With a delectable range of world cuisine up for grabs, from teppanyaki to fresh crisp prawns, to the coconut enriched appam, Creo is showing every sign of becoming the final destination of a long awaited gastronomical journey. By Sonali Arora
Far from the sumptuous and opulent regalia sported by Vivanta, Dwarka, Creo offers a warm, lively and a comfortable space. With minimalist decor and maximalist food options it makes for a perfect culinary destination. We found out that the menu offers an eclectic range of dishes encompassing European, Oriental, Indian and South Coastal dishes.
In the heart of the luxe setting of hotel, just around the corner from the lobby you would find the newest addition to the restaurants offering global cuisine. Surprisingly Creo does not only boast of authenticity like most food outlets but guarantees it.
On entering the venue we were pleasantly surprised to find no doors, in particular, barring the entrance to the restaurant. Staying true to its name, Creo, which is inspired by the latin word for creativity offers space, freedom and a platform for creative expression. The frequent bursts of colours in the form of jars lining the counters, filled with mouth watering candies transported us to our happy childhood but the live counters offering an array of delectable dishes brought us back to the dishes we awaited.
The aroma of freshly baked breads and myriad of dishes dotting the counters of the live and interactive kitchens were most inviting, instantly getting us excited for what was in store. As we looked at all the splendid looking preparations, Varun, the manager directed us to our table which was right across from an impressive glass display of about a hundred wines from all across the world. The chic, ultra modern and highly functional space with a seating capacity of about a hundred and fifty was surrounded on all sides by French windows. “Though we are aiming for a high end and chic ambience, we have toned down the look of the setting so that the centre of attention is the food rather than the decor of the interior,” said Varun.
We were just getting comfortable when chef Rohit approached us and introduced us to the wholesome and flavourful journey we were going to embark on. “We pride ourselves on using different sauces. The ingredients we are using are mostly imported and a bit hard to find,” said the chef. We found out from him that some of Creo’s highlights are carved baked whole red snapper and leg of kid lamb with wine and legumes, bay fresh prawns in black bean coriander, mapu tofu, Awadhi murgh biryani and bhagare baingan, live appam with stew and malabar paratha coastal fish curry.
As there was still some time for the buffet to begin we sipped on the refreshingly delicious mocktails. Although the cucumber delight was a bit too sweet it was everything the name promised — rejuvenating and pleasantly delightful. Virgin Mary on the other hand was a whirlwind of flavours bursting in one’s mouth. The pepper and freshly pureed tomato burns your throat but refreshes your palette.
We started with the breads, glistening with butter and olive oil, coupled with the a wide assortment of cheese. The guilt of consuming too much fat was tempered by the light and tangy, quinoa tabbouleh salad, which was made using Persian cucumbers and cherry tomatoes combined with the seasoning of herbs. The salad was just one of the 12 vegetarian and eight non vegetarian salads the restaurant offers.
Creo has a surprise waiting for its customers, with its vegetarian teppanyaki. Since it is usually a part of the non vegetarian menu, this vegetarian alternative was something very new for us and we did not hesitate to try it. The shitake mushrooms and tofu, tossed in a Japanese style soy sauce, known for its use of Ajinomoto salt, was a delight for the taste buds; the soft texture of the tofu had been set to contrast with the use of the mushrooms which had more of a meaty texture, the sourness of the sauce bound the two together into a heavenly dish.
The next dish that graced our plates was the butter poached prawns. For us the eccentric combination of crunchy prawns and mango salsa sauce was the highlight of the brunch. The prawns were a bit too crunchy. The sauce left us with a tingly feeling. The red snapper and lamb leg went well with the sauces that accompanied them but the meat used was a bit chewy and on the fleshy side.
The sea food, in general, had very clean and mild flavours which were balanced and complemented by the textures of the varied meats. The Japanese grill deserves a special mention. Most of the dishes were drummed up right in front of us at the Japanese live station. We would recommend fans of Japanese cuisine to try the delectable assortment of sushi and misoyaki roister without a miss.
Though we were stuffed to bursting we couldn’t stop ourselves from going over to the dessert counter and trying out each and every savoury item on display. The best part was that all the desserts were very light and just dissolved in the mouth. Being moderately sweet they are sure appeal to people belonging to all sorts of culinary sects.
There were over 10 options including four different flavours of macaroons, Japanese cream cakes topped with cheesy frosting, New York cheese cake, mango and strawberry layered three tier candy cakes and little marshmallows and waffles accompanying the chocolate fountain amongst many others. “All of these desserts are theme based, free from fat, egg, sugar and gluten. Our fruit and spiced chocolates and waffles are especially a favourite amongst the kids,” said chef Rohit.
Creo caters to all its customers and has a low glycaemic index and high-fibre breakfast for its power travellers. It also offers a range of extensive soup and hi-fibre bread selection apart from compound salads and low calorie desserts. While the restaurant is a definite haven for the non vegetarians, the vegetarians are also in for a good time when it comes to the Italian flavours tinged with Indian spices, the use of fresh vegetables, lush breads and zesty sauces incorporated in the thin crusted light pizzas and pastas. The appams with stew prepared in coconut milk and Malabarparanthas drizzled with non fat butter are also great options when it comes to Indian cuisine.