Skip to main content

A Roomful of Strangers

Last Thursday, I did something quite daring by my standards and went out for dinner with 20 strangers. The occasion was day one of a new restaurant at Grand Hyatt; the company eclectic and friendly. Amidst wine and conversations, the two brains behind Brown Paper Bag and the PR manager for Grand Hyatt made sure we met everyone in the lovely bunch of "what started as strangers and ended as friends".

And now, aren't you dying to hear about the newly opened Fifty Five East, the restaurant that replaces that Martini Bar called M they had for a few years. The short version is that it's pretty, it's good food and you should go there for dinner tomorrow (but don't wear heels; it's a long walk to a buffet spread over a huge space). And whatever you do, save space for dessert.

If you are still here, be warned that this was the first time I went to a restaurant where the PR guy took me on a tour and chefs came to talk to me, so I am probably gonna inundate you with information. First the space - there's a lot of it everywhere. It's beautifully decorated; one part with fancy light cutouts and the other with a colorful sari collage.

The food is a selection of Lebanese, Japanese, Thai and Indian. I know, I was shocked at first too at the strange mix. But once you get to know it better, it's a brilliant concept. Most of it is mezze and grills, cooked right inside the restaurant in open kitchens. The cold section features Lebanese - your standard measures of hummus and yogurt dips with pita. But there's also sushi right there at the same counter. An authentic Japanese chef turned out a fairly non-authentic spicy fried mushroom sushi, and I didn't dare try the bhindi version.

The hot section is Thai and grills. There was a green veg curry and pad thai but it was in the grills section that I met the star of the show. It was polenta and parmesan cakes with a creamy mushroom sauce. I went for seconds, I would have gone for thirds if I didn't notice the desserts section first.

Indian? I'm sure it was nice, but I didn't see anyone from our group turn in that direction. I know I didn't.

So we go on to a dessert buffet to die for. On one side are healthy fruits and some Indian sweets no one was paying any attention to. In the middle were some 20 odd pastries, cheesecakes and tarts. I noticed a custard, the chef claimed it's cream brulee, then sprinkled some sugar and out came a blow torch. You know I am all for drama at my table. So I went back and told him to torch a lemon tart for me.

Then I went back and told him to make a warm crepe with berry compote. I would have gone back to get a soft serve customized with fruit purees and almond clusters, but the nice chefs got it for me at the table. I would still rate the lemon tart the best. But I am obsessed with lemons so try everything else too when you go.

Then say goodbye to some lovely new friends and vow not to eat the next three days.
Labels:

Comments

Siri said…
Oh my! that menu sounds sooo yummy! I bet you must have had an awesome time over there. :) :)

Siri
June 23, 2010 at 11:59 PM
Unknown said…
I remember the invite from BPB. Sounds like it was a lot of fun :)
July 3, 2010 at 1:08 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I've found my perfect cookie

It's a bite sized cookie, with flavors of a pie, shape of a croissant and a pretty, pretty name. It's Rugelach. I first heard of this cookie when it became the baking pick for Tuesdays with Dorrie a couple of months back. The looks, the concept - everything was fascinating. And I've dreamed of making this cookie ever since. I ditched hundreds of recipes floating around and went straight to the master. It's Dorie Greenspan's recipe that I used, and ain't I glad I got it so perfect the very first time. So what's rugelach? It's cream-cheese pastry dough, rolled then cut into wedges, spread with jam and sugar and fillings of choice, rolled into crescents and baked. First the dough. Dorie did it in her processor, but I just went and did it by hand. Put 100 gms cream cheese and 100 gms butter out of the fridge until they were soft but still cold. Added both to a cup of plain flour (I omitted the salt because I use salted butter). Rubbed the flour and but...
10 comments
Read more

Of Brun and Bun Maska

There is more to Bombay's breads than the pao that goes into pao bhaji and vada pao. There's Brun. and there's bun. We will get there. First, you have to get to know the city's Parsis. And Iranis, who are also Zoroastrians, but came to city a little later, in the late 19th or early 20th century. And when they came, they brought with them these little cafes that dot the city. I am no expert on Irani chai cafes. And I can't tell you whether Yazdani Bakery will provide you the best experience or Kyani's. But I can tell you a few things you need to ignore when you get there. Appearances don't matter; so ignore the fact that the marble/glass top tables and the wooden chairs look a bit dilapidated. Also ignore the rundown look the place sports. Instead, get yourself settled. And order a bun muska. This one's familiar to you as a first cousin of the soft hamburger bun. It's similar, but just a tad bit sweeter. Maska, of course, is the generous dollop o...
13 comments
Read more

Mystery Fruit

This only happened a few times every year, just when the rainy season kicked in. A street hawker will come by, straw basket on head. He will yell "kaul chapni" and I will run out to buy a bundle of these. Stuck together like flowers, they looked like a bouquet. Every hole contains a little fruit. You break out the package, peel the tiny fruit that pops out and eat it. Done slowly, it can take you an hour to eat an head. Or did, when I was about 12 years old. That was the last time I saw this fruit. I've never seen it again, didn't even know what it was called or where it came from. Three weeks back, Vikram Doctor wrote about a store in Khar that sells Sindhi foods. He described this fruit and I knew it came from my vivid childhood memories. And finally, I knew we were talking about lotus fruit. Now talk about coincidences. Last weekend, I was passing by a lane in Bandra and for the first time in many, many years I saw the straw basket filled with my mytery fru...
14 comments
Read more