Spice route to awards

It's not often that you see star chefs from tony hotels interact and share their experiences and food with their contemporaries
Akash Bisht Delhi Hardnews

If cookery is an art, then chefs are artists who stimulate taste buds. On International Chefs' Day, some of the best in the business turned out to pamper Delhi's palate. The lawn of Hotel Ashoka was filled with the aroma of herbs and spices from round the world. On offer were culinary gems from India, the Mediterranean, China, Japan and continental cuisine, too. Liquor flowed to keep spirits high. After all, chefs were being awarded for their skill and expertise in the kitchen.

It's not often that you see star chefs from tony hotels interact and share their experiences and food with their contemporaries. The theme of the dinner - a noble one - Green Theme, had all the ingredients of a gourmet's paradise.

True to its name, the dinner proposed to include organic, trendy and healthy dishes from around 25-30 leading hotels and restaurants that made up the multi-cuisine spread. Sheraton's Dakhin served authentic south Indian food and was the only place that adhered to the green theme. They used millets and traditional spices in their food.

Rows of stalls displayed lip-smacking food from various parts of India and the world. There were popular ready-to-eat snacks which attracted hordes of buyers. There were some hiccups, too. Fish and chicken samosas were over-cooked and didn't attract many foodies. One of the stalls, ironically called Rich's snacks, was uninspiring. You can find them anywhere in Delhi. "It didn't arouse my taste buds," said one of the chefs. The meat of the mutton seekh kebab was not tender and the chicken dishes had no great flavours to talk about.

What won over palates was biryani at ITC's Dum Pukht. A large crowd thronged the stall which had run out of plates. The delectable biryani was served with tender chicken and mirchi ka saalan, a favourite. The mirchi ka saalan was rich in taste and bursting with the flavours from an assortment of spices and herbs. The chicken was well-seasoned and imbued with the aroma of traditional Indian spices. But, the mutton biryani was a clear winner. The rice was well-cooked, the mutton tender and redolent of distinct flavours. The near-perfect combination of spices was something many restaurants serving biryani in the country can learn from, the famous Paradise in Hyderabad included. The Dum Pukht biryani had a perfect blend of both Awadhi and Hyderabadi styles of cooking.

Vegetarians did not feel left out either. For them, there was the fabled dal makhni, paneer and soft naans. After two helpings of the biryani, I decided to move to other stalls and look for something that can beat the Dum Pukht food.

I decided to skip Sagar Ratna. The celebrated south Indian restaurant chain, I believe, is more inclined towards the Punjabi taste. So, their south Indian is more north Indian, the reason for my dislike.

Chor Bizzare served some authentic Kashmiri food and their people manning the stall were warm. They cared to explain the intricacies of the various dishes. One of the chefs suggested I try their new dish - kathal (jackfruit) ke kofte. It, however, tasted just like lauki (bottle gourd) koftas. The yakhni and haaq saag though were phenomenal and tasted like ones cooked in a Kashmiri home.

Olive Bar did live up to its reputation and served delicious continental food. The Taj's Mediterranean cuisine stood out and was far better than Saffron hospitality, also serving continental fare. The Chinese dishes served at Eros and Radisson were strikingly similar in taste. The Ai restaurant served some great sushi and other Japanese delicacies.

A good dinner isn't complete without a dessert. Here, dessert counters were managed by ITC, Ashoka and Hyatt. The range of desserts was wide. Tarts, pies, soufflés, mousse and brownies were sinfully tempting. ITC was slightly ahead of Hyatt with its versatility and innovation. However, Ashoka's Indian dessert stall put me off. Their kulfi was less than ordinary.

Earlier in the evening, several chefs were awarded by the PHD Chamber, the Indian Culinary Forum and the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations. It was a richly deserved honour for these culinary artists who have dedicated their lives in pampering our palate while remaining anonymous. These chefs have worked hard to preserve, create and serve delectable cuisines from different parts of India and the world. The annual Chef Awards is into its sixth year and is awarded on International Chef's Day.

The event also saw chefs dressed in designer wear and walking the ramp with gusto and enthusiasm. The crowd comprised families of chefs cheering for them. The audience was deeply moved when a chef, who had won an award, ran towards his dad and touched his feet.