Taste of (All Things Wrong) Madras

Well..I guess the title says it all...

As you all know by now, I love LOVE Indian food. Therefore that love causes great passion when writing about my experiences in an "authentic" Indian restaurant. Mind you..one can be passionately angry...

I will start at the beginning. Like most food experiences, our most beloved dishes stem from child hood dreams. South Indian Cuisine (here on abbreviated as "SIC") is one of them for me.  As a child, my family and I would go to the restaurant every Monday, dubbed "Dosa day", without fail. Crisp hot "Indian crepes" would come out of the kitchen accompanied by tangy and spicy "Sambhar" (lentil soup prepared with vegetables and spices, the key ingredient being Tamarind), coconut chutney and spiced potato stuffing. I'm sure my fellow Indian's would agree that this is one of the most popular and beloved dishes in all of India...and that if anyone messed it up, they would be cursed into eternal fires of food hell.

Unfortunately, SIC is rare to find in Geneva - there are only 2 restaurants I know of that serve SIC. In my never ending quest to find my beloved Dosa, I was delighted to discover on BuyClub that "Taste of Madras" was one of these restaurants. I was so excited and jumping for joy, I almost bought 3 vouchers - I couldn't wait to have my fill of delicious Dosa! Remembering that I was not in India, I promptly reigned myself in and bought just one...thank goodness!

Now let me be clear, this resto is not pure SIC. The menu is dominated by North Indian dishes (hereon abbreviated as NIC) and has a healthy smattering of SIC. Our voucher allowed us to order a starter, main course, 1 naan, and 1rice per person - not bad! With no SI starters on the menu, I ordered my favourite, "Vegetable Samosas". I really don't think I need to explain what this is. It is one of the most divine and popular finger foods ever invented. It is meant to wake you up and zap your taste buds to life. Along with this, I ordered chai because I was cold. I couldn't wait to eat my hot spicy samosas with my cardamom infused chai...rrrr. Now for a combo that is meant to inspire such wonderful words, imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the samosas and the blasted chai both tasted of (for lack of a better word) nothing..I mean....NOTHING. Both looked and smelt great...that's where the buck stopped.

Next came my Dosa, whooping for joy when I saw it arriving, it looked.....deflating.... Dosa is meant to be a delicious and healthy dish, mine was soaked in Ghee. Once again, the "masala" part of it tasted of NOTHING. Honestly I think it was the same stuffing used for the Samosa. The "Sambhar" didn't even look like Sambhar let alone taste like one. In fact the star of the dish was the coconut chutney. Having waited and hunted for so long to find decent Dosa, I was feeling murderous and wanted to choke the chef "death by Dosa" style.


Masala Dosa

To ease the heartburn from the "Crazy Dosa", I wanted to extinguish my anger with sweet, delicious, comforting dessert. If you have been to enough Indian restaurants here, you know by now that you need to ask which dessert is made in-house (sadly it will never be the Gulab Jamun - so NEVER order it). The waiter suggested their in house Kulfi. Kulfi is Indian ice-cream. What is the difference? Kulfi is denser, creamier and usually comes in typical flavours native to India - Rose, Mango, Cardamom, Pistachio and Saffron. The most common, and the one which graced our table was a cardamom infused luxiourious beauty. It tasted every bit as good as it looked (finally).



Cardamom

Would I go back...maybe...after a long conversation with the waiter, I discovered that the chefs are from South India and specialise in SIC but not in NIC...my poor husband who had burnt butter chicken and dry Naan....I suspect that the resto is good for NIC vegetarian food only. I will try and report back :)

 

My Thaï, So Wonderfully Simple Yet Beautifully Complicated

It is difficult to express emotions on paper, especially emotions which surface from food. If you have read my posts, you know that I am now an expert at expressing negative feelings (maybe not such a good thing..I know).  Alas, I am a novice when it comes to the expression of positivity, so this is a good chance to practice.

I have a notion. When I am upset and need to write about it, I type sitting upright at a desk frowning at my computer.  For this post, however, I just couldn't do that. It's one of those ones where you just have to take your laptop, snuggle into your bed and pour your emotions of, dare I say it, love. Much like a teenager writing in a diary. Oh yes! It was that good!

My husband and I had visited Thaï before but at this point, I hadn't started a blog. We had the pleasure today of trying it out again after a 2 year gap. I am no restaurant owner, but having eaten in many, I can assure you that consistency in delivering good quality food every single time is the toughest aspect of any restaurant business. After this 2 year gap, it feels like we were there for the first time all over again. The warm, welcoming staff, the surprise and intrigue of the menu, the oooing and aaaahing at the decor.

Dining at Thaï is a completely different and euphoric experience. You know that you are in the center of Geneva, yet, it feels like a quaint little bistro in a remote part of Paris - so cozy is the ambiance. It has the feeling of sitting in a high-end Starbucks. I can be there with my husband and with my friends but it is one of those places that I wouldn't mind coming on my own and sitting in my warm corner with a book eating gorgeous food.

The description which comes to mind is "so wonderfully simple yet beautifully complicated". Simple because the decor, the set-up, the explanations of the dishes are easy to understand. It doesn't read like a science experiment. Complicated because it is still a fine dining experience. The staff are impeccably trained,  yet relaxed and fun. There are no white gloves with stiff backs. the presentation of dishes are flawless and the balance of flavours are, for lack of a better word - perfect. Using the vast range of spices so precisely to achieve balance is a complicated ordeal!

So, let me tell you about my love story with Thaï.

We started out with the "Chicken Salad with Salsa Mango, Tomatoes, Pineapple & Ginger" for my husband and the "Steamed Crab Meat Dumplings" for myself.  The salad was such a celebration of flavours just bursting in your mouth. The mango giving its citrus and sweet note, the tomatoes for its luxurious melt-in-your-mouth effect and the pineapple which blended perfectly with the singe and warmth of the Ginger. If ever, you were a salad hater (like me), I KNOW this would convince you otherwise!

In most restaurants, when you order dumplings, what you get is a whole lot of the casing with very little meat inside. I was so wonderfully surprised to see the opposite. This number works really well for those who appreciate the more gentle and delicate flavours of Thai cuisine. I can tell the chef wanted to let the quality of the meat speak for itself and wow - did it sing, let alone speak! What a melody of sweetness from the crab with just a twang of warmth from the ginger.

After this gorgeous introduction to our weekend, we were graced with our main courses; "Grilled Beef with Thai Basil & Chilli Sauce" and "Saint Jacques Scollops, Spicy Sauce with Fresh Green Pepper & Soy". What a delight! The cut of beef was no doubt a prime filet, the scollops were so incredibly fresh and sweet. To be honest, we both had a slight argument about who's dish was better In the end, I couldn't help but be partial to my scallops. Definitely the star of the night! I was left with one ridiculous grin on my face - such was the effect of this dish on me.

At this point, we were so content, we were ready to just fall into our blissful food coma but the idea of desert was just too good to pass up.

To end our fabulous date night, we ordered the "Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ginger and Stem Ginger Ice cream* and the " Café Gourmand with a Mini Fudge Cake and a Lemongrass and Ginger Cream Verine". Okay, so you can't get it all right. Although the cake was a little overdone, we were so happy with our main course that we didn't even care. But my oh my, the Stem Ginger Ice cream  - rrrrrrrr. It reminded me of my Chai. It tasted exactly like this...only cold - sweet stem ginger ice cream laced with cardamom. There is a saying from my father-in-law which comes to mind - "I could sit in this all day", to the point where my husband had to remind me of restaurant etiquette to stop me from licking the bowl!

So now for the reality check. Nothing comes for free, so you might want to save this restaurant for a special night. Yes, it is expensive, but I promise, it is worth every penny - after all, it has its stamp of approval from none other than the Thai Embassy in Geneva!

It really is like no other restaurant in Geneva. In a bubble of its own it has the power to take you away from the dull reality of everyday life and put you in a state of spice euphoric dream.

To find out more about Thaï visit their website: http://www.thai-geneve.com/

Himalayan Sherpa....Death by Oil

I grew up on my dad's stories about his beloved Darjeeling. Everything from the crisp air to the beautiful scenery, fragrant tea and MOMOS!

Momo is a Tibetan specialty which seeped its way through the boarder into Nepal and therefore Darjeeling. It is a simple healthy dumpling dish which is steamed and served with spicy tomato dipping sauce. They basically like Baozi and Jiaozi , if you are in a Chinese restaurant or Gyoza and Nikuma, if in a Japanese restaurant or even Mandu if you happen to dine in a Korean restaurant.

My first memory of Momo was the first time my father took me to Darjeeling. I had never been, so it was really a scene from out of one of our romantic Bollywood movies. Mountains, green hills, slight fog and just..beautiful. We were driving through the valleys with fragrant tea gardens on either side of the road and stopped at this dilapidated.."hut". There was a curtain for a door and it really looked like a run-down,  old-school dank bar - like the ones in the movies where shady deals are made. 

Having grown up in Nigeria and restaurants being a way of life, I, at the age of 12, turned my nose up and refused to go in. Spoilt little girl (that's 12 year old me) sat in the car. My father, naturally, left me there to wallow in my self-pity. Soon enough, the smell of hot sauce, noodle soup (Thukpa) and those heavenly Momo's wafted my direction.   I don't think I have ever apologized so quickly to my Father for being such a spoilt brat and promptly sat down to savour these dumpling jewels. That moment is forever ingrained in my memory and every time I hear or read about a Nepalese restaurant opening in Geneva - I MUST TRY IT! In pursuit of the perfect momo..sigh..or the "Darjeeling momo". 

This is where Himalayan Sherpa comes in. I saw a deal on one of these "online shopping sites" for this restaurant. The picture of this deal had Momos and spicy tomato sauce on the side. So, I promptly bought this voucher and immediately booked a table. I did try to find out a bit about the restaurant on Google, but failed miserably as there was no website to this restaurant....my first sign to be worried. 

My husband and I made a date out of this - dinner and a movie - I was so excited only to get there and see a couple of locals sitting outside a "restaurant" which was more like a café or a place you might just have a beer and a conversation if there is no other choice. What I noticed is that none of them were eating - my second cause for concern. Yes, the alarm bells did go off, but I was reminded of my first "spoilt" reaction to my little Darjeeling Momo Hut. So, I shook the worry from my head and bravely stepped. in.  

A quick look at the menu and I had my 3rd cause for concern. I couldn't see any of the specialties from Nepal - Momos yes...but that was it. The rest was the usual North Indian food - vindaloos, Naan, curries, samosas etc. Here is a restaurant advertising itself as a Nepalese restaurant only because they happen to have Momos on their menu....

Being served our Momos after 20 minutes, I was expecting fragrant pungent steam to escape when I poked into the little jewel bags, instead, I receive a projectile of yellow oil onto my shirt. This is  NO NO..The meat inside had been fried and tasted awfully.....aged. So extremely off putting, I requested for some tomato spicy sauce so that I could drown these "Momos" into it hoping to diguise the taste. The owner comes out to say, "sorry, we don't serve this, we have only mint chutney"....sigh.. He clearly noted the anger and confusion on my face and then asked me where I come from. I said "Darjeeling" - in a clipped tone. The surprise and worried look on his face said it all - my 4th and winning cause for concern.

I left the "Momos" to swim in their oil (naturally), reigned my patience in and decided to order something else - my trusted lamb Vindaloo with cheese and chilli naan. This has never failed me....except for now.   I received a ton of gravy and maybe a table spoon of meat. One of the pieces of meat was pure fat. The others must have come from a pre-historic goat as the meat was so tough, it gave my jaw a thorough work-out.   At this point, I was so hungry, I just ate what was in front of me....I really REALLY shouldn't have. Let's just say I had to chew on 3- 4 Rennies before my tummy forgave me. 

So....if you ever pass by this restaurant..RUN THE OTHER WAY. 

Rasoi (Kitchen) Went Down in Aag (Flames)

I have been procrastinating with this post. I was sure that I was going to write this as soon as I could get my hands on a PC - I was that upset coming out of Rasoi. Think about it..I'm an Indian, living in Switzerland, for more than 14 years now, so naturally, I am totally obsessed with Indian food (or just "food" to me). Growing up, living in Lagos, Nigeria (that's a different story for another day) in a family that owns hotels and restaurants, I was constantly surrounded by absolutely gorgeous food. Almost every Sunday, we would go to the hotel for Indian brunch. As soon as the lift opened, I was quickly intoxicated by scents from the tandoor oven - fresh naans, Tandoori chicken, kebabs, down to lamb Vindaloo, chicken Khadai and Paneer Bhurji.

My "must go" place was Rasoi, the crown jewel at the Mandarin Oriental. I had heard about it from friends, often walked past the restaurant glancing at the menu telling myself "ooh I need to try that. Wow ! that sound amazing." etc etc etc.

So, on my second wedding anniversary, my husband and I booked the restaurant. I was so excited to taste those avant garde flavours, combining oriental spices with western classics - I just couldn't wait but I needed to save up - afterall, its a michelin star!

Going in, I thought, "what a beautiful restaurant, wonderful decor, warm rich brown and gold colours" (what can I say - you get into the mood). The waitress had a warm smile while handing us the menus then left it to us. We had the choice between "à la carte" traditional dishes or try their 7 course "Menu Gourmand" - which we both went for. Might I add, I had absolutely no intention of reveiwing this restaurant, thus was my blind faith in a michelin star establishment, and ofcourse, I was going to have a romantic dinner with my wonderful husband.

"Menu Gourmand" at Rasoi, by Vineet Bhatia, The Mandarin Oriental, Geneva

Alas! As Adele's sorrows inspired her to write tragic love songs, horrible food inspired me to write sonnets of despair. So here I go:

The "Amuse bouche" was "Spiced Deep Fried Cauliflower". The over kill of the garam masala not only numbed my tastebuds but left me bemused. Obviously such strong flavours right from the start completely ruined the effect of the second course - "Banana Wrapped Slow Cooked Cod with a Black Olive Tapenade on a Bed of Spiced Lentils." Either my tranquilised tongue couldn't taste the salt...or the chef was going through a divorce and therefore blamed it on my cod. Although it was cooked to perfection, the tapenade tasted of, for lack of a better word, nothing, and the only thing "spiced" about the lentils was green chilli.

Ofcourse I ordered my favorite "Cheese & Chilli"naan with my next course. If done to perfection,  cheese dotted with green chilli oozes when you tear into it. Boy was I wrong on this one. Gruyère cheese had been used . From the waxy yellow look of it (you know the one that you see in American Mac n Cheese commercials), it seemed like a mature Gruyère, which completely overpowered the green chilli.

Along came my third course - "Sambar Podi Crusted Char Grilled Lobster, with a Coconut Lime Sauce and Coriander Oil" This was actually quite perfect. Once again the lobster was cooked to perfection as the natural sweetness of the meat blended perfectly with the eye beans. The coconut lime had a hint of lemon grass and just enough chilli to warm your lips - Bravo to the chef manning the fish station! Truly a delight.

Next we were graced by the humble chicken in the style of " Baby Chicken Achari Roast with Lemon Mint Khichidi, Braised Chicken Jus, Preserved Lemon." Yes, again the chicken was "tandoored" to perfection. You could taste the ginger, garlic, and chilli while it melted in your mouth. Although the lemon mint khichidi was a little heavy on the ginger, the thinly sliced preserved lemon balanced the heat. That being said. once agian, the spices completely overpowerd the lemon dip.

Baby Chicken Achari Roast with Lemon Mint Khichidi, Braised Chicken Jus, Preserved Lemon

After the semi-onslaut of spice abused meats, I was given a short but delightful reprieve in the form of an "Orange Sorbet, Basil Mojito" palate cleanser. This little number was a "wow" moment of the meal so far. It tasted every bit as divine as it looked. Basil jello pearls and all! A truly "Heston" moment.

Orange Sorbet, Basil Mojito

You know what they say "the calm before the storm". Up until this moment - I had been keeping mental notes of each dish. However, the fourth course was such an abomination that my brain couldn't contain the rush of vile comments that swept in, which is why I had to ask for some paper. Armed with my pen and my severely insulted tongue I started to write furiously.  "Lamb Raan Roulade, Beetroot Upma and Cinamon Jus." It arrived at our table escorted by our waitress and two accompanying "guards" Honestly..I thought there was a secret gift made of diamonds, what with the grand enterance it made.

They placed the perfectly cooked fig and pistachio stuffed lamb infront of me contrasted by the vibrant magenta coloured upma and then poured a test-tube , yes! A TEST TUBE of brown sauce , onto it - the cinamon "jus". The first bite of this divine looking dish completely shattered any illusions I had. There was so much cinamon, I had to ask for an additional bottle of water. It had completely dehydrated my palate. Although I had managed to scrape aside quite a bit of that cinamon poison and tasted the wonderful upma, the damage had already been done. The bitterness of cinamon at the back of my throat had murdered my appetite and good mood.

Lamb Raan Roulade, Beetroot Upma and Cinamon Jus

Pissed off from the cinamon induced heart-burn. I was fully ready for some desert to bring my mouth back to life. Queue in the "Cranberry-Gianduja Phirni, Warm Mandarin-Chestnut Ravioli." Utterly defeated from the previous course, the desert, which looked like it had been stolen from the table of the Gods left me utterly confused. The phirni itself was okay, the chestnut didn't go with the mandarin at all. it just tasted like a mess.

I think this was the Cranberry-Gianduja Phirni

Left - Don't remember..but ..not very good. Right - Mandarin Chestnut Ravioli

To summarize ,both my husband and I were completely deflated after this meal. What was supposed to be a romantic sumptious meal ended up being a circus act with smokes and mirros, contorted expressions from me and cringing at the bill. Although the service was impeccable and food was presented beautifully, it felt like a "trying too hard" resto and we aren't going back.

Even the little bribe of complementary home made chocolates (the waitress had seen me taking notes) did not deter me from sighing with dissappointment. Can you belive it?! Chocolate didnt make me feel better - That is a first!

Bravo Rando!

Okay..so it's been a while since my last post.  What can I say...inspiration is fickle...one minute there..the next minute..blank.

Here is one place that definitely brought on the inspiration.

Rando Burger; a quaint little family owned business located in the refreshing and calm commune of St.Cergue.  Little it may be but BOOMING is the word that comes to mind.

Started a little over 2 years ago. Rando Burger graced the side walk promising succulent juicy burgers with original toppings and combinations.  Everything from the classic lettuce, cheese and tomato to the jalapeño spicy number.  Be it chicken, beef or vegetarian, every ingredient is sourced locally. - So, you know exactly what is in your meal.

The story is quite compelling of how Rando Burger came to be.  A business man with a promising career being affected by the economic crisis like you and me.  "Light Bulb!!" Open a burger joint - in St.Cergue.  And may I say - One HELL of a brilliant idea!

St.Cergue's real-estate is booming, buildings erupting everywhere and..we have a total of 2 pizza take-away options.  Along came Rando, giving a 3rd choice - definitely the best of the 3, offering its delicious Burgers, home-made country potatoes and dessert, eat-in or take-away! 

2 years down the line,  the menu has grown steadily and quality has NEVER wavered.  Ofcourse..it will be more expensive than the McDonalds down in Nyon..but hey..you gotta pay (and I hope want to) for quality.  Plus, quite frankly the burgers are BIGGER and taste better. Also, you can order by phone, on-line or simply when you get there.  Advice – best call in advance if it is the weekend or evening as the place gets pretty packed!  When you get there, if your burger isn’t ready or you are ordering “à la minute” they give you a handy buzzer which you can walk around town with – the minute your meal is ready, one heck of a buzz later you’re ready to dig in!

I have eaten many times at Rando, trying almost everything on their Menu (I have a few more visits to make before I become an expert). My favorite is the "Garlic Kiss".  One succulent Burger patty topped with caremlised onions, fresh salad, home-made AMAZING Garlic sauce in between two freshly baked burger buns. A true tribute to how the burger should and can taste.  It’s best eaten in house as it is served right off the grill still piping hot and juicy..mmm Slurp nom nom!!!

Also a must try – their home-made New York cheese cake with the raspberry sauce topping.  Although an extra 2 Francs are charged for the sauce, it is necessary to give a fresh note to the dessert and cut through that delicious cream cheese.

Bravo Rando! For showing the potential of what the humble Burger can be!

Visit their WEBSITE to view their Menu (in both English and French) get directions, order on-line, down-load their mobile app - the works!!

Heavenly Lemony Blueberry..sigh...

It's meant to be summer here...it really is. Of course, this wasn't the case a few days ago when it hailed hell fire...and it felt like the world was coming to an end...according to some.  To me, it was merely the sound of the monsoon in India.  The one where you can barely hear your own thoughts let alone listening to another person speak.

So, in my efforts to "force" summer upon us, I decided to bake a Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake with a Lemon glaze.  Salivating yet? - you should be! It was DELICOUS.  Granted, the recipe wasn't my own..BUT STILL..absolutely divine. So refreshing with just the right notes of sourness from the lemon zest, sweetness from the berries (yes yes,,sugar helped too...) and a slight bitterness from the Spelt flour I used (instead of white flour).  IT WORKED - this morning, blazing sunshine at last.

I got this recipe from Youtube..wherelse?..from a channel called "Joyofbaking1". There is also a website - Joyofbaking.com. Although...it did say Lemon and Blueberry bread..I assure you..its more of a cake.

Presented by a wonderful woman - Stephanie Jaworski (I mentally gave her the title of Baking Guru).  Canadian, living in the U.S.A., this lady can bake ANYTHING you can think of.  From cookies, muffins and simple chocolate cakes to 3 tiered red-velvet cakes, soufflé, éclairs and more!  You think it, she can do it.

What I really love about her videos  -  she gives measurements in both Imperial AND Metric system.  How often have you had to re-calculate because you are used to grams but the  measurements are written out in pounds or ounces! - I hate that. Second, she makes it look so easy, which is the key really, when giving a tutorial of anykind.  If you can make it look simple, it gives confidence to the amateurs...like me who tend to burn or blow up stuff in the oven...yes it happened..I blew up an aubergine once - will never live it down with my husband.

I have tried one other recipe from her as well - Chocolate Fudge cookies, absolutely TO DIE FOR..literally ended up in chocolately cloud number 9..and what's better? -  went down famously with my colleagues.  Maybe I'll post another fully detailed blog for this.  Right now the star of this show is the Heavenly Lemony Blueberry Loaf cake - A definite must try.  The recipe can be found on her website or Youtube channel. Enjoy! nom nom, slurrrrrp!

Operation Kebab....Failed.

You know when you've got that craving...the one where it's a Friday evening, you so do not feel like cooking, but you still want something absolutey delicous to sink your teeth into.  Picture a nice soft warm bread stuffed with all those yummy vegetables and spiced chicken from the spit, topped off with fiery chilli sauce and a cool soothing refreshing yoghurt sauce..  Yes...the one and only KEBAB!

If done well, you are left feeling warm, fuzzy and completely satisfied.  If not (like the one I had today) you come out of there...luke-warm, puzzled, and then after...bloated.

Such a let down. The first time my husband and I had it, it was the stuff of spice heaven. This time...UGH..the chilli sauce was more like tomato sauce drowning in chilli oil - honestly you could have used it for pizza - and the chicken...the poor chicken was roasted till blackened and just to make sure it was still "juicy", it was probably soaked in oil.

Really, you wonder if the chef was trying to make absolutely sure that the chicken was good and truly done for.

Sorry, Les Brasseurs in Signy Centre - Operation Kebab...Failed.