Tian at ITC Maurya is rightly described as a studio by chef Vikramjit Roy, wherein he plays with ingredients and flavours picked up from worldwide. The chef told Divya Kaushik about his tricks that tickle the taste bud
More than a serving bowl, it looked like an apparatus straight out of chemistry lab. Rather, it was the sparkling and sophisticated version. The mushrooms that seemed blanched rested in the jar placed on the top of the round bottom flask filled with dark brown liquid. We were being served our soup and while our attendant, who was very well-informed and brilliantly trained, poured the soup in the glasses, we looked at him totally amazed, just like a kid in a chocolate factory. We found out that there was no name to this unique soup ‘infuser’, which is an excellent concept that could only have been conceived by a genius that is Vikramjit Roy. “The flask is filled with hot water and as it turns into vapour and goes up, it extracts all the goodness of the mushrooms in the above jar and as it condenses, what we get is the pure, most nutritious mushroom soup,” we were told by our attendant. What added some texture and crunchiness to the soup was the addition of dehydrated shiitake, carrot, lotus stem and porcini, boiled shiitake which is pulpy. White truffle powder added the aroma. Soothingly warm and surprisingly delicious the soup was our yet another discovery at Tian, ITC Maurya. In over three hours that we spent at this “Asian cuisine studio” we experienced the joy of dining like never before. It is only after being there that one realises that there can’t be anything better than this and chef Vikramjit is surely some master to come up with such unique play of ingredients and food.
Each delicacy that forms a part of the menu at Tian is crafted with perfection, after many, many trials. Each holds an element of surprise and intrigues one to discover the process of its creation. Surprisingly, you are not offered the menu as you settle yourself for a fabulous experience. The staff, personally trained by chef Vikramjit, can easily guide you on what you should order as per your palate. But if our experience is anything to go by, do not order by yourself when it is your first time at Tian. Rather go for set menus that will step by step take you through the concept of the restaurant that has come up where My Humble House used to be. Before we indulged in the goodness that was coming our way, chef Vikramjit told us how his worldwide travels and understanding of cultures helped him mix the ingredients and come up with flavours that surely are plate pleasing. “The reason why we call Tian a studio is because everything is curated around the concept that is food. The concept of food is creative and I set no boundaries for myself when it comes to influences. I have lived and worked in Japan, Korea and the US. You will find Mexican influence, Japanese cooking techniques and the use of Korean spices and ingredients. We believe in providing experiences. We don’t brag about doing any signature dishes or five-six dishes from a specific country. But I may have elements from five different countries on one platter. Each dish will have layers that are added by using ingredients from different regions. Eventually what matters is that the dish should work for your palate. Every food is a story for me. I make sure that any dish that you have here should tinkle your taste buds, evoke a feeling of nostalgia and should be fun. To me, eating is no serious business. I want to make dining here an experience worth cherishing,” said the chef who ranks among the pioneers of the progressive Asian cuisine movement in India.
We began our seven course meal with the amuse bouche that included an asparagus soup with chunks of asparagus adding the crunch to it. It was perhaps the best asparagus soup that we had with absolutely creamy flavour. The next was dehydrated lotus stem with soy milk cream and Californian apple salad. What came as a surprise about the latter was the use of shredded betel leaf in the preparation. The result was startling. We were informed that betel leaf is often used by Vietnamese in their cooking. The lotus stem was crisp as if coated in a batter and deep fried but the chef told us that there is no deep frying involved in the cooking of the lotus stem. It is through dehydration that it gets its texture. Slightly sweet, it truly did tickle the taste buds!
Stir-fried water chestnuts and massaman curry paste skewers or prawns were served next. Now if you will taste the next, here’s a word of caution. It may leave you fuming, quite literally! The powder that is served on the side does the magic trick on the tongue and the result is that you will see fumes coming out from the nose. Avocado carpaccio and confit duck carpaccio are served with flavoured ice on the top, that balances the flavours. In fact, while having a meal one would be surprised how many flavours you get to taste with every bite of each dish.
Raw mango and chilli sorbet cleansed the palate for the main course that was to come. It was vegetable green curry and chicken green curry served with jasmine rice. This curry would definitely drive you away from any sort of Thai curry that you are used to having. Coconut cream base adds the creamy texture and mild spices add distinct flavours to it.
After polishing off the six courses, one would look forward to dessert with high anticipation. And it was surely the best part of the experience. A huge glass was placed on the table with chocolate shaped like a coconut shell. Then we saw the master at play, pouring the ingredients on the slab of glass like a proficient artist, creating arcs and patterns on it through various ingredients. The coconut shell-shaped chocolate was at the centre of this artwork. To give the final touch to his art, the chef held high the shell and let it fall over the glass, leaving behind colours and patterns that looked nothing less than a master’s strokes on the canvas. “I have used over 23 ingredients in the dessert. Take a bite from different parts of this glass and you will experience different flavours — of berries, nuts, molten sweet and bitter chocolate,” said the chef.
It indeed was a perfect conclusion to the seven course discovery.