Borrowing from the European concept, the Stammtisch promotion at the Hyatt Regency invites people to hold a discussion over food and connect. Navneet Mendiratta joins one such session
So when was the last time you hung out with like-minded lot to discuss/debate on the current political/social situation in the country over foodIJ Many might say yes but minus the food. My friends would ask me if I am talking about an addaIJ And I’d say let’s make it a little formal and European in accent, say GermanIJ And here is Stammtisch for you.
The Stammtisch or regulars’ table at a restaurant is a concept that originally came up as a space where people (and even strangers) met up each week to discuss politics and local policies in Central Europe. And where there was live and animated conversation, new friendships were forged and food and drinks flowed.
It was taking on from the idea that Marin A leuthard, the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Delhi, thought of creating one at the Café at Hyatt. The plan being to set up a long table for a maximum 12 guests for a session every Friday. And while he would think of menu, the guests would be free to choose their own topic for Stammtisch.
The idea would have anyone hooked. Interestingly, it was the way that he thought of introducing me (and a small bunch of foodies, three more to be precise) to the concept that had me sold out on the idea. He had us brave the traffic to come to his kitchen and see him prepare a special menu for our Stammtisch. The topic was traditional Swiss dishes.
Dressed in apron and armed with notes in the company of pots, pans, spoon, laddles and all the exotic ingredients that he used to prepare the food, I watched him teach me a few tricks on getting the traditional Swiss recipes like grison barley soup, cheese spaetzli, fondue and beignet de pommes right.
All made for comfort food. Perfect for this weather — never mind the calories! The soup was wholesome with the flavours of barley inducing fullness to the burst of creamy flavours. It made for a meal in itself. Addition of ham to traditional cheese spaetzli made all the difference, given all of us present were non vegetarians. It was beignet de pommes that I personally took an instant liking to. Blame it on the sweet tooth but the green apple fritters coated with cinnamon and sugar and served with vanilla and strawberry sauces was just what I needed to dunk into to make me happy.
“Stamm is like the main (trunk), the heart of the tree. It’s the base where everything starts — you meet there, and that’s where conversations and relationships begin,” he said later as we all sat down with our food.
What if there is a lullIJ I asked. “That’s where I would step in… and talk about the food on the special menu — fondue, raclette, rösti potato cakes,” he laughed. “All I hope to do is to bring together people who may have perhaps never otherwise met in their lives,” he added. And the lot would include travellers passing through town, hotel guests, invitees from the embassies and local residents with varied interests and backgrounds. It’d do city good to see strangers connect.