Winter specials
Punjab Grill serves up seasonal classics
Paying homage to seasonal ingredients and winter food favourites in the subcontinent is chef Bharat Bhat’s new tasting menu at Punjab Grill.
“We are looking at all the winter specials, dishes cooked in India during the winter. It is a great time of the year for fresh mustard and saag [a term used for leafy green vegetables], and such,” says the chef.
The Festive Tasting Menu (B1,499++ for non-vegetarian and B990++ for vegetarian) starts off with a northern winter favourite: Bhutte Ke Kees. Because chef Bhat is focused on using local ingredients, wherever possible, corn from the Royal Project is mixed with jalapeños and served with a spiced corn espuma. The dish is a mix of the common yellow sweetcorn and the rare purple corn and could have done with a bit of either one being grilled. The espuma was delicious and the khakhra (a thin cracker from the Gujarat state of India) tied it all together. “We are trying to give the dish a bit of a Mexican influence,” says the chef.
Blending East and West is the Chipotle jheenga. Tiger prawn is marinated in smoked chipotle spice and served with sour cream and raw mango chutney tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. “A winter dish with a bit of heat” says the chef, and I agree. I even licked the prawn shell off all the masala to show my appreciation.
The Kasturi murgh tikka is a chicken thigh roasted in a charcoal tandoor marinated with yellow chilli and dry fenugreek leaves. The dish, which has its origins in Mughlai cuisine, is creamy and to offset the creaminess, it is served with cranberry chutney. To cleanse the palate of this rich flavoured dish is the Lemon and pink pepper sorbet, which has hints of my favourite tangy black salt.
The main course is a favourite all over the world and an Indian classic. Saag gosht is New Zealand lamb rack braised in spinach and garam masala gravy scented with cloves and served with a blue cheese chilli kulcha. The dish is so decadent but on days when the weather is cold, this is exactly the kind of food that keeps your soul warm.
Swerving away from the winter theme is chef Bhat’s dessert. The Nariyal kheer, is a tender coconut and rice pudding served with coconut jelly, coconut chips and coconut kulfi snow. “It’s not a very winter thing, but we just wanted to do something different this time. Since we’ve always had kulfi, I stuck to that. The coconut is the local element,” says the chef.
However, the restaurant also serves an à la carte menu that ranges from modern dishes to the traditional classics. To keep up with the times, the restaurant is now open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 3pm. An all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch is available from noon to 3pm. Takeaway/ delivery orders available from Tue-Sun from 11.30am-10pm.
Punjab Grill Bangkok, Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit, Sukhumvit 13 / Call 02-645-4952, visit punjabgrillbangkok.com.