Unless you are Bear Grylls stuck in the middle of a jungle chewing on a raw snake, the idea of eating raw meat may sound repulsive. However, if we say that San Gimignano’s new a la carte menu at The Imperial offers you a series of appetisers that are completely raw, it is worth a try. Their ongoing Carpaccio festival serves you the best of raw beef and fish moistened with olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Chef Prem Kumar Pogakula explained, “Since we are a Tuscany Italian restaurant we try and keep our dishes as rustic as possible because that is how the authentic food is. Carpaccio is something that people in India are not very open to because the idea of eating something raw doesn’t go well with people. However, when you eat it, you don’t even realise that it is raw.”
There are three things one can choose from in the Carpaccio menu — salmon, tuna and tenderloin. Each of these also has three different sets of toppings that go well with the meat. We decided to go for all. The first dish was salmon with asparagus, pickled pimentos and honey lemon. Though the preparation was flavoured with the taste of lemon, it didn’t completely take over the taste of salmon. The fresh flavours stood out distinctly while giving space to the additional garnishing. The second dish on the plate was tenderloin seasoned with asparagus, lemon potato mushrooms and mustard. Since tenderloin is known to be tough meat, as compared to salmon and tuna, we expected a chewy dish. However, it melted in the mouth unlike the salmon. This was followed by tuna with orange segments, fennel, sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic. The original juices of the tuna hit the tastebuds at first but the balsamic and fennel added the required nourishment to the raw dish.
“Since the tenderloin, salmon and tuna are completely raw, toppings play a very important role to make it edible. The citrus works as the main cooking element as it ferments the meat. So the softness comes automatically. Rest of the toppings are then added for the flavour,” shared Prem. He added that the salmon and tuna were completely fresh. While the salmon had been brought in from Scotland the tuna was from Japan. “Even though all of it is from other countries, it is not a cold storage stuff. We have maintained a zero degree temperature for all to retain the moisture in the meat. In cold storage all the original flavours of the meat are lost because of the water that comes out. The tenderloin, however, is of the Angus variety from the US and is not as fresh as the salmon and tuna.”
He also explained the different varieties of beef used for Carpaccio. He said, “The best quality of beef that is used for Carpaccio is of the Wagyu variety, known as Kobe beef in Japan. This variety is the most expensive of the lot because of the conditions it is prepared in. The cattle there are fed on potatoes, apples and beer. They are also given regular massages to make sure the meat is as tender as possible. This makes the Carpaccio very soft and enhances the flavour as well.”
Everything about this menu is exotic, be it the meat or its accompaniments. One of the munches in this menu is melon. If you are wondering what is so exotic about the melon, let us tell you that the melon is not our roadside one, but a Japanese one priced at Rs 900 per piece. A scoop of the fruit with uncooked ham and you are good to go. In the end, if you are a hardcore carnivore and love to munch on some meat before you start your meal, you are in for a treat with the new menu.