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From mezze to manna
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Lebanese food is certainly an acquired taste, but The Taj's buffet spread excels in its mezze and dessert spread
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BIG SPREAD For those slightly unfamiliar with the variety and spread of Lebanese food, Mynt is a great crash course PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.
When the Taj West End's Lebanese chef, Ahmed Ammouri, was given a free hand to spread out a buffet every Wednesday at Mynt, the 24-hour coffee shop, he made no concessions to Indian palates. No spices, no Indian touches, no fusion food. Although authentic Lebanese food with its broad, bland tastes is hardly everyone's taste, the Taj dishes out an entire four table spread dedicated to starters, salads, desserts and two tables comprising the main courses. The only foreign elements conceded are some touches from Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine to provide enough variety for vegetarians who would otherwise feel left out in a traditional Lebanese spread.
For those slightly unfamiliar with the variety and spread of Lebanese food, Mynt is a great crash course. With the menu changing every Wednesday, Ammouri brings in ingredients such as the spicy sumak (a light coloured spice made of crushed berries) and sweet pepper straight from Dubai.
There are the usual favourites which comprise the Lebanese starters or mezze, which are often substitutes for the main course. Mynt does especially well with these, serving up excellent hummus (a sort of paste accompanied by pita bread which is made fresh), babaganouj and tabbouleh (salad) and their pita bread is soft and malleable. For non-vegetarians there is the chicken shavarma made right there.
Understated
The main course on the Wednesday that we went had koosra charp, yakhanit batata, kudra mushakkal (this was a particularly good dish, comprising grilled vegetables, chickpea, onion and aubergines), moussaka and other typically spice-free Lebanese preparations. There emphasis paid to the rice accompaniments as well, with four different kinds of the slightly pasty Lebanese rice on offer for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
"I don't use Indian spices in any of the dishes," says Chef Ahmed Ammouri. "Instead, there's a lot of tomato, ginger and onion." Lebanese food is unlikely to appeal to an unaccustomed palate at the first go; most of it is somewhat bland and understated. The food is allowed to breathe though allowing you to actually taste the myriad flavours that are staple: sesame, chickpea, olive oil and so on.
Salads, desserts
The highlight of The Taj's Wednesday buffet however is unquestionably its salads and desserts. The dessert spread is extensive, vaster than most other buffets and had some wonderful pastries and even an unusual milk-based concoction, which was startlingly reminiscent of Kashmiri delicacies. Also on offer at the dessert counter are slices of carrot cake, blueberry temptation, chocolate cream tart, fresh fruit gateau, apple pie and lychee strudel.
If you find that Lebanese food is an acquired taste that you are not used to, Mynt also carries on with its regular a la carte menu on Wednesdays. But the buffet is priced at approximately Rs. 500 and is well worth a try... especially if you want an introduction to the authentic flavours of the region.
Ambience: Usual five-star
Service: Good
Specialty: Desserts
Wallet factor: Approximately Rs. 500 per head
HEMANGINI GUPTA
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
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Hyderabad
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