Monsoons usually are a time of sluggish eating. With appetites going for a toss, a menu specially made for monsoons is a perfect idea. But when this menu has been curated with Padmashree Dr Pushpesh Pant, it becomes even more interesting. The Monsoon Menu is running at Le Meridien’s avant garde restaurant Eau De Monsoon which serves as a perfect foil for this menu. The menu has been sourced from all the coastal regions on India as Dr Pant digs into his vast experience to bring together seasonal dishes.
We start off with their cappuccino. This time it’s Carrot and Fennel as Chef Anil suggests a few beauties from the menu. We start off with a plate of starters. There’s an egg kebab from the coasts of Malabar to start it all off, Mutta Chutney Kebab (INR 1175). An Indian devilled egg with a fluffy egg white exterior, similar to that of a Kabiraji. A delectable soft spice from the Malabar coast along with a hint of coconut makes for a delectable start. The Beingelas Fritas 
(INR 895) from Goa bring backs memories from the summers spent in Burdwan. The Brinjal fritters seem to be as famous in the western part of the country. But it’s the Chettinad Iraichi Poriyal (INR 1175) that will blow your mind away. Succulent soft pieces of mutton spiced up with the Chettinad flavours creates an explosion on the palate. A word about the three eccentric chutneys before we move along. There is a Sorak or spicy gravy from Goa, Date pickle from the Malabar coast and Toasted Cumin chutney from Bengal.
We clean off our palate with a watermelon sorbet which cuts across the dominant India flavours. The mains are a Picante De Jaca Verde (INR 1125) which consist of jackfruit which will hit you with the typical heat of Goan dishes. The Chemmen Manga Charu (INR 1895) will impress mango lovers thoroughly. The prawns are cooked up along with some mangoes to give it a tangy twist. We accompany all this with some breads from the kitchens of Eau De Monsoon and some Mushroom rice (INR 1395) from the Chettinad region. Do try out this rare menu and let us know in the comments below what impressed you the most.
Kindly note that the portion sizes are not indicative of prices as these are tasting samples.
