Monsoon Pizza Festival @ The Trident, Cochin

THE PLACE FOR GOURMET PIZZAS - PIZZERIA @ THE PATIO

@ Travancore, Trident Hotel, Willingdon Island, Kochi

By Lt Col (Retd) D Purushothaman Pillay

The most popular, baked Italian gift to our planet, is the ubiquitous 'Pizza'. Which was born as a humble Neapolitan round, oven-baked, flatbread customarily topped, with a pureed coulis of tomato, a generous sprinkle of cheeses and a crowning garnish of an infinite choice of toppings. No wonder, it has a permanent place, in the top 5 most popular foods in the world.

Popular legend reckons that in 1889, Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito created the first Pizza Margherita, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned him to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita. Now, 124 years later, The Trident Cochin, is hosting a 'Monsoon Special Gourmet Pizza Festival' at its Travancore Restaurant christened the "pizzeria' @ the patio" in honor of this universal gastronomical super hit. 

A study of the menu, offers one an interesting, very different and an eminently creative selection of choices. Representing different geographies, each one is a gustatory treat, for the discerning palate. There is the classic mozzarella cheese Italian, feta cheese Greek, blue cheese Danish, caper berries rich Mediterranean, Cajun spiced, corn rich American, Schezwan flavored Oriental and even an Indian mint chutney Nawabi option.

Since I love pizzas and like writing about them, I shall indulge in a bit of shop talk. The key to a nice pizza is its crust, which should ideally have a crumbly brittle crunch, yet if required, be softly foldable in half.  A ‘Thin Crust’ to my mind, does not permit a carb overload, therefore allows one to relish the subtle nuances of the toppings, the best.  This festival is served on thin crust and one has three base options, the regular dough, multigrain dough and another base infused with mashed potatoes. There are eleven pizza choices on the menu, divided into five vegetarian and six non-vegetarian options. They are as follows:-

Vegetarian Pizzas

1. CLASSIC MARGHERITA with tomato, basil and Italian mozzarella.

2. GREEK CONNECTION with toasted pimentos, basil, tomatoes, air dried aubergine, feta cheese on a multigrain base.

3. NOT JUST ORIENTAL Schezwan chili paneer, peppers and chili flakes.

4. PIZZA BIANCO with spiced roasted potato, bell peppers, olives, buffalo mozzarella and olive oil.

5. CLASSIC BLUE CHEESE with ranch Parmesan sauce, wild mushroom, spinach, home dried tomatoes, black olives and blue cheese.

Non-Vegetarian Pizzas

1. FRUTTI DI MARRE with shrimps, calamari, tuna, fresh basil and garlic confit.

2. AMERICAN CAJUN with cajun spiced chicken, American corns, bell peppers, gherkins and scallions.

3. NAWABI TRAITS with lamb keema, mint chutney, laacha onions and tomatoes.

4. CLASSIC PEPPERONI with Italian pork pepperoni seasoned with black pepper.

5. SALUMI with classic pepperoni, ham, sausages, streaky bacon, mushroom and pounded meat.

6. SMOKE HOUSE STEAK CAPRICCIOSA with rosemary crusted tenderloin, red wine glazed onions, cream cheese, BBQ sauce and egg sunny side up.

There is always something warm, welcoming and intimate about the ambience of Travancore. Must be its impeccable setting, warm illumination, choice of cuisine for food festivals, all of which is always accompanied with that legendary 'Oberoi' service. Every visit ends with the promise, of a return to savor this faultless excellence, yet again.

This time, another reason, our experience was enhanced was due to the genial presence of the recently arrived, tall, knowledgeable, soft-spoken and scholarly Chef Mohit Bagaitkar. He played the perfect host, by greeting the guests on arrival, once seated, as one peruses the menu, he explains the theme and palate this festival is exploring, and offers helpful suggestions to make a prudent choice. He thoughtfully tries to appreciate what each one would desire, in order to ensure, he does the best he can, to make the experience as memorable as possible. He is indeed a welcome addition that will enrich the culinary scene of Kochi. Something tells me that he has 'the hand that feeds from the heart' therefore he is a legend in the making. I hope to enjoy many an inventive meal created by this new 'promising craftsman of comestibles', in the future.

All of us, thoroughly enjoyed the mix we were served, hot from the oven. My elder son enjoyed the meat feast carousel called Salumi, personally I loved the Blue Cheese Pizza, my wife indulged in the feta rich Greek Pizza with that crispy aubergine sitting on top, my little son loved his Margherita with that green drizzle of basil and mint.

This six week pizza extravaganza had started on the 5th of July and continues until the 10th of August 2013, from 11 in the morning to 11 at night. These delicious pizzas are priced at a steal, between Rs 395 and Rs 575 and comes with a complimentary pint of Budweiser beer. For all those pizza lovers, who want to indulge their taste buds in some genuine Italian flatbread luxury, this is one experience, at their doorstep, they just cannot afford to miss. So all those who haven’t been to the festival yet, there are just another 10 days that are remaining, so hurry up!

Trident Hotel, Cochin

F & B Manager V K Karthi: Mob +91 99460 00755

Executive Chef Mohit Bagaitkar: Mob +91 95391 82900
Phone: 0484-3081000
Email: reservations.ttcoh@tridenthotels.com
Website: www.tridenthotels.com

Egyptian Food Festival, Kochi

"Khan el Khalili" – The Egyptian Food Festival!

@ Travancore, Trident Hotel, Willingdon Island, Kochi

By - Lt Col (Retd) D Purushothaman Pillay

Chef Ibrahem Ismail Mustafa, from the exclusive, white sand luxury beach resort on the Red Sea Coast, The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt, has come down to India, and would be at Trident Hotel, Cochin for a fortnight. He is the guest Masterchef, for the "Khan el Khalili" - Egyptian Food Festival being hosted at the Travancore restaurant in the hotel. This wonderful festival goes on for another week, until the 10th of March.

The festival is presented as a comprehensive theme-buffet for both lunch and dinner. The whole restaurant has literally taken an Egyptian face. The Tutankhamun bust stares out from literally every glass pane on the various French windows that make the perimeter of the restaurant. He is also present on every table as a miniature cutout nestled in the table centerpiece, as if personally presiding over the meal. Queen Nefertari, wife of Pharaoh Ramses II, welcomes one and all, perched atop the faux-stone arch entry to the restaurant. On entering, one is greeted by the smart waiting staff who are also dressed for the occasion, in their Red Tailed-Cummerbunds, Black Embroidered Waistcoats, topped off in a typical Scarlet Fez. 

The buffet island is dominated by a huge Pyramid right in the centre. So much so, that the existing urns that embellish the environment, blends in with the theme, to create the aura of the historic civilization. Thoughtfully the aural stimulus is also catered for, as one catches haunting strains of the eternal melodies of the greatest female singer in Arabic music history, The Star of The East - Umm Kulthum, among other Egyptian tunes, which enhances the mood of the experience. To round off this food adventure, the adjoining courtyard wears a festive-look with fluorescent satin canopied desert tents, which host the Hookah Bar, where one can relax with friends, dragging at the Shisha savoring the various flavors of tobacco on offer.

Teaming up with Chef Ibrahem is the local Executive Chef Eeshaan Kashyap, and together they have conjured up an absolutely delicious and representative menu, that showcased Egyptian cuisine at its best. We started with the Fattoush Bread Salad and Salata Baladi a selection of cubed vegetables rich in leafy greens. My favorite however was the miniature green stuffed vine leaf wraps called Dolma. There was an assortment of dips like Sesame-Tahina, White Chickpea-Hummus, Aubergine-Baba Ghanoush and a delectable Garlic flavored Yogurt to complement the food.

This Middle Eastern cuisine is quite spice-intense and favors the abundant use of Red Cherry Peppers, Chickpea, and hand-picked spices like Dukkah, Allspice, Aniseed, Sumac, Paprika, Caraway Seeds, Cumin, Cardamom and of course Za'atar for the meats.

The baked breads included the thick glutinous pita bread called Aeish Masri, the white pita bread Aeish Shami and wheat based Aeish Baladi. There was also Roz bil Shagria a type of flavored rice with vermicelli. They were the perfect accompaniments, for the selection of succulent beef in gravy, soft curried chicken and the white sea-fish stew - Tagin Samak, which we all relished the most.

The desserts included the perennial favorites, Kunafa - sweet vermicelli burfis, Basbousa - sweet semolina, Kahk - stuffed date biscuits, Sheikalama - coconut-almond cookie, Roz be Laban - rice pudding and Umm Ali, the national dish of Egypt, a type of raisin cake soaked in milk, served hot.

This was one food journey, that ensured that all the five senses were taken over, by the Pharaohnic mystique of the Land of the Nile!

This sumptuous buffet experience costs only, a paltry all inclusive Rs 799/- Mind you this includes a complimentary beer/soft drink/juice and Shisha. What is anyone waiting for?

Trident Hotel, Cochin

Executive Chef Eeshaan Kashyap: Mob 89433 83132
Phone: 0484-3081000

Website: 
www.tridenthotels.com

The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt: 
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_sahlhasheesh/index.asp