There are several reasons to celebrate the summer, it is days of lazing in the sun, school vacations and summer romances. And if you thought that summer is about settling for a staid salad and a simple sandwich Chef Jaydeep Patil goes to great lengths to prove otherwise in “A Gourmet Summer”.
He puts together a menu that was inspired by a summer picnic on a hillock, with chequered blankets, cane baskets and lots of raspberries. Beetroot carpaccio - yes, you read right – beetroot carpaccio, a preparation with chevre, orange and raspberries, with a dollop of carpaccio to round things off. The beet and fruit was sweet and the carpaccio, creamy and sour, which worked well together. The presentation was appetising, an explosion of colour and a great note to start on.
Next on the menu was prosciutto — wrapped tenderloin, which came with roast vegetables and aged balsamic. The meat was soft, the prosciutto contributed with a yummy zest, and it was all very dutifully polished off, veggies and all.
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This was followed by soup, a tomato and fennel broth which was host to the catch of the day, which for me was cuttlefish and quadrucci. The soup was clear and light and full of flavour. The quadrucci made it fun and if nobody is watching tilt your bowl and drain its contents.
A martini glass with a chilled scoop of the raspberry and chilli sorbet was sent around to clean your palate. There is more to come, after a short break.
But before you move on, dwell briefly on the sorbet, the cold watermelon is balanced out perfectly by the chilli, sending your tastebuds on a wild goose chase. It is essentially raspberry, and in a second there is chilli and in the next it is gone.
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Embark on main course and you'll find tuna with celery, chilli, broccoli, Californian grapes and rucola. Make tiny portions of everything and construct a bite-sized portion of fish and the veggies and top it off with half a grape and experience the food. This was followed by house smoked tenderloin, and the tenderloin was everything you would expect it to be. Not too well done, with enough juice in the meat accompanied by a red wine sauce to compliment it.
It's time for dessert and I'm not reaching for buckles to loosen, but welcome the Belgian milk chocolate and passion fruit pave with open arms and concern. Fruit and chocolate have not been a combination I particularly enjoyed; remember orange Kit-Kat?
Except it would be blasphemous to compare this gourmet masterpiece to anything run of the mill. The chocolate mousse infused with the essence of passion fruit was a beautiful tango with some bitter cocoa dusted over it to help me take home some happy memories.
Visit Le Jardin, The Oberoi, M.G. Road for A Gourmet Summer. The promotion is on till April 30 and for reservations call 25585858.