Atul Bhalla, the general manager of ITC Sonar, hosted a dinner in honour of celebrity chef David Rocco who was his guest for a week when he camped in Calcutta to film a new season of his show Dolce India. It was an intimate gathering which had a sit-down dinner on March 13, with a special menu designed by executive chef Mayank Kulshreshtha at the West View Bar & Grill. But one person would not be seated; he flitted from table to table instead. That was David Rocco himself!
“This is a sharing of ideas. David will be taking back an idea of our local culture and bringing Calcutta to the world. And our chef will be there with him on the tour, taking him around town. Some shoots will happen in the hotel itself. He will also use ingredients from our herb garden,” said Bhalla. (Keep an eye on t2 for an account of their culinary adventure!)
The biggest David Rocco fans on the guest list (chosen by the chef himself) were the mother-daughter duo of Tabassum Iqbal (centre) and Sarah Parveen. Tabassum has kept the episodes of Amalfi Getaway (Rocco’s first show to air in India, on Fox Traveller) taped and enjoys watching reruns. “I love his persona and the intimate setting in his small flat. As you watch the show, it is as if you are living with him. His food is so simple — some pasta, meatballs, basil and tomato. The only change I make when I try his recipes is use less tomato and more herbs,” said Tabassum, a teacher. “He has taught us that Italian food is not just pasta and pizza. And it helps that he is so good-looking!” added Sarah, a lawyer.
The moment of the night for the ITC Sonar chefs was when David sneaked into the kitchen counter and polished off chicken pieces straight off the serving plate. “We have made our own fish panini,” grinned Rocco, pointing at how he sandwiched fillets of hilsa in a bit of bread and dipped it in the gravy. No, that exclusive dish didn’t make it to the tables.
“Some of the dishes are a marriage of Indian and Italian. The chicken dish (Cage-free Poussin accompanied with bacon swirl, potato tuile and spiral vegetables), for example, used panch phoron but the style of grilling was Italian,” said executive chef Mayank Kulshreshtha (right in picture above).
DAVID’S PICKS
Cage-free Poussin
The chicken is very good. They have nailed it. The balance of flavours was delicious.
Smoked Hilsa
I liked the fish too. Hilsa has a lot of bones. You see how impeccably it has been filleted. Not a single bone in your mouth. Good job.
t2 pick: Nolen Gur Creme Brulee
Knowing Rocco’s disenchantment with Bengali sweets for being “too sweet”, we just had to speak up for this dessert. The smoothness of the creme brulee took on a seductive edge with the touch of Bengal’s favourite liquid jaggery.
Sudeshna Banerjee Pictures: Chanchal Ghosh
(L-R) Chef David Rocco with Italian consul-general Cesare Bieller and ITC Sonar general manager Atul Bhalla at West View Bar & Grill
What happens when two well-travelled lovers of all things Italian sit across each other for dinner in India?
Have you tried the food of the Northeast?
The furthest north-east I’ve been to is Darjeeling and the furthest north, Kashmir.
Oh, the food in Kashmir is so good. Have you had the Wazwan meal?
Oh, yeah...
36? (the number of courses in the wazwan)
I think it was 38 because there was one dish I liked and I had two of ’em!
And what about Kerala, have you tried the spicy food?
I didn’t find the food there too spicy because I think the coconut eases it out…
You should come home, my mother makes Polenta and she still makes it the traditional way, you will love it.
And so went the conversation between Cesare Bieller, the consul-general of Italy in Calcutta, and celebrity chef David Rocco over dinner on March 20. The occasion? Rocco, who was in town to film a new season of his show Dolce India, whipped up, with ITC Sonar’s team of chefs, a special menu that will be served till the end of April.
The menu — just as exciting as the travel and food tales shared that evening, interspersed with many a mamma mia! — will serve up the best of both worlds — Italian and Indian. Paired with international wines, the dinner is priced at Rs 4,500 (plus taxes).
Buon appetito!
Karo Christine Kumar
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
