Roma, Holiday Inn, Cochin

Roma, Holiday Inn Cochin

 

By Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)

“Roma” the Italian fine dining restaurant at the Holiday Inn, Kochi, with its graciously cordial ambience, is a great place to dine in, primarily for the imaginative and creative cuisine Executive Chef Joji Joshua, Executive Sous Chef Michael Saju and their inspired team showcase with aplomb, these days. I am writing this blog to share a recent memorable experience at this elegant eatery.

The guests are ushered into a tastefully created space with comfortable seating, bathed in a muted warm lighting that primarily cascades from those beautiful six pronged overhead lampshade clusters, which hang delicately from the ceiling.  On seating, one is greeted with a welcome platter of assorted fresh breads, hot from the oven. 

There are individual dipping bowls, to prepare the virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar smear, if you so desire. The starters were the usual suspects, the kids made their own Pizza and the adults had their customary Tris di Bruschetta, which included one slice each of toasted garlic bread with cheese, olives and tomato-garlic topping. The children enjoyed the bonus experience of watching the whole process of the Pizza preparation in that flaming oven on view, in the open kitchen.

Chef Michael suggested Beef Carpaccio as an appetizer and we all just loved it, I shall just delve in a little more detail about this excellent beef discovery, which apparently is very simple in its conception, but extremely complex in its construct.

Carpaccio (pronounced "car- pah-chee-yoh") is a typical raw pounded meat, Italian appetizer which was christened as such, in Venice at the Harry's Bar by the owner Giuseppe Cipriani, in the early 1930s, after the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio, famous for his signature red and white tones.

This simple delicacy, though having a striking resemblance with some cold cuts, is actually very thinly sliced frozen beef tenderloin, which has its edges seared to bind it. Mind you only the freshest of the meats are used in preparing this dish. Stripped of all peripheral fat, it is first seasoned with salt; pepper to drain out excess moisture, then a bit of balsamic vinegar is added before it is banished into a freezer, to be removed for slicing just before plating. The slicing requires exceptional knife skills and that freezing helps in the precision cutting. The slices are cut ideally 1/8th of an inch in thickness. These slices are then carefully pounded with meat mallets to flatten them paper thin, any carelessness on the part of the pounder, will reduce the meat to tatters.

Master Chef Michael had plated the exquisite ensemble alongside a Cherry huddle, with a mound of Greens in vinaigrette, in an aesthetic eye-catching platter of three raw meat crosses, of two rolled Carpaccio slices one daintily sleeping on the other. 

The fine grain of the pink muscle fiber interspersed with an intricate network of white ingrained frozen fat, makes the slices look very attractive. Cold on the tongue, one just feels the meat melt in one's warm mouth the moment it is brought in contact with the saliva. My children loved it and it is on the choice list already, for our next Roma visit.

For the mains, we had three mouthwatering creations of Chef Michael and Chef Siyad Abdul. They were Fettuccine Pasta Con Costelleta di Vitello al Brasato (Braised Veal Chops with Fettuccine Pasta),  Lasagne Bolognese and my personal favorite Filetto De Manzo. The braised veal chops were a standout and that is the one I would like to talk about today, only to apprise everyone about that peerless grip on the flavours and the exquisite culinary skills, these expert chefs are endowed with, at Holiday Inn, Cochin.

Veal chops are expensive, temperamental meats, which need very careful cooking. They also have an alluring visual appeal; with those little riblets sticking out of that soft meat bunches. They are heart-warmingly tender and succulent when cooked perfectly. For me medium is perfect, so after checking the individual preference, Chef Siyad disappeared into the kitchen to attempt a perfect braise of the chops. 

Braising is not as simple as it seems. It is a very subtle kind of cooking, bordering on being a fine art, as it involves many processes, like seasoning, searing, browning, sautéing, simmering, thickening and finally plating with the right amount of sauce. All this patient effort, to yield those fork-tender short ribs, which have a seared exterior and a pink-along-the-bone interior. The potent sauce that was building in a simmer all day is the perfect accompaniment to elevate the experience. This magic on the plate is born on a skillet, where the chops get seared to a rich brown in olive oil, before being set aside. Then the mirepoix having the holy trinity of onion, celery and bell peppers are sautéed without scorching, before adding the herbs, and deglazing with some wine and stock. This loose liquid mix is then slow cooked to a sluggish density. The browned bits that stick along the inner walls are constantly scraped off the saucepan for re-dissolving it into the reducing sauce, to further intensify the flavors. Finally those browned chops that were set aside after searing are laid half exposed in the sauce, one side at a time for slow braising. They are not fully submerged, but only two thirds in the sauce and left to simmer and absorb all those piquant flavors. The talented Chef Siyad had in fact put together an absolutely delectable and near perfect interpretation of the braised veal chops, which each one of us relished and shall remember for a long time. The accompanying fettuccine pasta with a mushroom and spinach pesto completed the hearty meal.

We rounded off the remarkable dinner with some splendid desserts that included a Tiramisu, Chocolate Cheese Sandwich and an unusual herb spiced fruit Sorbetto which combined diverse ingredients like basil, orange, ginger, kiwi & the surprise element green chilly. This account has already gained epic proportions; hence I really think it would be a good idea to blog about each of the other dishes in separate posts, as they all deserve to be talked about in detail.

Personally, if I am in Kochi, I love revisiting Holiday Inn, as I know the current F & B team have an unrivaled mastery over their craft and would spoil you with their creative interpretations and variations in gastronomy. Great job and a big thank you to the fabulous Team Holiday Inn!!

Keep it up!!

Tele Numbers :-

Reception/Reservations -                       +91484-3319000/4199000

Fax -                                                   +91484-4199111

F & B Manager Ganesh Chalangodan -    +918129497435

Restaurant Manager Manish Pillai -         +918129497460

Executive Sous-Chef Michael Saju -        +918129497451

Facebook Link  :-

 https://www.facebook.com/holidayinncochin/

Website  :-

http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/cochin/coker/hoteldetail

Address :-

Holiday Inn, Cochin

33/1739 A Chakkaraparambu Junction, National Highway Bypass,

Vennala, Cochin – 682028

Kerala, India

Masala @ Holiday Inn, Cochin

Holiday Inn, Cochin 

‘Masala’ & ‘Roma’ The New Havens to Experience Culinary Bliss!!

By Lt Col (Retd) D Purushothaman Pillay

The Holiday Inn, Cochin under the able and astute stewardship of the new GM Mr Raju Shreshta, has definitely scaled up its act, a few notches, and has emerged, as one of the best run hotels in Kochi today. Towards the end of the last year though, the services left a lot to be desired. But then, thereafter on the many occasions since April this year, when we had both stayed and dined, at this fabulously located and well-appointed hotel, the feeling that pervaded the experience, was one of extreme satisfaction in stately comfort. There is a palpable passion one senses, in the hospitality experienced from this new enthusiastic team.

 

Thanks to the popular Priority Plus Club membership, the two restaurants - the all day dining 'Masala' & the Italian speciality 'Roma', one 24 hour coffee shop 'Deli KC' and the elegant sports bar 'Stadia', have become bustling, favored hubs, for both the members, and the hotel patrons, to entertain guests. As also a venue to wind down, relax and get pampered, at the end of a hard day. There is a discernible improvement in the selection of cuisine and efficiency of customer service, with the refreshing arrival of the new, experienced and energetic F&B Manager Bharathi Perumal. All the eateries, now wear a well-organized look about them.

The major architect of this positive turn around, we noticed in the quality of food, buffet selection and cuisine choice, is the man who dons the Dodin Bouffant here, the genial, perenially black jacketed, giant, Michael Saju, their multi-talented, Executive Sous-Chef. He is indeed an all-round ace, Rotisseur/Grillardin/Poissonnier & Patissier, all rolled into one. This was personally evidenced by a lucky few of us, for whom he had put together, a most delectable dinner, when we occasioned to wisely choose the warm and welcoming 'Masala' just the other night, for the celebration of a special birthday. The event was made overwhelmingly memorable, with the thoughtful selection and painstaking preparation, of a most exquisite choice of dishes, personally prepared by Michael.

I have to make a special mention, of a selection of a few standouts, from the four great courses; he meticulously dished out that night. Starting with the hors d'oeuvres, in which we were presented with some lusciously moist, "Jattuni Paneer Tikka" or Olive Marinated Cottage Cheese. The interplay of the delicate flavors of the olive paste and hung yoghurt tablets, well seasoned in a secret blend of the Chef's special Indian spices, on a slice of scalded onion was absolutely divine.

This was accompanied with an amazing entree - "Thai Grilled Sea Bass", marinated overnight in a complex blend of Thai red curry paste, sweet basil, lemon juice, cumin powder and coconut paste marinade. Bathed in this sapid seasoning, the innate natural succulence of the fish was infinitely enhanced.

What followed in the main course, to the accompaniment of some exclusive red wine, was one of the best steaks. We literally drooled over the "Minute Steak with Lemon & Coconut Reduction" steeped in a paste comprising of lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, galangal, coconut paste, Thai red chili and green curry mix. That was one, low fat sour-cream topped, paprika sprinkled, herb-garnished, hot slab of beef, which will never be forgotten. The "Braised Lamb Shanks" which we all indulgently wolfed down, were out of this world, 'shake-off-the-bone' perfect, my mouth is watering, at the very memory of that first bite into that unbelievably succulent mutton. I really wished, that night, that I had a second stomach, to repeat this pleasurable gastronomic delight, one more time. It was one of those rare nights, you never want to end.

Finally, the swoon-worthy dessert ensemble, had an unforgettable star attraction in a romantic, Rose Petal Ice Cream, one with great color and fragrance, certainly an ice cream which smelt as good as it tasted. 

The Birthday cake for the pretty lady, escorted by a huge, cheering contingent of the waiting staff, followed by their spontaneous, full throated rendition of the 'Happy Birthday' tune at the end of the meal, was most special. I literally had tears running down my cheek, bearing witness to this most wonderful gesture. That night their exceptional legion of hospitality volunteers, walked right into our hearts. They created a special memory, that would remain a 'forever keepsake'. Thank you Holiday Inn, it couldnt have been done any better.

Holiday Inn, Cochin, ever since Michael Saju took charge as the culinary helmsman, is a parade of piquant flavors, which satiates the stomach, as much as it stirs up the soul. Together with him, the smart and handsome Restaurant Manager Vaibhav Shah, is omnipresent, and ever smiling while pandering to the whims of the diners. He is a reassuring presence @ Masala. I must tell you that, this magnanimous soul, goes out of his way to indulge his guests and ensure they go back happy and fully satisfied. The Rs 900 odd, for their elaborate buffet, is indeed an attractive steal, just not worth missing, for anyone who enjoys good food or has pretensions to being labeled a 'Kochi Foodie'. Go and enjoy some of the best, most elaborate, creative and satisfying feasts in Kochi at either the 'Masala' or 'Roma' restaurants, at Holiday Inn. I bet, you would be spoilt to a fault, and will keep returning for more!!!

Tele Numbers :-

Reception/Reservations-     +91484-3319000/4199000
Fax -                                               +91484-4199111

F & B Manager Mr Bharathi Perumal -   +918129497435

Restaurant Manager Mr Vaibhav Shah -+918129497453

Sous-Chef Mr Michael Saju -               +918129497451

Facebook Link :-

 https://www.facebook.com/holidayinncochin/

Website :-

http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/cochin/coker/hoteldetail

Address :-

Holiday Inn, Cochin

33/1739 A Chakkaraparambu Junction,National Highway Bypass,

Vennala, Cochin – 682028

Kerala, India

Wow! Momo

Wow! Momo

A Momoteria with Many Choices!

By Lt Col (Retd) D Purushothaman Pillay

"Momo" is a stuffed dumpling, which is a traditional delicacy of the Tibetan and Nepalese cuisine.  They are very popular in the frontier regions of Bhutan, and the Himalayan borders of India including Sikkim, Leh-Ladakh, Darjeeling, Arunachal Pradesh and any other location with a significant Nepalese Diaspora, like Delhi, Assam, Shillong, West Bengal etc. It is similar to the Chinese 'Baozi' & 'Jiaozi', the Mongolian 'Buuz' or the Japanese 'Gyoza' steamed buns.

“Wow! Momo”, is a rapidly growing brand of Quick Service Restaurants that was born in Kolkata. It is an awe-inspiring, five year old success story, starring two, still in their 20s, enterprising, 'Non-MBA', commerce graduates from St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, named Sagar J Daryani and Binod Kumar Homagai.

In Aug 2008, with a borrowed capital of Rs Twenty Thousand from Daryani's father, and the fortuitous arrival of an expert Momo cook from Homagai's hometown in Nepal, these two 22 year olds, established their first outlet, at a 36 sq ft kiosk at Spencer's, in Tollygunge, Kolkata. That venture, has since grown, to become the first Pan-Indian branded Momo chain, under the active mentoring, funding and venture support of primarily, The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) and Indian Angel Networks (IAN) among others. These two visionaries must be acclaimed for their foresight and credited for making the humble street food - 'Momo' into a winning business proposition. By September 2011, the brand attained a whopping turnover of Rs 2.4 Crore, from a chain that had expanded to more than 25 outlets.

The first couple of years were invested in the hard work, of perfecting the production, distribution and operations front. This phase also witnessed a double digit proliferation of outlets in Kolkata. Thereafter in 2011, enriched with the precious lessons of the Kolkata experience, expansion and consolidation, these industrious and ambitious entrepreneurs, felt adequately equipped and encouraged, to venture out into newer markets. The brand 'Wow! Momo', first moved out to Bangalore, and then further onto Pune, thereafter it quickly added Chennai and Coimbatore, to its growing network of cities. Now courtesy two enthusiastic foodies, Haris and Rizwan Ali of M/s Sulfyaz, the first Wow!Momo outlet in Kochi, was successfully started a few months back, in the Food Court, at the Lulu Mall.

The expansion to newer geographies made experimentation a necessity. Their Momos evolved into different shapes and styles, and introduced newer fillings, over time, including Prawn, Pomfret, Chicken & Cheese, Chicken & Capsicum, Paneer, Corn-Spinach and Mushroom.

In the Kochi outlet, one is offered the option of 9 different types of fillings. It is further sub-divided into 5 non-vegetarian options, that includes Chicken, Fish, Chicken Capsicum, Prawn and Chicken Schezwan Momos and 4 vegetarian options, that includes Veggie, Paneer, Mushroom and Corn-Spring Onion Momos.

These are always served with 2 distinct types of sauces, ‘The Red Chili Dip’ a flaming hot sauce and another sauce with an Indian twist ‘The Green Coriander Dip’.

The Momos are presented in a staggering 6 different forms, namely - Steamed, Fried, Pan Fried (With a further 2 variants i.e. Schezwan Sauce and Tomato Garlic Sauce), Sizzler Momos, Momo Burgers (Momburg) and Dessert Chocolate Momos.

 

A serving or plate denotes a total of 5 number of Momos. The per plate pricing of various types of Non-Veg Momos are between Rs 95-110 for Steamed, Rs 105-120 for Fried & Rs 115-135 for Pan Fried ones.

The per plate pricing of various types of Veg Momos are between Rs 80-95 for Steamed, Rs 90-105 for Fried & Rs 100-120 for Pan Fried ones.

Other than the Momos one also has the option of trying out two variants of Thukpas, a kind of mildly flavored soup with noodles, vegetables and optionally meat. They are substantial and quite filling. Chicken Thukpa is priced only at Rs 95 a bowl and the Vegetable Thupka is Rs 90. My word, this warm broth, is a special treat for the palate, that serves as a perfect briny, appetising fluid that lends a welcome warmth to the gullet, in this blustery, cool, rainy monsoon weather.

The Sizzler Momos are priced between Rs 175-205.

The Momo Burger (Moburg) is priced Rs 45 for Veg and Rs 55 for Chicken.

The very innovative, melt in the mouth, dessert Chocolate Momo costs Rs 40/Momo or Rs 120/Platter of 4 Momos.

In addition to the above there are value options at Rs 145-155 for a Momo+Thukpa+Pepsi or a Rs 165-175 Momo+Thukpa+Moburg+Pepsi. There are other mini-value, flexi-combos priced between Rs 25-55 to choose from.

This 11 AM to 11 PM snacking option, is comparitively modestly priced and with the accompanying wow-flexi deals, is a good value for money offering, when compared to the other less exciting and pricier choices the Food Court currently affords. The momos we tried were all very tasty and well stuffed, cooked and presented, except for the Prawn Momos which we occasioned to have, they were grossly under stuffed and hardly had any prawns. Be warned that, that there are no credit cards accepted and no home deliveries yet. However, the service was prompt and efficient and the staff courteous and helpful. One other pertinent observation made, was that this outlet, was most certainly much neater and more hygienic, than all the other Momo joints that we had eaten in, elsewhere in town. We all quite enjoyed our experience and would certainly return for a quick bite, in our future forays into Lulu Mall. The energy and the bustle, in the common seating area must have also contributed to our feeling of pleasurable satisfaction.

Thanks to Wow! Momo, if one hasnt tried Tibetan Momos as yet, one can sample this new cuisine, without having to travel out of town or having to hunt out nondescript, hole in the wall joints, trudging through dusty by-lanes, map in hand. One can now also enjoy different variants of this wonder dumpling, in the comfort of an airconditioned mall, in our very own Kochi!

Wow! Momo

Food Court, Third Floor,

Lulu Mall, Kochi

Contact Person - Owner Haris B.B. or Store Manager Sameer – 09746586365

Email - info@wowmomo.co.in

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wow-Momo/165456736798479

Website - http://www.wowmomo.co.in/

National Head Office:-

Yo Foods India

29A/2E/1, Near Sulekha More, Loknath Mandir, Raja S.C. Mullick Road. Jadavpur University, Kolkata - 700032

Landline - 033-24292473

Mobile   - +91-9432649983