There are somethings which don’t need introduction of any sort. Such is the repute of highly acclaimed Taj group of hotels. The magnanimity and the lavishness of it’s hotels is nonetheless obvious even for the most ignorant and nonchalant.

Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi is one of the pioneering gems of the group in the capital, where our chatty and vivacious group of Blogger’s Table met last week to experience the taste of Vietnamese cuisine at hotel’s Blue Ginger restaurant. I was quite intrigued by Vietnamese, as it was going to be my first tryst with it’s flavors. And it was a bonus for me, as we all were getting together after such a long time, almost 3 months.

Blue Ginger has a stunning visual appeal, which makes an ever lasting impression on it’s patrons through it’s French-Colonial aesthetics. It has a private dining room with seating of 12 which is adjacent to it’s main hall. The center of attraction was a large round dining table inlayed with the mother of pearls, beautifully lit up by the contemporary chandeliers above.

As we all gathered, Executive Chef Rajesh Wadhwa joined us for a brief introduction to Vietnamese cuisine, which is still not known to many in the Capital. He talked about the influence which Chinese, Indian, Thai and French food has brought over the traditional Vietnamese food and also about the challenges which restaurant had to face while designing a vegetarian menu suited to Indian palate, as they hardly have vegetarian food in the Vietnamese.

I opted for the Non-vegetarian menu which definitely had some of the common samplers from the vegetarian one. It started with Amuse Bouche, which basically was curried rice cakes with scallion oil and Shiraja, having an awesome hot zing.

From starters, there were Cuu bam xúc sàlách {Stir fried minced lamb with fried onions and scallions served with lettuce}, Goi Cuô´n Tôm Gà {Fresh summer rolls with shrimp & chicken}, Goi Xòai {Raw mango salad}. Reading these names down the menu, I almost felt like singing aloud these words in my mind. The mince was quite crisp and nicely done, seated on a bed of fresh and crunchy lettuce. Raw mango salad was something to die for. It was a power pack of flavors, reminded me of all those pucker y tangy delicacies which I used to enjoy as a kid.

The flavors of raw mango salad were still alive in my mouth, and then arrives the palette cleanser. Tamarind sorbet. WOW !!! Not just any sublime palette cleanser, rather a  teasing taste which will take your imagination to the next level. You wouldn’t have thought that in the farthest of your dreams. Simply Amazing. Sitting there and enjoying the last bit of it, I even started wishing if I could recreate something like that.

Main course had something in store for me. I hadn’t ever thought of a braised lamb shank being served in an Asian cuisine. And I guess the various cultures which have influence over the Vietnamese explain this pretty clearly. One bite of it, and it clearly revealed it’s own whole new identity which basically got from the Asian flavors, the lemon grass and chili oyster sauce. The meat was so tender and juicy that it was actually falling off the bone with a gentle touch of fork. Stunning !!!

Alongside, came stir fried lobster with garlic, salt and pepper. Simple yet quite refreshing flavors. I was digging into the food, when Sangeeta almost exclaimed about the lotus root vegetable thing. It was delicacy sereved with tamarind sauce, which actually reminded me of the famous Delhi’s street food, Aaloo ki tikki. Interesting flavors which I found quite relevant.

By the time the main course was over, I realized that I had over eaten. It was such an extravaganza of food, balanced by the flavors of sweet sour and regular food. And having no appetite left, petite serving of dessert was something, which I had been looking for. And then it comes with a loud cheer. Not one, but three showstoppers – Bánh Flan Dac Biêt {Ginger coconut caramel custard}, Socôla Boc Kem Voí Ruou Amaretto {Chocolate bombe with coffee mousse and amaretto chocolate sauce) and Kem Huong Sa {Lemongrass Ice cream}, each one was so perfectly done.

My spoon first dug into the chocolate bomb. The mousse was so light and airy that I almost felt like dreaming. Lemongrass ice cream was quite refreshing and flavorful. I enjoyed and finished it completely.  I didn’t like the custard though.

It was a heart warming afternoon spent with my lovely companions and the delicate, refreshing flavors of the Vietnamese cuisine made it special. A wonderful job done by the chef and his team.

Others on the table that afternoon

Sid @ Chef at Large
Rekha @ My Tasty Curry
Deeba @ Passionate About Baking
Parul @ Shirazine
Sangeeta Khanna @ Banaras ka Khana
Ruchira @ Cookaroo
Mukta @ Bake-a-mania