Bringing In The New At Kangan, The Westin Mumbai Garden City

For some reason a lot of us, including me, tend to look at Indian cuisine as the last resort when considering options for a fine dine meal. Pan Asian – yes! Italian – yes! But some how traditional Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine is never really considered ‘fine dine’ material. But in the last few years a pleasant change of sorts is visible. Regional Indian cuisine has started receiving the due it deserves. Indian cuisine has become ‘cool’ again with the integration of modern cooking techniques with age-old recipes as well as futuristic plating. 

And then there are restaurants like Kangan at the Westin Mumbai Garden City, Goregaon that stay true to the desi roots by bringing us dishes that are rich and exquisite – a meal fit for royalty! All of this at a stunning venue – a restaurant perched atop the 18th floor with a beautiful view of the city by night. And a meal put together by a maestro with tons of experience and expertise in the area of Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine – Chef Angad Rai. If these aren’t the ingredients for a perfect meal, then I don’t know what is!

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Singapore Diaries: Five Reasons to Visit!

I remember my father bringing home a brochure highlighting Singapore Tourism from one of his travels, roughly a decade ago. The 3D-glasses that came alongside the mag brought alive the pages – Toucans from Jurong Bird Park squawked at me, the cable car ride to Sentosa island whirred past, and the white tigers at the Singapore Zoo roared at me, inviting me to come aboard. It is amazing how some small, insignificant memories remain imprinted in one’s mind.

A month ago, I happened to remember that magazine, whose pages I so longingly turned through, hoping to visit all of these places someday. And on a whim, we decided to take a family holiday to Singapore! With places such as Sentosa Island and Universal Studios on the itinerary – places that I was looking forward to seeing with my parents, re-living childhood, and becoming their little girl once again. And then there was the lure of Singapore’s multidimensional food scene. Dishes that I had heard of, read and even tasted back home, that enticed me to try the real deal.

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A Love Letter to Seafood

Dear Creatures of The Deep Sea,
                                                   
My love affair with you started as a chubby three year old when I had my first taste of batter fried Bombil from my mother’s plate. It was love at first bite. My obsession with you’ll only grew stronger with age, and taste. I remember looking forward to Sunday morning fish shopping sessions with mom – my eyes glistening when I’d see you’ll naked in the fisher woman’s basket, my nose sniffing the aroma you’ll would let out, my fingers itching to hold your slimy scaly bodies.

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All Aboard the Oriental Express – Pan Asian, ITC Maratha

In one corner, behind a gleaming glass counter I can see an artist in a chef’s hat rolling out sushi with precision and intense concentration that the art deserves. Right behind me, I can hear the sizzle and boom from the Teppanyaki counter – another Chef whipping up a dish with the theatrical flair that this Japanese form of cooking demands. The primary, open kitchen has an army of diligent chefs, painstakingly stir frying veggies, boiling noodles, or seasoning meat – all under the watchful eye of Commander and Head Chef Liang. There was so much to take in, so much to gaze around at, and so many cuisines to explore at the Pan Asian, at ITC Maratha. 

The ITC Maratha, has carved a niche in the Indian cuisine department, famous for the ITC kaali dal at the highly acclaimed Peshawri and Dum Pukht. Among the seven dining establishments that this sprawling five star property boasts of, the Pan Asian remains highly underrated and deserves a spot in the sun. The restaurant is ‘Pan Asian’ in the truest sense, with cuisines from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia on offer.

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