With Bhutanese flavours up his sleeve, chef Michael Swamy is touring Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. After presenting a delectable spread from the land of the Thunder Dragon at HONK, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity, his next stop was at Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences. My Kolkata joined the ‘Bhutan to Bharat’ festival of flavours with chef Michael Swamy presented by VEEN, in partnership with Accor.
Speaking about the culinary journey that he has embarked on, the Mumbai-based chef said, “We have tried to present Bhutanese cuisine with Indian twists. It is about playing with flavour profiles. We are tweaking the menu everyday to try out different dishes. Some of the ingredients are sourced from Bhutan, while some are hyperlocal. The concept marries the culinary cultures of both countries.”
Chef Michael Swamy has tried to marry the culinary cultures of India and Bhutan through ‘Bhutan to Bharat’
In the scorching heat of a recent summer afternoon, the welcome drink was truly refreshing. Called Top of the Mountain, the refreshing beverage was stirred with VEEN’s Classic Sparkling Water from Bhutan. It was a blend of orange and lime with a dash of fresh mint leaves, jalapeños and coriander.
Top of the Mountain makes for a welcome refresher
After this much-needed freshness, it was time to dive into a bowl of Ema Datshi. Chef Swamy presented his version of the national dish of Bhutan like a soup, wherein he reduced Himalayan cheese and used locally sourced peppers. The reduction was served with a freshly baked bun topped with a red rice cracker. The bun, soaked in the flavours of the soup, melted in the mouth.
Chef Swamy’s Ema Datshi
The appetisers took advantage of India’s love for momos. While the veg option was a dumpling with a water chestnut and cheese filling, the non-vegetarian option was a classic chicken and cheese dumpling. Both were drizzled with house-made Kashmiri guchhi (morel) oil. The Bhutanese honey and chilli elevated the other two options in the veg and non-veg starters. Chicken wings came dressed with forest honey sourced from Bhutan and chopped Bhutanese chilli peppers. The combination of sweet and hot peppers resembled the flavour of chicken wings in barbecue sauce. Smashed broccoli replaced the chicken in the vegetarian option.
A classic chicken and cheese dumpling, and a water chestnut and cheese dumpling
For the mains, it was a rice and noodle pairing with a vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish. We relished the Bak Thuk noodles with stir-fried mountain greens and butter-poached asparagus. The noodles were traditional buckwheat noodles stir-fried with bell peppers. The side had a mix of fresh greens like spinach, leek, Napa cabbage, cherry tomatoes with sliced ginger. They were cooked in a mild ginger and garlic sauce and finished off with sesame seeds. The poaching technique retained the colours in the platter while softening the veggies. The steamed rice was a unique mix of two Northeastern black and white rice varieties. While the black rice had a sticky texture, the white rice had a beautiful aroma. We tried it with a side of braised lamb with tamarind glazed carrot. The meat was tender and the gravy had a tangy and spicy note.
Steamed black and white rice with braised lamb
It was twice the fun for desserts, as the chef curated a Himalayan Berry Cheesecake and a Mandarin Ginger and Dark Chocolate Mousse. The blueberries sourced from the hills adorned the smooth cheesecake as a jam. The mousse was the star. A perfectly glazed chocolate mousse sat on a thin gingerbread cookie base topped with sliced mandarin oranges. The flavour of ginger in the mousse and the cookie base amalgamated with the chocolate made reminded one of Christmas! It was a delightful end to a special meal.
Himalayan Berry Cheesecake and Mandarin Ginger Chocolate Mousse
Arjun Kaggallu, general manager, Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences said, “We are delighted to present a distinctive culinary journey from Bhutan to Bharat at our all-day dining, The Square. This endeavour aims to blend cultures, ingredients, and diverse cooking techniques, complemented by Veen water, to deliver an unforgettable dining experience to the people of Kolkata.”
Bhutan to Bharat: Festival details
— Where: The Square, Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences
— On till: May 5, lunch (Noon-3pm) and dinner (7-11pm)
— Chef’s recommendation: Ema Datshi, Sha Phaley, Mandarin Ginger and Dark Chocolate Mousse
— Pocket pinch: Rs 1,449+ (lunch buffet); Rs 1,649+ (dinner buffet)