineapple.
To round off the elaborate spread, there’s an assortment of five desserts to choose from. Your best bet is the chocolate truffle mousse.
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The festival is on for dinner from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. till May 11.