A standing joke in my family is that whenever we eat out, the first thing I look for is a dish with mushrooms. So when we went to The French Door in RS Puram to check out the new menu, my son exclaimed, “You should be happy; lots of mushroom-based dishes.”
Shreeya Adka
This menu has been in the pipeline for some time, says Chef Shreeya Adka. “We have retained 30% from the old menu like the pumpkin soup, fig and goat cheese salad and chicken cordon bleu. The rest is new.”
The cheese fondue
Ideally, she says, she would like to revamp her menu once a year. One addition she’s excited about is the fondue. “It’s such an integral part of European cuisine that I felt I must have it.”
I ordered a broccoli and almond soup and truffle-scented mushroom pate for starters, while my son went for a chicken-and-strawberry salad and a chicken roulade. The soup was thick and creamy, with the broccoli’s tartness tempered by the almond’s sweetness. Slivers of the nut added a welcome crunch.
The mushroom pate, served with baguette slices and pieces of feta, was a winner. The chicken and strawberry salad, my son assured me, was another with its eclectic mix of greens, roasted chicken, pieces of strawberry and pomegranate. Adka admits that she was nervous because it was something she had created. The chicken roulade was delicately seasoned and served with garlic aioli. I must confess to stealing the olive tapenade that came with the roulade; I loved its pungent flavour.
For the main course, I chose the beetroot ravioli, which made a pretty picture. When I sliced into the pink pockets, the bright green of the spinach shone through and, scooped up along with the mushroom sauce that covered it, this was a treat for the senses.
The boy, in the meantime, was tucking into his beef tenderloin served with a bowl of mashed potatoes. “It’s a prime cut and I can taste rosemary,” he raved.
I found myself struggling to finish my dish, which surprised me. Adka later explained that this was because she has increased the portion size a bit. “Over the past 18 months, I realised that people here order dishes to share. The idea of a plated meal doesn’t quite work. It’s a fine balance we have to strike between the quantity and the plating.”
The Minestrone soup
The other change in the menu is the ‘No Onion, No Garlic’ option. Adka laughs when I mention this. “Again we got a lot of requests. So we introduced lots of new vegetarian options that can be customized to the customer’s tastes. Some people wanted vegan or gluten-free options so we can customise for those as well.”
The hazelnut dome was the hands-down winner in the dessert section, though the apple pie and key lime pie were no slouches. The latter could have been a tad more limey, I felt. The apple pie with its blend of fruit and cinnamon was as comforting as the traditional cliché has it.
A sandwich for brunch
Not many know that The French Door also has a café menu, which is served from 3.00 to 7.00 pm on weekdays. “Earlier we had sandwiches, subs, burgers and pizzas. Now we have some sandwiches but we also brought in the brunch specials. Waffles are popular through the day. We have savoury crepes, pancakes, French toast…”
Last week, Adka introduced the Sunday brunch from 10.00 am. “Apart from all this, there are eggs made to order. If it does well, we will offer it on Saturday as well.”
Info you can use
The French Door is at 102 West Bashyakarlu Road, RS Puram
Open from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm on week days and from 10.00 am on Sundays
The French Door offers an Indian menu as well as its European fine dining
Contact 7094454044 or 0422-2548400 for reservations
