Most successful restaurants rejig their menus periodically to provide refreshing variations to their regular diners. The Pavilion all-day dining restaurants at ITC Hotels all over India have a system where the menu is revamped every two years. Intense interactions between the senior chefs of the hotels lead to the design of this new menu. On 17th December 2016, the menu was launched nationwide through simultaneous Influencer meet at the various Pavilion restaurants across the country.
The Influencer meet was coordinated centrally and a special hashtag #TrendingatPavilion was used to talk about the new menu on social media. At Deccan Pavilion, one of the most popular fine dine restaurants of Hyderabad, highlights from this new menu were unveiled to select bloggers from Hyderabad.
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| Singapore Laksa |
Items on the new menu have been designed carefully keeping in mind the Responsible Luxury Culinary Initiatives of taking us back closer to nature, inculcating healthy eating and sustainable ingredients. This holistic concept of wellbeing is brought through Sattva, the fresh vegetarian fare and Swasthya, nutritious dishes for the health conscious. Best of Pavilion brings across some signature dishes of the restaurant chain from across the country, whereas Local Love showcases the delicacies available from the region the hotel is located.
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| Laksa after adding all the ingredients |
A few select dishes were showcased in the meet by Executive Chef Paul Noronha and his team. The dishes on this set menu were also classified under sections, as per the original. We started with Singapore Laksa, a Best of Pavilion dish. The coconut milk based noodle broth had boiled egg, shrimps, and fish in it. I am hugely fond of oriental broths and found this to be fragrant and delightful.
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| Burrata with Anise-Poached Pears |
From another section of this menu called Set Off to A Fresh Start, we were served Burrata with Anise-Poached Pears. Chef Vishal Baliga explained that this Italian cheese has an outer crust with a soft inside. The cheese is not available in Hyderabad and is sourced from Bangalore. Served with rucola leaves, the cheese went brilliantly with the poached pears.
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| Buttermilk Chicken Crisps |
Buttermilk Chicken Crisps was the other dish from this section - boneless fried chicken pieces served with lemon parmesan aioli dip.
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| Chicken Katsu |
Next was the turn of Pavilion Pantry Burgers. The Chicken Katsu or the burger with a deep fried Japanese style chicken cutlet and the vegetarian Green Burger were served with French fries and salad. The thick panko-fried chicken cutlet between the bun really stood out, though the sweetish vegetarian one was not much behind in taste either.
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| Green Burger |
The Local Love section had two Hyderabadi dishes – Kachhe Gosht ki Biryani and Kaddu Dalcha with Bagara Khana. Both are immensely liked local dishes, and I am sure they will prove to be very popular in this restaurant too.
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| Hyderabadi Khana - Biryani, Dalcha with Bagara Rice |
The item of the day for me was Lamb Rib and Broad Bin Tagine, again a Best of Pavilion dish. Served in a dark saucy gravy with stewed apricot and couscous, the lamb meat was soft and succulent. What made the dish a clear winner was the sauce, earthy and fragrant, and it tasted really divine with the accompanying couscous.
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| Lamb Rib with Broad Bean Tagine |
Grilled Halloumi with Roast Vegetables was classified under Soul Food. I was not very impressed with the hard and bland halloumi cheese, though the tomato dip which came with it made a good combo with some colourful vegetables.
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| Grilled Halloumi with Roasted Vegetables |
There were two desserts in the Sweet Adventures section. Pavilion Chocolate Fudge with jaggery caramel sauce had a nice plating, perhaps the best of the day. The taste was excellent, especially after pouring some extra sauce on top. Crème Brule with Apricot Fig Biscotti was par for the course.
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| Pavilion Chocolate Fudge |
Overall, a hugely satisfying meal as usual at ITC Kakatiya. The dishes served on this day, were just the tip of the iceberg. A detailed look at the new menu revealed many hidden gems which will make me come back again and again. Apart from presenting some really unique dishes, the new menu brings to the fore the concept of culinary responsibility. ITC Hotels and their team need to be commended for that.
Location:
Deccan Pavilion
ITC Kakatiya
Begumpet
Hyderabad
Telephone: 23400132
Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.
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| Creme Brule with Fig Apricot Biscotti |
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