Ok So I’ve
been 'missing in action' from the blog for a while now. It’s actually kinda been months since I’ve last blogged! Crazy right? Blame it on a crazy work schedule and a two
year old who can’t sit still for more than 2 minutes. Having a kid, as amazing as that is, pretty much puts going out and exploring new places on hold. And trying to write with a two year old who will not stop saying "mama!" until you give her your complete attention, is near on impossible.
But, when I received an invite for a meal
at the newly opened Pluck at The Pullman Aerocity, New Delhi, I didn’t need a better reason to
come out of my hibernation :) Pluck is a
fine dining restaurant with a farm to table concept which serves European style cuisine. I found the concept of farm to table fascinating,
and one that’s really dear to my heart. Chef Ajay Anand, director of Culinary explained that most of the
vegetables, salad greens and herbs used by the restaurant are grown on location
or locally. This translates into using seasonal produce, which means the
customer gets the freshest possible food on their plate and the menu is always changing according to what's freshly available.
As
someone who struggles to grow tomatoes, carrots and basil and chillies in her tiny balcony, it was a real pleasure talking to Chef Anand about their passion for this interesting philosophy.
Our meal started with an amuse bouche of green pea hummus. It was so beautifully plated, it almost seemed criminal to eat... almost :) The pea hummus was just a fabulous way to
start a meal. I loved it and its definitely something I’m going to try making
at home.
Next came
a mushroom soup. Now I love mushrooms, but I’m not a fan of mushroom soup. Whenever I've had mushroom soup, I imagine it tastes and smells funny. But
after tasting the steaming goodness that was presented to us, I am a convert.
Our mains
consisted of Sous Vide chicken with fig jam, potatoes and cauliflower couscous, while the hubs had the
broccoli quinoa cakes with lemon butter sauce. Although I’m a
die hard non-vegetarian, and the sous vide chicken was juicy and delicious, I wasn't a fan of the fig jam, which I found a little too over powering. However this meat eater absolutely loved the broccoli quinoa cakes, something I would definitely go back for again.
Dessert
was a dark milk chocolate mousse with hazelnuts and raspberry coulis. What a
show stopper and a spectacular way to end an amazing meal.
Pluck is a must try restaurant for a wonderful dining experience perfect for a special occasion.
[All images are by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]
