The 1911 Restaurant at The Imperial is venturing into Nouvelle cuisine and tweaking traditional favourites, says Chahak Mittal
It was February 1911. The British government had officially announced about the shifting of the country’s capital from the then Calcutta to Delhi. And as a country changes from time to time, its culinary traditions also might keep focussing on minute details. The 1911 Restaurant, a French outlet, at The Imperial, New Delhi, showcases just that — a confluence of the British and the French.
As I joined the restaurant for lunch at their ongoing la Fête nationale, which celebrates the Bastille Day, they had an array of classic French delicacies on buffet. And I began my lunch with the vegetable salad. Artichoke and sun-dried tomato terrine, the first. I savoured the tiny baguettes, topped with marinated, quartered artichoke and sun-dried tomatoes, shredded Italian cheese, basil and seasoning. However, the next two — Mint-flavoured barley with citrus fruit and Raw mango shooter with pineapple — were perfect examples of how one would want his/her salad palate to look like. The mango shooter tasted like aam panna but with less of pulp and with chopped bits of pineapple — perfectly sour, the one that could tickle your jaws.
Next came the Hors d’ouvre varies. First things first. These were some of the most scrumptious appetisers to begin with. The Cucumber and dill tartar was proof that time-tested favourites rarely lose their appeal. With bits of chopped cucumber dipped in the dill tartar sauce, the dish seemed complete. Squash and parmesan crisps, presented in a mini martini glass, with chopped carrots and cucumber, seemed to be the most appealing dish through its full-marker presentation, however, lost all its charm when I first bit into one of the crispy but bitter chips.
The problem with a variety of dishes, presented to you all at once, is that you are spoilt for choice. Especially, when there is almost everything that you want to savour. And that is exactly what executive chef, Prem K Pogakula told us when he talked about the evolution of the 17-course classical French cuisine. “It’s easy to get carried away with the sight of too many courses. And this is the reason why today no one follows the sequence in which the 17 courses are presented. It has become as per people’s personal preferences and hunger requirements. This is similar to what has happened in India as well. In the pre-independence era, there were only two meals a day. Today, there is breakfast and brunch, lunch, followed by a high-tea and then dinner. Do you see how this has shifted from two to five?” said he.
Moving on to the main course, I tasted the Casserole de riz a l’oignon. The onion and herb rice, mixed with garlic cloves, parsley leaves and basil, fried in corn oil, was like a blast of the most perfect flavours in my mouth. Next up — the Ratatouille, the French Provincial stewed dish, was the one I went back to fill my plate with after I finished it at one go. The dish, an aromatic casserole of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions and tomatoes, had withstood the test of time and even here it didn’t disappoint. However, chef Prem believed that one should never expect anything from food before they eat. And I had applied the strategy here.
The French restaurant, which was initially conceptualised keeping in mind the cuisine preferences of the British, today has come a long way in changing its style and culinary representation. Senior executive vice president Vijay Wanchoo, who has worked as a chef for eight years previously, said that food has evolved manifold with time and is now based more upon people’s respective health choices. He said that this is one of the major things that brings a transformation in the authenticity of a particular cuisine. Added he, “I went to London in 1984 when I found out how they were experimenting with the Nouvelle cuisine and I realised that it was because they were aiming to lessen the amount of butter and cream that was used to prepare the dishes as people had started to look after their health and make food choices which were fat-free.” Prepared with quite a similar approach were the Champignons, épinards et crepes à fromage or the Mushroom, spinach and cheese crepes. For those, who dislike vegetables should absolutely try this one. And I can vouch for it — I could go back to eat it even in a full stomach. These were certainly the best meal of the noon.
Well, the overall meal, accompanied with white wine, was more than perfect. I walked out to nestle in contentment with all the culinary and savouring dreams I ever had for the French cuisine.
(The festival is on till July 21 at 1911 Restaurant for lunch and at Nostalgia at 1911 Brasserie for dinner.)
