Le Gastronome

Took Fei out for lunch the other day. And, thanks to few dedicated souls like Clarkson and that chap at Jet blue, we had some amazing weather that day. So I thought, I'd treat her to the frog legs at Chanterelle. But because Chaterelle serves such great food at such great prices (yeah yeah I can hear you guys saying "kanjoos"), you need to have a time machine to go back a couple of centuries to book a table there. Mere mortals like me however, can only get a reservation for our grandchildren. Which meant, I'd to take her somewhere else, and she thought BLT Market was a good idea.

Now BLT market, I must tell you, is run by executive chef Laurent Torondel, who has honed his culinary skills in France, which, when it comes to food is next only to heaven. It is also housed in Ritz-Carlton, and sits facing the central park. On paper then it sounded amazing. 

In reality though it was amazingly awful. I really don't know where to begin. How about the name, its the latest in the BLT series - the BLT might make the uninitiated think of a NYC deli, but this is anything but. Then there is the market thing, which means they buy their ingredients from the farmer's market and have a seasonally changing menu. Which is all fine, but they also want it to be Ritz-Carlton eligible so they have to put a gourmet twist on it. Think its getting a bit too much for the resident chef Malbequi. And then there is the charade, like my fish which was served in a pan rather than china. Somehow, one gets a feeling that they are trying a bit too hard. 

I've always thought that best food, is made by coming up with a recipe and then perfecting it over the years. You don't change it every now and then. Its the same reason porsche makes the such great cars. The 911 may be 40 years old, but the changes over the years have been little more than cosmetic. Its like the black sea bass at Daniel, its tasted the exact same - subliminal to be precise - every time I've had it. 

Which brings me to another great gastronomical delight, which I am afraid, we shall never be able to taste again - the Biryani at A1 at Lamington road. That one was perfect, and has been that way since my grand dad frequented it till the days I used to a few years ago. Come to think of it, the perfect Biryani has become rather elusive these days. Some not so reliable sources tell me Dorabjee's in Pune camp has closed down (Can somebody tell me if she's lying?). But when it comes to biryani the place that beats even Paradise at Secunderabad is Olympia at Colaba. Guys, try it while it's still there.