KITCHEN DISTRICT

There is one dining experience that's worth driving down to the Gurgaon—Manesar border: I'm talking about Kitchen District at Hyatt Regency Gurgaon where guests are treated to a cornucopia of Mediterranean, Far East and Indian coastal delights from live kitchens in an elegant 7,000 sq. ft room.

Walking towards my table, I was glad to see the tables were at a distance from each other — and mine was adjacent to the Japanese kitchen. Purrfect! Glancing down the room, I saw it turned towards The Long Bar which boasts a 60-ft-long bar and an impressive wine cellar. As I waited for a friend, the chef came over and explained ''the team uses fresh seasonal ingredients from local and International markets. Simple cooking methods — grilled, steamed, stir-fried or baked — cull out authentic flavours.'' He also mentioned the bar had a good mixologist so I ordered Watermelon Martini and requested the chef to craft our order — that decision was bang on!

Our culinary journey began with "Spicy Tuna Rolls" and "Yellow Tail Nitsuke" so I blended wasabi and soy and set to work. The first bite of nitsuke launched joyous murmurs punctuated by broad smiles at the chef observing us from the sushi kitchen! "Oishi" was the best I could muster as we wolfed it down in no time and then turned towards the tuna rolls. Each piece of spicy tuna squelched the "wow" in my throat as I marvelled at the flavours that were even more pronounced with an extra dab of wasabi! Up next was "Octopus Carpaccio” — the chef had transformed a medium-size octopus into a cylindrical terrine, then cut it paper-thin. I am not a fan of octopus but this was ambrosial, topped with thinly sliced radish, green beans and chorizo, splashed with vinaigrette. A dish that had been alien to my palate is now on my must-have list when I dine here again! Coming back to the dinner, we were served "Raw Papaya Salad" as a palate-scrubber before serving us "Deep Fried Calamari" and "Tiger Prawns". The calamari rings, fried in a light batter and served with garlic butter sauce, was delicious as was the spicy tiger prawns. Though we were stuffed I could not help drooling when the chef proudly presented "Pork Belly" glazed with soy honey: the melt-in-the-mouth soft pork belly enveloped in a thick crust was devoured within moments of being served!

Sitting back and savouring another martini, time flew by and the chef brought us the Sicilian "Casarecce Pasta with Pesto" from the Mediterranean kitchen. It was flavourful and one of the good pasta dishes I have had in a long time!! With just enough space in our stomachs for a sweet, sinful end to a divine meal, we shared the most divine cheesecake. Looking back at the dinner, I highly recommend The Kitchen District for a long, languorous meal where you would be pampered with prompt service, thoughtful recommendations by the chef and a variety of fresh, flavourful food. Bon Appetite!

— JASMEEN DUGAL