Swiss Day Celebration at Swissotel, Kolkata

Team KFB with the staff of Swissotel and GM Marco Saxer

The Swiss National Day, set on 1st August is dedicated to celebrate the Swiss Confederacy and like every year Swissotel Kolkata geared itself to celebrate their national day in a grand style.

With the Kolkata Food Bloggers we had the pleasure to be invited by Swissotel Kolkata  to be a part of the celebration which inspires blend of passion and perfectionism.

Looming over an attention grabbing design of one of the Swissotel catalog, which had various characters signifying Indian art, like the old hieroglyphs in a circular pattern, had the Swiss cross at the epicenter of it all. The Executive Chef of Swissotel, Chef Pranay Singh, explained it all so beautifully that though the people at Swissotel are mostly Indian but at heart they they are very much Swiss, representing the character,warmth, love and passion for perfection; and that is exactly what the Swissotel in Kolkata, in my opinion, truly represents. 

Having the privilege of the General Manager of Swissotel, Mr Marco Saxer, joining us over the spread, featuring the popular dishes from seven Cantons of Switzerland like Fribourg, Bern, Valais, Basel, Appenzell, Ticino and Zurich, thereby launching the new Swiss menu at Cafe Swiss, the conversation soon moved from the latest European & English football transfer news to the Swiss flag itself. The history, significance and meaning of the very simple but attractive white cross and red background flag.

The history says that the Federal Charter between three Alpine Cantons, Schwyz, Uri & Nidwalden, was signed in 1291 where they swore an oath of confederation, which today is much referred as the foundation of Switzerland. Slowly other cantons also joined in and Switzerland was formed. However each cantons still had their own flags to represent their region as the actual reason of the confederation was not to build a nation but to defend itself against the Habsburg Count. 

The larger the old confederacy became, the more they had a problem with inconsistently clothed troops that were hardly able to recognize their allies on the battlefield. In descriptions of the battle of Laupen (1339), white stripes forming crosses are mentioned for the first time as a joint recognition sign of confederate troops. In the middle of the 15th century, the white cross was integrated into the flags of the member states of the confederacy. Originally, the cross reached to the edge of the banner also in Switzerland, like in the Scandinavian flags.  (Source : http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch).

The story over the dinner table moved from the flag to the legendary Peter and Heidi, who were there to serve us so courteously. 

To honour the foundation of the Swiss Confederacy a number of Swiss dishes have been set in the menu which includes some of the old favourites and as well as some new ones. Saffron Risotto with Swiss cheese and asparagus, Gamberi All'Aglio, Zuri Geschnetzeltes, Swiss Cheese Fondue, Ticino Melting Bites, Doppia Raviolo riempito con mozzarella di bufala e parmigiano salsa, etc are on the offering.

The dessert ranges from the traditional Schoggi Berg,Fonduta Di Cioccolato (Swiss chocolate fondue), Aargau Carrot Cake and much more. 

What swept us away was a simple dessert called Apple Roesti which was served with vanilla ice cream. Crispy chunks of bread with apple pieces sauteed in French butter with a beautiful hint of cinnamon was truly a winner dessert for all of us.  

Mr Marco Saxer, General Manager, Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista said, " Swiss cuIsine is a mixture of many regional influences and the chefs will be giving a true taste of tradition. Each canton features a unique cuisine which is seamlessly blended into Swissness. It is a great opportunity for the guests to feast on an impressive array of truly authentic Swiss delicacies created by the hotel's culinary team. Whichever delicacies the guests chooses is guaranteed to be one to remember."

For Amrita and me it truly was a treat to remember, filled with tales, stories, history amazing food and amazing team at the Swissotel.

Swiss cheese and bread soup

Swiss sensation

Chicken cordon bleu

Melted  Margarita

Mushroom vol au vent

Roesti

Garlic seared prawns

Saffron Rissotto

Swiss cheese Fondue

Apple Roesti

Nut tart

Happy Swiss Day!

Vishal & Amrita Tupper

PS :

The buffet dinner will be available only at Cafe Swiss Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista from 1900 hrs to 2300 hrs from 1st to 3rd August 2015 priced at 1800 plus taxes per person.

Special Swiss Sunday Brunch will be held on 2nd August 2015 priced at 1800 plus taxes per person.

There will also be special Swiss Buffet every Wednesday for the entire month of August 2015.

There is also a special kids cooking class on 2nd August, 2015

One can place reservations through email to kolkata.cafeswiss@swissotel.com or by phone at (+91) 9007020144

Paranthe wali Gali at Swissotel, Kolkata

Swissotel Kolkata at their Durbari Indian Restaurant innovated with yet another novel idea " Paranthe Wali Gali" where they take you through a gastronomical journey reminiscent of Old Delhi. Paranthe, for many homes in India, is  comfort food. It is so versatile that the combinations and articulation of them can be endless. The Durbari at Swissotel has gone a step further to bring the intricate techniques on the platter that truly represents the very comfort food of India in a way that becomes a celebration to enjoy.

  

The malabari paratha is a Kerala specialty of layered refined flour bread served with vegetable stew. With a subtle hint of the coconut fragrance, it was loved by all and was counted as the favourite. 

The Chicken tikka cheese parantha stands by its name with whole wheat flour bread filled with spicy chopped chicken tikka and cheese. 

The Warqi paratha mesmerized everyone with its softness yet crispy and flaky texture. This is a speciality of the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, and is considered as one of the difficult parathas to make in terms of the technicalities that is involved with it. It truly won hearts of many.

Soya paratha came in as a healthy choice with whole wheat flour bread filled with spicy soya bean. 

The Mughlai paratha is a Kolkata speciality of bread cooked with egg and was a meal in itself with its hearty filling.

The menu boasts of more ranges of parathas like the Gosht keema paratha, mixed veg paratha, palak paratha, paneer paratha, ajwain aloo paratha etc. All parathas are served with aloo bhaji, pickle, curd and laccha onion.

The parathas were surprisingly very less oily, soft and with amazing flavours. All of us at Kolkata Food Bloggers had a terrific time in enjoying the combination of the dramatic monsoon and the indulgence of warm parathas. 

The paratha mania is on at Swissotel till the 28th  June, 2015 at Durbari.

Happy Paratha-ing 

Vishal & Amrita

Swiss National Day celebration at Swissotel, Kolkata

Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista, celebrated Swiss National Day which falls on August 1 with a lavish inaugural dinner at Cafe Swiss and Kolkata Food Bloggers were invited to join in the fun. 

Being a weekday me and Vishal got a little late to reach there and missed on the celebrations before the dinner which included some games. Enakshi Kundu greeted us with her warm smile as always and we got ourselves seated with the rest of the gang from KFB. 

Very soon we met Pastry Chef Sanjay who has a heart as big as himself and creates the most droolworthy desserts and is super humble. He introduced us to Chef Abhiru Biswas who has flown in from Mumbai to take special sessions on chocolate and recommended his creations on the dessert counter. 

With not much knowledge about Swiss food apart from their cheese and chocolate, we were happy to discover the widespread delicacies from the region.

The Salad spread

The salad counter was loaded with fresh, creamy and cheesy dishes like Swiss Potato salad, Red Apple and Walnut salad, Carrot and raisin salad and Swiss cheese salad...just to name few. 

The vegetarian fare

The Swiss love their potatoes as much as their cheese and chocolate and it was evident with the traditional Suuri Gummeli (potatoes with sour cream) and the famous Roesti with melted cheese on top which added to the sinful experience. 

Also on the spread for vegetarians was Swiss vegetable casserole and Capuns which has steamed cabbage filled with vegetables served in a tomato based sauce. 

Non vegetarian delicacies 

The Food extravaganza had just began and we continued our journey with the beautifully cooked Prawns with Garlic flakes and olive oil and Salmon cooked with sparkling wine, fresh herb and cream sauce. 

The Spatzle and Urner Hafelichabis (spiced lamb and cabbage stew) were traditional dishes from the region and I personally loved the latter. 

more to the non veg fare

We continued to fill ourselves with dishes like Alpine Rabbit stew, Chicken Cordon Bleu (Crumbed fried chicken with ham and swiss cheese), Rippli (Swiss specialty of pork loin preparation), Suure Mocke (Sauerbraten roasted meat dish served with sour sauce)

My favourite counter-Desserts

If you are wondering how could we have any more place in our stomach, let me tell you that Swissotel's Dessert counter is a beauty in itself and is as lavish as their main course spread. And how much ever full you feel, you can never say no to their awesome range of desserts. 

I was definitely in for some treat with Strawberry Swiss rolls, Baba au Rhum, Engadine Nut cake, Swiss muesli Quark cheese torte, Mini Carrot cupcakes, Duo mousse, Raspberry milk chocolate torte, Apple strudel with vanilla sauce and many more apart from the Chocolate fondue. 

I loved the mini carrot cupcakes exuding the gentle cinnamon flavour and the Engadine nut cake bursting with walnuts. 

The hallmark of Swissotel is an awesome meal with the best of products and warm hospitality.

Do not miss the ongoing celebration which is on till August 7, 2014 and is available for Dinner buffet priced at Rs 1600/- plus taxes at Cafe Swiss from 7-11 pm

Amrita and Vishal

'French Weekend' at the Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista

Kolkata Food Bloggers Team with Swissotel GM, Marco Saxer, Mademoiselle Louise Arnes, Enakshi Kundu, Asst Manager Marketing & Communications, Ms Debiroopa and Pastry Chef Sanjay 

Swissotel Kolkata, redressing its pure passion for perfection presented  'French Weekend', a French specialty menu as a run up to the French National Day (celebrated on 14th of July) with Mademoiselle Louise Arnes  who brought with her traditional recipes from Lyon, the Gastronomic capital of France.

As a part of Kolkata Food Bloggers team, we were treated to a dining experience which lived up to the signature Swissotel pamper.

The drive (both figuratively & literally) to the Swissotel Kolkata comes more from the hunger of exceptionally good food that pronounces its own authentic characteristics individually. Its perplexing to choose the better amongst the bests and it is this personification of perfection that Swissotel looks to execute each time which turns a casual checkout approach into a regular check-in habit.

Notwithstanding the Swissotel's contemporary swiss styled and locally inspired flair that attracts business and leisure travellers alike who enjoy high end hotels with fresh innovation, Swissotel also bears a noticeable hospitality which reflects genuinity in nature, making the dining experience more enjoyable.  

Welcomed with sparkling wine under the envelope of the Football World Cup fever, the flow of starters soon changed hands with endless array of classic and contemporary French specialty menu.

Amongst the starters the Smoked Salmon and Avocado Verrine served with Caviar was mesmerizing. Each element of the dish clearly pronounced an individualistic but synergized robust effect on the palate. 

Also served were dishes like Gougeres (cheese puff), Asparagus and Ham Ballotins, Mini Chicken Croquet Monsieur etc. Accares (Fish dumpling) was again an amazing dish with flavours of crab meat and a melt in the mouth texture. 

The starters

The main course consisted of both the vegetarian and the non vegetarian dishes that were equally impressive. 

The vegetarian dishes had the likes of Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee, Dauphinois Potato (Potato Cooked with Cream), Ratatouille, Onion Leek Tart etc. 

It was hard to pick the best vegetarian dish but the Wild Mushroom Fricassee won our hearts and taste buds along with the other French classic Ratatouille.   

The vegetarian spread

The Non-Vegetarian spread saw a blissful spread of the French classic Lobster Thermidor, Poulet au Vinaigre (Lyon speciality of vinegar braised chicken), Boeuf Bourguignon (Tenderlions cooked with red wine), Gigot d'agnaan (Roast leg of lamb served with roast potato, Pork Tenderloin with bacon and apple riesling sauce.

Our unanimous pick was Lobster Thermidor which truly represented one of the all time great French dishes that has won the hearts of millions around the globe.   

The Pork Tenderloin with Apple riesling sauce was again a standout dish with tenderloins cooked to perfection.

The Non-vegetarian spread

The Dessert spread had an amazing array of traditional French dishes such as Croquembouche, Paris Breast, French Apple Tart, Pear Tarte Tatin, Mille Feuille, Cherry Clafoutis, Creme Brulee etc.
The intricacies of the Croquembouche left us spell bound with its presentation and taste.
The Paris Breast with a lovely hazlenut spread was another treat to the sweet tooth.

The Dessert spread

Exactly as Mr Marco Saxer, General Manager of the Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista said, that the French cuisine is known for its exquisite taste and presentation and was proud to present traditional French recipes brought to them from Lyon, France,known as the gastronomical capital of France, and that he was sure that the people of the city would enjoy the dishes, the French dining experience was truly a treat never to be missed.

Along with the Kolkata Food Bloggers Team we wish to immensely thank Swissotel for inviting us over for the fabulous French Weekend.

The French menu festival started from 11th July and continued through to 13th July at Cafe Swiss for buffet dinner from 1900 Hrs to 2300 Hrs and was priced at INR 1600 plus taxes per person. 

Happy French National Day

Vishal & Amrita

A Brunch to remember at Durbari, Swissotel

Team KFB with Swissotel staff (Pic coutsey Anwesha Bhattacharya)

A trip to Swissotel always means great food and great hospitality. The extra cordial staff makes you comfortable right from the start and their food takes you to heaven straight away. Kolkata Food Bloggers were invited to sample the re-launch of Sunday Brunch menu at their Indian restaurant Durbari and I along with my fellow friends was awed at the spread on offer. It was literally a non-stop flow of one amazing dish after the other. 

The brunch was special in more ways with the lovely company of Enakshi Kundu, assistant marketing and communication manager who guided us through the all time favourite and loved dishes and Aashish Shaw, restaurant manager who very patiently informed us about the variety they offer and the personal changes they make to suit individual taste buds. 

Our tables were soon adorned with Papads and a beautiful array of lovely homemade chutneys. They offer apart from the usual tamarind and mint chutney, a yoghurt saffron, mango mustard and the absolute favourite burnt garlic chutney. 

Soon to follow was a non stop flow of the delectable starters and we had our fresh lime sodas ready to help us gulp down. 

First to awe us was the famous Dahi ke kebab from their kitchen. Aashish informs us that this is the only cold starter on their menu. Spiced hung curd coated with semolina and fried is truly a star dish. It did wonders to my chatpata taste buds. I really did not even want to use any chutney with it, it was so good in itself. 

Next on offer was the fusion dish that they call Naaza which is a cross between naan and pizza. Chef Aditya informs us that the base is actually a Khameeri roti which is topped with Murgh Makhani, cheese and colourful bell peppers. The smoky flavour of the Naaza screamed at us to have another portion but Enakshi warned us to have space for the delicacies in line. 

The Gondhoraj Mahi Tikka was declared a winner unanimously. Delicate chunks of Bhetki marinated with the traditional gondhoraj lime and the imported counterpart Kaffir lime lifted this dish to another level. I again did not feel the need to spoil the flavour of the fish with any chutney.  

Just about when we begged them not to serve us any more starters, we were offered another creation from their kitchen by the ever smiling chef Aditya called Murgh Balai kebab which was chicken breasts filled with oodles of onions, cheese and pomegranate. The chicken pieces were grilled to perfection but I personally found a bit too much of the onions in it. 

Remember we still had the buffet to sample and all this was just the starters. 

The buffet spread had soups, salads, starters, main dishes and desserts on offer. The starters had Zafrani Paneer tikka and Dalcha kebab in the vegetarian section and Murgh Achari Tikka and Sarson Mahi Tikka in the non-vegetarian section. The main course boasted of vegetarian dishes like their most famous Dal Durbari, Palak paneer, Diwani Handi and Aloo Dhaniawala. The non vegetarian main dishes were Ajwaini Fish curry and Methi murg. We were also served on our table Murgh Makhni Andaz and Kumbh do pyaza along with their famous Swiss cheese Naan.

The buffet spread

Most naturally I could not even sample half the dishes on the offering. My pick from the spread was the Dal Durbari, Aloo Dhaniawala, Methi murgh, Achari murgh and Sarson Mahi Tikka along with green peas pulao. And yes how can I miss the drenched-in-sin Swiss cheese Naan. You will want to go back and live just on their Dal Durbari and Swiss cheese naan. It is such a sinful combination. 

My plate

Swiss cheese Naan

Alright before you wonder the size of my appetite, we were still yet to satiate our sweet tooth. And considering all my teeth are sweet, I was waiting to dig into the dessert counter which had a mixture of modern and traditional sweets. The spread had fresh fruits, bite size pastries, Mango Rasmalai, Mihidana and Rabdi. The Mango rasmalai was exceptionally yummy and was my favourite dessert for the day. 

The dessert platter

If my experience hasn't allured you enough, go for yourself and just try out their splendid hospitality and out-of-the world food . 

Functional from Tuesday to Sunday between 1900 hrs to 2300 hrs,the restaurant is open for lunch from 12:30 hrs to 15:00 hrs on weekends as well. Mondays are closed.

The Sunday Brunch is available every Sunday and the packages start at INR 1000 plus taxes.

The Kolkata Grape Harvest Feast- Swissotel

Perhaps for the first time in Kolkata the giant wine brands of India like the Four Seasons, Sula, Nine Hills, Grovers and Antarez came together to celebrate the spirit of good food and great wine at the event organized by Swissotel which was rightly called The Grape Harvest Feast on Sunday 23rd February, 2014. With the exponential explosion of the food industry in India the appreciation for wine is poised to surge at a trajectory that only can be contained by imagination. The world of wine opens up to experience a higher culinary dynamics and the Kolkata Grape Harvest Feast singularly broadcasted the effects of great wine and great food by having the major wine brands of India come together on a common platform and open up their cellars and reserves for novice and experts to sample the best Indian wines. 

 

The Kolkata Grape Harvest Feast in Swissotel was marked with a casual atmosphere to party over endless flow of wine alongside live music and exquisite food. There was also grape stomping with the GM of Swissotel Marco Saxer and his wife Nina Saxer who were joined by Anant Iyer, COO-RPC East & Nepal of United Spirits Limited and his wife Jyoti Sachdev Iyer who also took part in the Bengal Fashion Week at Park Hotel earlier in the week. 

      

From the Four Seasons Stable. 

Four Seasons have emerged as a major player in the Indian wine market. They have their wineries at Baramati, Maharashtra, which is also becoming a popular tourist attraction. 

 

Sula were the first to enter into the wine market in India by growing and harvesting wine in Nasik. Sine its inception other players followed marking India as one of the finest new world wine growers.

 Collection from the Seagram's Nine Hills Wines.

Seagram's Nine Hills wine gets it name from the nine hills surrounding Nasik where the company's winery and the vineyards are located

Grovers wines have gained great respect and admiration from wine lovers in India. They too have become a major player in the Indian market with their range of wines. 

With Shubhadip Deb Roy of Grovers and Keith W Edgar, Sommelier, Wine Ambassador.

 

 With Joyjit Chakraborty, Director of Food & Beverage, Swissotel, the man behind the Kolkata Grape Harvest Feast. He and his team conceptualized and brought together this event with all the brands supporting the spirit of wine.

The event was also marked with the encouragement and awareness support for organic food and organic colours for Holi. Green Tokri with their tagline of 'Fresh from our farms to your Fridge' have started home deliveries of the fresh and organic food. Their vegetables are grown in specially built Hydrophonic Greenhouses which makes it possible for them to grow without the use of chemicals and pesticides. They also have a range of herb dressings and other delicacies like Basil pesto, Sun dried tomato in oil, pickled capsicum etc.  

The Kolkata Food Bloggers Team have been thrilled to cover the event which has reeled off a true appreciation for great Indian wines along with having a passion for food. 

We believe that the wine market in India is going to grow at a phenomenal rate and as the awareness of the wine spreads amongst the people, we would look back and credit events such as this that helped campaign the true spirit of wine.

Keep Sipping

Vishal & Amrita