Two Food Fests vie For Foodies

Bhubaneswar, July 11: Gastronomes are having a good time with two food festivals taking place in the city.

While Swosti Premium at Jayadev Vihar is hosting a Lebanese food festival, its sister concern Swosti at Janpath, is serving unusual biryanis.

Chef Uttam Das has prepared biryanis by combining them with some of the popular a la carte items.

For instance, the much-loved chicken lollipop has been fused with biryani to gives gourmets a whole new taste. Similarly, tangdi kebab, chicken 65, mutton keema, mutton chaap, fish tikka and many more dishes have amalgamated with biryani.

“Many foodies love biryani, but people are tired of devouring on the same preparation. So, we thought of offering them something new,” said Ashwin Panda, food and beverage manager of Hotel Swosti about the idea behind the festival.

Das said that both the constituent items are prepared separately and then mixed well together. “This is something I have never tasted. I am sure biryani lovers like me will enjoy the delectable flavours that the restaurant is offering,” said Nachiket Wagh from Pune, who was staying at the hotel.

Chef Rajeev Haryani, who is part Indian and part Australian, has brought some exotic Lebanese dishes to the city.

The cuisine is famous for its distinct flavours. Quezi, an item where a whole lamb is oven baked and served with rice is considered a must for weddings. One can choose from variety of breads such as khaboos, made out of flour with yeast to pita, a wheat bread.

Also one can choose from an array of salads and desserts. For seafood lovers, there’s rubean, a prawn dish and zubedi, a pomfret item. Also included in the platter is arak, a Lebanese wine.

“Lebanese cuisine is very rich, but it does not use a lot of spices. Olive oil is a major ingredient. The array of dishes also uses a lot of tomato paste, curd, meat and nuts,” said chef Haryani, who has worked in over 22 countries and is presently based in New Delhi.

“The city is acquiring a cosmopolitan status where foodies demand for foreign cuisines. This gave us the idea of having a series of international food fests beginning with this one,” said Surya Prasad Parida, the chief executive officer of the hotel.

Both the festivals began on July 10 and will continue till July 20. While the prices of biryani items range between Rs 300 and Rs 700 exclusive of taxes, the buffet at the Lebanese food festival is priced at Rs 1,200 inclusive of taxes.

Source: telegraphindia