Taj Dubai’s Indian designer kitchen Bombay Brasserie proudly launches an immersive five-week journey that showcases not just Indian cuisine, but a sensory play on sound, visual arts and tradition. This festival of feasts starts with showcasing the Colours of Bengal. Bengal – on the coast of eastern India, can be experienced through art, culture, music, community festivals — and a great feast.
Blogliterati.com was invited recently to review this special seasonal menu and we had a sensory feast of sorts. It was a beautiful fusion of traditional music, fine art and lip-smacking bengali cuisine.
The Art
We started off by checking out the magnificent display of art curated by Asheesh Sethi of Anyahh Art Gallery and Ms. Chimoo Acharya of Encore Events. The line-up included works of noted contemporary Bengali artists Suhas Das, Sudip Routh, Madhusudan, Bishwaranjan Bhunia and Dipankar Sikder.
The start
The Bengali feast began with ‘Jhal Muri’ – a tangy street snack, made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, and ‘Chanachur’ and ‘Puchkas’ (hollow, crisp cookies served with tangy, flavoured water, tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas). These fiery snacks were wheeled to our table in a traditionally decorated cart.
Some of the most satisfying starters were the legendary ‘Nizam Rolls’ (juicy, roasted kebab fillings delicately wrapped in tender and layered parathas) and ‘Gondhoraj Paturi Maach’. Ask any Bengali what Gondhoraj is and their hearts will go into a paroxysms of joy; it is a humble fruit, a cross between lime and mandarin orange, with an inimitable aroma and flavour.
The Main event
The main course upped the game with ‘Bhapaa Aloo’ (potatoes in a five spice mix, steamed with mustard paste), ‘Kosha Mangsho’ (lamb cooked with chilies, yogurt and onion and tomato), ‘Kacha Lonka Bata Murgi’ (chicken drumstick, fragrant chilly and cilantro marinate) and more, served with ‘Boondi Raita’ (yoghurt, gram flour pearls) and ‘Luchi’ (fluffy, deep fried bread).
Desserts
We finished off the wonderful indulgence with an assortment of traditional Bengali sweets such as ‘Chanar Payesh’ (cottage cheese dumpling, saffron milk), ‘Misti Doi’ (sweet yoghurt) and ‘Nolen Gur’ Ice cream (ice cream made with natural sugar).
The Ambiance
The Bengali meal experience delighted us with a touch of the unexpected. Bombay Brasserie’s central open kitchen and vibrant décor is complemented by a relaxed, low level seating, alongside bold, oversized artworks on the walls making it the perfect stage for a theatrical dining experience. Live ‘sitar’ and ‘tabla’ musicians add the right notes to delight the senses.
The Bombay Experience is priced at AED 350 with soft beverages and AED 425 with house beverages. For more details, please call 04- 04 438 3222