Bite Size

A slender seekh of skewered mutton served on a bed of steamed rice and curry or a palm-size aloo tikki nestled on crispy slivers of okra is not quite our interpretation of a desi meal. But after restaurants like Varq at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Chutney at the Metropolitan took inspiration from French kitchens and shrunk their dining plates,Frontier at The Ashok Hotel too is bringing out a similar fare with a new degustation menu.

The restaurant,which specialises in the North-West Frontier Province food,is offering a unique proposition,especially to its foreign guests. For Rs 2,000 plus taxes for a non-vegetarian meal and Rs 1,800 plus taxes for a vegetarian meal,you can settle down for a taster’s menu that enlists kebabs and steaming curries in small portions — just enough for a few bites. “It was easy to translate this western concept into the food of North-West Frontier Province because it has a lot of kebabs that can easily be shaped into smaller portions,” says Rajiv Chopra,executive chef,The Ashok Hotel. “A lot of our foreign guests wanted to sample Indian food but bowls of curry would be too much for them. With a degustation menu,they can sample a lot more variety”. The menu lists 12 dishes,including two portions of lemon and passion fruit sorbets that are interwoven between the courses for cleansing the palate. But the taster’s menu,Chopra says,should be booked a day in advance. “It gives us time to interact with the guests and take into account their preference for meats and vegetables,” adds Chopra.

Contact: 26110101