Sameer Bawa experiences an indulgent evening with fine wines and gourmet food accentuated by excellent service at Taj Palace

It’s a bus, no it’s a train, oh, it’s the Orient Express! The train that defined luxury and comfort, before air travel came into vogue (1919 - 1977), has a namesake at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. The fine dining European restaurant which is celebrating its 38th anniversary offers luxury, comfort and great food on the lines of what the passengers experienced on the transcontinental journey from Paris to Constantinople (Istanbul) back in the day. The interiors of the restaurant are replete with deep armchairs, intricate panelling, oriental rugs and fine cutlery which mirrors the dining car of the original Orient Express.

I went in for an elaborate five course dinner last evening and thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience. “It’s a rediscovery of Europe’s culinary joys”, says Ananya Mukherjee (Director PR & Marketing). The novel menu blends new and innovative preparations with the classics and, in a very special way, recreates the route of the journey.

We started with a selection of breads with Chicken liver pâté  and butter on the side. Perfect accompaniment to my chilled tulip of sparkling wine. Starting off, I had the Camembert cheese soufflé with paprika sauce. The French classic preparation has been mastered by the Chef and was light, fluffy and perfectly balanced. Just a sprinkle of freshly crushed black pepper and every bite was divine. For the soup, I requested for the Essence of roast fennel and celery root, broiled pepitas seeds. Light and fragrant, the soup was exactly what I needed to revv up my appetite and perfect soul food for the nippy December evening. You could get a hint of aromas of the fennel when the broth was poured over pepitas seeds. Definitely, one for people who are counting the calories.

For the mains, I requested for the New Zealand lamb chops encrusted with herbs, almonds and drizzled with rosemary jus. And that, ladies and gentleman, was the show-stopper! Between medium and well done, the juicy lamb was an explosion of flavours in every bite. Perfumed with rosemary jus and garnished with almond crumble, the texture and taste were on point. One preparation that touches all your senses. You get the umami from the meat, the hint of salt and sweetness from the jus and the very slight bitterness from the almonds which made it a really well rounded dish. Absolutely loved it.

Culminated my meal with a Baileys crème brûlée which was nice but I thought the caramelised sugar on top could have had a bit more crunch and maybe burnt for a bit longer. They also had the very popular Warm chocolate pudding with liquid chocolate centre on the menu, which, off late, has been a regular feature on almost every restaurant menu. I have tried it before and its brilliant. I possibly would also stick my neck out and say that the Chefs at Taj have mastered it to the T.

All in all it was lovely indulgent evening around fine wines and gourmet food accentuated by excellent service. The staff at the Orient Express is very well trained and have a keen eye for detail. They are happy to help you with selection of wines and at the same time equally at ease to recommend dishes from the menu that match your palate. I strongly suggest that you make a plan to experience the Orient Express if you have not tried it as yet. In my humble opinion, they have a knack of transforming a regular meal into an occasion.

(The author is a food critic and food connoisseur.)