March is arguably the most stressful time of the year for the average family, with parents frantically tallying finances and planning strategies to combat fluctuating prices while children burn the midnight oil in preparation for exams. With all these burdens considered, the weekend becomes even more of a respite than usual, and this has not gone unnoticed by Crowne Plaza hotel located at Maradu, which is organising weekend themed dinner buffets at their restaurant, Mosaic.
The imposing façade of the hotel is a sight to behold as it towers into the night sky, with delicate lighting illuminating its curves and contours and providing the visitor a sense of majesty. Walk through the equally impressive lobby and a short elevator ride later, the welcoming interiors of Mosaic greet you, with steaming dishes laid out neatly along the walls and waiting to be sampled. According to assistant food and beverage manager Vinu John, every element of Mosaic is designed to live up to its name. “This restaurant is one of the main centres of attraction of the Crowne Plaza, it offers a dining experience that tries to be as diverse as possible and we try to mix things up. The mosaic vibe continues even with our glassware,” he says , pointing at the glasses on the table, each of which is a different colour.
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It is this same basic philosophy that has been applied to the food served during the weekend dinner buffets with Mediterranean, seafood barbeque and Bengali cuisine on offer on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. The Mediterranean spread has dishes lined up with small placards next to them, with their names and country of origin. From Paella, a pulav like Spanish preparation, which can consist simply of vegetables or include fish and various meats, to vegetable lasagne made up of soft dough, sautéed vegetables and rich parmesan cheese. Says Pankaj Kumar, the executive chef, “The idea here is to let people indulge themselves and experience as many dishes as possible. The reason we provide vegetable Paella on Friday is so that the seafood Paella can take its place on Saturday. The seafood specials will also have fish marinated in a multitude of ways, and available in different stages of preparation from steamed to deep fried. Apart from international seafood recipes, local favourites from Kumarakom and Aleppey will also be available. And the royal Bengali specials will include dishes and delicacies associated with the region, such as
The food on offer is prepared by Chef Rajeev Menon (Mediterranean), Chef Bhau Pawar (seafood barbeque) and Chef Shibiraj Saha (Bengali), who have worked in London, Dubai, Lebanon and a host of other exotic locations between them.
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While getting through the month of March can seem like a daunting task on most days, there is nothing better than some good food to get rid of stress and exam blues. Munching on Keppe (a Lebanese variation of the meatball) and listening to Adolf, the one man band, perform Greenday’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and James Blunt’s ‘1973’ are about as soothing as it gets. And in case the kids need more encouragement to tag along, there is a chocolate fountain as well. The dinner buffets will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday till the end of the month. The hotel is also conducting a special Easter brunch on March 31 with gift hampers on offer from Ároma, the pastry and deli shop located on the premises. With the exotic assortment of dishes, great music and soothing ambience on offer, it appears residents of the city now have one more reason to say ‘thank God it’s Friday!’