A taste of India

Sunday lunch is always a big affair for our family. It is one big celebration, with or without any special occasion to observe. Last Sunday, we were unusually early for our Sunday feast because we were looking forward to something novel, ergo, something special. The kids are not very familiar with Indian cuisine, though Babes and I have had occasion to enjoy this extraordinary cuisine.

Perhaps you have also noticed that there is an enhanced appreciation of the Indian culture these days. On cable, Indian entertainers have grown in number, and they have quite a few shows that are wholly Indian in modern day settings. The impact of this rich culture can be felt not only in television but in fashion and international cuisine as well. Would you believe that there are over 5,000 Indian restaurants in the United Kingdom alone? I do not have the figures for the United States, but I can venture an educated guess that there would be more than that.

Our destination: the premiere Indian restaurant in the country today, PRINCE OF JAIPUR at the Fort. I figured, if I was going to introduce the kids to Indian cuisine, we might as well do it the grand way.

The interiors of the restaurant are nothing short of grand. Authentic art décor can be found everywhere. It was a visual feast, and we gawked at elegant tapestries, an ancient authentic wedding gown that was well-preserved and hanging in a corner of the main dining floor, and portraits of real princes and princess. Waiting for your food order to come is no down time – it was a time to be regaled with India’s rich history plastered on the walls and ceiling of the restaurant. (Note: Prince of Jaipur has something like 5,000 square feet, most of the wall space devoted to Indian art, history and culture. It seats 200-300 people.) Rich hand-painted shawls and scarves, a grand chandelier, gold adornments and fine furniture from North India were there for the ogling.

Time enough for culture appreciation. It was 1:30 and we were famished. The waiter served us a light appetizer of Papadam, very thin crackers which we dipped in mango chutney, curry or the devilish pickled peppers which were for the very adventurous (H-O-T!) We started off with one of the house specialties - assorted Kebabs. It had Tandoori Chicken which is famous the world over, skewer of bite-sized lamb that was so tender, another skewer of big chunks of lapu-lapu that has been marinated and I guess, baked because it was not greasy and it melted in the mouth, and another skewer of chicken chunks. There was also a hearty chicken breast and prawn dish in a creamy sauce served at the foot of these varied skewers.

Although everything was good, it was a toss-up between the Tandoori chicken and lamb chunks for the kids and us. By the way, did you know that tandoori chicken is roasted in special ovens (brick or stone?) which they brought all the way from India? The secret is in the "marination" and the slow oven cooking.

Next came a big platter of the Raan Masala which is roasted leg of lamb that has been marinated for about six to eight hours, and then cooked ever so slowly, then roasted with red wine. The result is fabulously tender meat in a savory sauce. They served naan and roti bread with this (to mop up the sauce with?), although we needed a platter of rice for this big order.

Then we had the famous buttered chicken which is not your usual oily fried chicken. The bite-size chicken breast was smothered in a rich reddish sauce, and it was another fabulous discovery. The fish dish of lapu lapu came next and it was light and wonderful as well. We also had a bowl of curried veggies with prawns and we had to ask for extra roti (the best we have tasted so far – not oily, fluffy and warm) to dip in its green sauce.

The executive chef solicitously came out of is enclave to introduce some of his creations to us. Chef Murlidhar Khulbay, who has had 35 years of experience in some of the best hotels in New Delhi and other parts of India holds court here at the Prince of Jaipur and he has certainly elevated Indian cuisine in the Philippines.

We were fortunate to have the pleasure of the company of Max Talreja, owner and general manager of Prince of Jaipur who was there that Sunday. Max warmly welcomed us to his restaurant and regaled us with fabulous stories about India’s royalty, of authentic princesses who shopped extravagantly in the most cosmopolitan capitals of the world for thousands of sheets, chandeliers and rich fabric. A princess, we were told, imported a full boatload of champagne to fill her vast pool so she could swim in it! Talk about style!

Max has been in Manila since 1992. He used to call Hong Kong home for many years (about 20 years, I think) where he had a successful men’s clothing line. Hong Kong’s loss is certainly Manila’s gain as Max decided to go into fine dining Indian cuisine here. Thus was Prince of Jaipur, born.

A package of entertaining and informative viewing

Popular sports columnist of the Phil. Star and TV host Bill Velasco will be our featured guest on Profiles, one of the most eagerly awaited segments of Business & Leisure, which now airs on the Shop TV Network (Channel 13 on Sky and Channel 9 on Destiny), Tuesday evenings at 10 oíclock. The weekly business and lifestyle TV magazine shall also have the chairman of Cats Motors, Mr. Greg Yu to provide some insights into the operations of one of the most prestigious automobile distributors in the country and also on the opening of its latest sales and service facility in Makati for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge auto brands. This week we’ll also have the maiden appearance of Ms. Tonette Quiogue as co-host. Other features would include the executive chef of Mandarin Oriental Manila, Mr. Thomas Wenger on the segment Kitchen Kings and for a recommended destination, we’ll spotlight Balsa Sa Niugan located in Malabon which offers a unique dining experience. It’s a show not worth missing.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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