White Pearl Restaurant - Hotel Kiranshree Portico

Tandoori Pomfret

Fine dining in Guwahati can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places. Case in point, can one imagine the busy lanes of Paltan Bazaar playing host to one of the finest eateries? Well, White Pearl, in the dazzling Hotel Kiranshree Portico lends that option. I visited the restaurant one afternoon upon being invited for lunch by the management. Turns out, their chef, Kamruddin Ali had quite a spread set out for me on that occasion, sort of a multicultural ensemble on a single table. So in came a Chinese starter with Golden Fried Babycorn followed by a twin continental main course with Chicken Stroganoff and Chicken Steak with Brown Sauce. Stroganoff is cooked traditionally with beef, but of course in India, the chicken variation with a slight modification to the recipe is quite popular. It is made with cubes of boneless chicken cooked in a deep pan with sautéed mushrooms and vegetables and wine and sour cream. It is served with rice or pasta.

 That was not all, with Indian vegetarian Bhawa Parval and then mutton in the form of Khara Masala Gosht following suite. The Gosht is traditionally made in the Dum Punkht style and is cooked on slow heat. The Indian and Continental fare coming one after the other was not enough, so they decided to go fusion and bring Tandoori Pomfret. This was my pick of the lot. Juicy, succulent and flavorful, I think putting it in the Tandoor dispelled the strong smell that pomfret usually has. For dessert, they served Éclair pudding.

Their menu offers a host of options including Lobster (on advance order), Fish Portuguese, Minestrone Casalinga, which is a thick soup usually made with vegetables like leeks and Zucchini, herbs and pasta. They also have something called the Portico’s Sea Food Salad and a Greek Farm House Salad.

The restaurant has a band playing live Ghazal music in the evening (after 7 pm). An average meal for two is priced at around INR 900 plus taxes. The hotel also has a café called Mezz9 and a lounge bar, Atmosphere, for those who like to go beyond food.

(Published in the Eclectic Times, May 2011)

Florentine

On one of those evenings when in the mood for a fancy dinner, we can turn to the fine dining options we have in the city, one of the newest restaurants being Florentine. It is located in Hotel Gateway Grandeur at Christian Basti. Florentine has got exquisite interiors with wood finish and the ambience is enticing.

I dined with the Executive Chef of the hotel, Mr. Mauktik Chakraborty, who whipped up a few delicacies especially for me. I tried to pick up a tip or two about good cooking as well! He prepared cheesy herb chicken which comprised of grilled chicken leg coated with mozzarella cheese sauce and gratinated, served with dry red chilli pilaf. The thick creamy texture, infused with herbs made it absolutely sumptuous. The Indian dishes came next, with the Afghani Tangri Kabab. It comprised of chicken leg stuffed with minced chicken and special spices cooked in a clay oven. It was excellent, so tender that it melts in the mouth and the distinct smoked flavour invigorates the senses. Another dish I had was Mutton Amritsari accompanied with freshly baked naan. Boneless mutton pieces were served with two masala gravies; one was onion based brown gravy and on the periphery of the platter was yellow gravy. The chef revealed the secret of the delicious yellow gravy, it was made with turmeric and magaj, and that is all I can unearth lest I give away too much of his secret.

This multi-cuisine restaurant offers Indian, Oriental and Continental delicacies, Florentine dishes being the specialty. Their menu even has Florentine recipes on the last page for cooking enthusiasts. Some of the continental fish dishes on offer are Beer Battered Fish with Saffron Garlic, Sautéed Prawns with Mushroom and Spinach and Chowder Sauce. Poultry on offer includes Chicken Chasseur, Chicken Florentine, Mustard Roasted Chicken, Chicken with Spaghetti and Pesto. In lamb they have Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Garlic and Cajun Lamb served with spicy black beans. Vegetarian dishes include Cottage Cheese Brochettes with Tomato Provencal sauce, Cheese and Basil Ball Mornay, American Corn and Spinach Parcels.

They have a range of Indian dishes starting with kababs like Seena Malai, Baghdadi and Shikhanpuri to main course delectables like Prawn Turushi, Fish Malabari, Murg Zafrani, Chettinad, Mutton Rogan Josh and Mutton Dhansak which is cooked in Daal and spices. Accompaniments include Nawabi Biryani and Yakhni Biryani along with an assortment of Naans and Rotis including Keema Naan. The Oriental exotic menu offers Teriyaki Chicken, Thai Green and Red Curries as well as Indonesian Lamb curry, Peking Lamb, Prawn Sui Mui, Lat Mai Kai and Kung Bah Paneer to name a few. A good meal for two may be approximately Rs 800 plus taxes. Florentine is surely worth a visit for its multi-cuisine extravaganza, plush decor, a snazzy mezzanine floor, courteous staff and culinary delights conjured by the chef. Truly, a fine place to dine.

(published in The Eclectic, July 2010)