Briefly about Goût de France:
Organized as an initiative of Chef Alain Ducasse and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Goût de France highlights the art of French living and its local produce, celebrating and showcasing French food worldwide. In Kolkata, several five star properties joined in this season, and I was invited to Westview Bar and Grill on 21st February, 2017 for sampling the fare, thanks to a special invitation from the French Consulate in Kolkata.
Westview Bar and Grill has been one of my favorite places to go to, and they make a mean steak. We started off with the amuse bouche, where I smeared the thin, crunchy wafer with some creamy asparagus mousse to begin.
The Salmon Cruffin was a clever take in serving salmon with cream cheese – encased in a round croissant (the cruffin!), and filled with smoked salmon and dollops of cream. A touch of dehydrated creme fraiche and a touch of parley oil finished the dish, and it was a fun dish to play with.
Anjou Bread. Pan fried Goat Cheese. Sun-dried Mushrooms.To be honest, I was expecting more from the pan-fried goat cheese, which was quite satisfyingly squeaky, and perfect for pairing with the yeasty bread. When the saltiness got too much, I went to the sun-dried mushrooms which added a touch of much-needed umami to give some relief to my palate.
I was looking forward to the lamb chops, and that didn’t disappoint. The meat was cooked sous vide, and then finished in the oven. The orange reduction was quite sweet, and I am not sure whether I liked the pairing, but I forgave that minor twang in favour of the potato, which was perfectly cooked, and had, rather nicely, absorbed a good deal of fat.
Dessert was Floating Islands, one of my favourite egg-white desserts. I loved the custard it came with – not too thick or rich, and with a touch of vanilla to complement the fluffy egg-white “islands”.
I have to specially mention the little fuchsia-pink flowers. I don’t know the name of this flower, but I remember, as a child, I used to find these in a friend’s house, and her mother had shown me one day how to suck on the stem to get a sudden touch of sweetness on my tongue. The flower decoration brought back memories of the same, and I ended the meal on a sweet moment of nostalgia.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee dined at Westview Bar and Grill at the invitation of the French Consulate in Kolkata.
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2 Responses
Hi Poorna,
If it is the flower on your floating islands that you are talking about, then it is Rangan.
Thank you for naming it! I always wondered what it was called. 🙂