Big bite, born in the USA

(From top) Models Ria, Piu and Priyanka at the anniversary celebrations of Chicky’s; a part of the American spread at Eden Pavilion; June and Arindam Sil at Orbit at the Senator. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

At a time when eating addresses all over town are taking the Bangla route in the run-up to the Pujas, ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers has decided to tread a different path.

Eden Pavilion, the 24-hour multi-cuisine restaurant, is playing host to The Americas, a festival showcasing daily changing foods predominantly from Canada, Mexico and USA, as well as a few Latin American and Chinese American Dishes.

Spearheaded by executive chef Ramesh Javvaji, some signature dishes on the menu are Assorted Cajun Vegetable Fritters, Spiced Spud Skins with Creole Sauce, Cajun and Creole Dishes such as Peppered Calamari Rings, Cajun Spiced Fried Fish, Louisiana Gumbo Soup and Blackened Chicken Supreme. As starters, the Broccoli Soup and the American Fried Chicken stand out. A variety of preparations in salmon and crab add to the main-course buffet.

There are also a large number of other North American, Mexican and Latin American dishes like Gegratinferde Mossels Met Spinaze (gratin of mussels on a bed of spinach) and Ajointes En Aardappelen (cold roasted chicken with apples, onions and potatoes).

Says chef Javvaji: “I decided to put to good use all the skills that I had picked up in preparing American food while in Canada and the US. People here have no idea of the variations in flavour that American food has to offer.”

To end your meal on a sweet note, there is an Amaretto Cheese Cake with a wild berry compote, a British Columbia Nanimo Bar with peanut fudge sauce or Butter Almond Tart.

The buffet spread would be laid out only for dinner between 7.30 pm and 11.45 pm. It is priced at Rs 750 exclusive of taxes and includes unlimited Kingfisher beer to go with the grub.

By the sea

Chicky’s, off Ballygunge Circular Road, is celebrating its first anniversary. The restaurant famous for its Kalmi Kebabs and Aloo Achari is hosting a seafood festival on the occasion.

“The past one year has been a learning curve,” says Nitin Madan,the owner. The items for the festival are a handpicked few and the tandoori influence is lost on none.

There is Tandoori Crab (fresh crab marinated with lemon juice, tandoori masala and cooked in tandoor), Crab Coconut Masala (fresh crab cooked with hot spicy herbs in coconut milk), Tandoori Squid (stuffed squid cooked in a clay oven), Prawn Gassi (fresh prawns cooked in tomato gassi masala), Prawn Coconut Masala (fresh prawns in herbs cooked in coconut milk), Malabar Meen Curry (fresh pomfret cooked in Malabari style), Prawn Chettinad (prawn with lemon juice and Chettinad masala), Tandoori Rawas (rawa fish in garlic, ginger and tandoori paste) and Tandoori Pomfret.

The prices range between Rs 80 and Rs 200. The festival is on till Saturday.

Family fare

For most couples on the move, Sunday is meant for the family. And to make this special day of the week more fun, Orbit, the multi-cuisine restaurant at the Senator Hotel on Camac Street, has introduced the concept of Sunday brunch.

The menu includes the chef’s special soup of the day with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, an elaborate salad bar with mix-your-own-salad options and choice of live counters for pastas and risottos with helpful tips from the chef to begin with. An elaborate bread section also serves up Mumbai’s favourite Pau Bhaji.

Move on to the main course and you can pamper yourself with a variety of Chinese and Indian dishes. The Chinese menu gives you a choice to savour vegetarian and non-vegetarian noodles alongside Paneer Hot and Sour for vegetarians and Chicken Manchurian for non-vegetarians.

The Indian section is the one to look forward to, in terms of both variety and taste. There is Tandoori Roti and Stuffed Paratha with Dal Makhni, Tandoori Fish, Chicken Curry and Mutton Curry.

To round things off, there is a range of desserts to choose from ? vanilla, kesar pista and butterscotch ice-creams to puddings, sandesh and gulab jamun.

Adding fun to the food spread are jugglers and musicians to entertain children through the afternoon.

Senator CEO Pradip Dutta said: “We thought this would be a good way of bringing the whole family together and letting them have a good time.”

A buffet platter is priced at Rs 175.