The Souk – Marvels of the Mediterranean
Normally I try to avoid late night dinners in specialty restaurants. There are untold reasons for that. But this time, I was so much impressed by the promises of the Souk Chef Palash and Shantanu who gave us a memorable meal without notice the previous night that they would arrange a perfume banquet for us, that we went to Souk on 28th July 2014 for a sneak preview of their perfume menu. Let me tell you my top three feelings as I entered the Souk that night — zeal, anticipation and pleasure. And let me also give you a sneak preview at the outset that my anticipation and expectation were more than met.
Let me start with the decor. Conceived by a Malaysian interior designer, the restaurant looks marvelous. It is chic, elegant, understated and very ‘today’. From the door to the walls to the chairs and what they call a deck… each part of Souk spells elegance, class and contemporary. I like the way they have played up natural elements, the way it is done. It’s plush without even once coming across as flashy. When you enter, you get the feeling that you have entered a place that is extraordinary. The experience is made more special because of the warm smile you are greeted with. That Calcuttans have been jet-setting more in recent times than ever before is old hat. But now the mountain too has begun to come to Mohammed. Super markets across the city have begun to stock the choicest of imported gourmet food and ingredients. So sayonara, substitutes. People not only know what they are eating and what goes into it, they actually see all these ingredients stocked up in a rack next to their organic honey and whole wheat breads.
Souk has three areas — a general area, a special chef’s studio for eight (it has no fixed menu, you can determine it a day before and can also see the master chef at work) and Casablanca at the mezzanine level (it has seating for 10-12 people and offers four-five courses). It’s nice that Souk is targeting niche sections because in Calcutta there aren’t many restaurants that do so.
You remember when you were on that exotic Moroccan vacation and placed an order in that fancy restaurant with an ‘Erm… I’d like that item number 6 on the menu, please’? And then prayed to the god of good times that the impossible-to-pronounce ‘authentic’ dish you ordered would at least be edible? Of course it makes you laugh now — because these days you can say b’stilla au lait faster than this creamy Moroccan dessert melts in your mouth. Read on and you will believe what I got to say. Before that on to the food. The first item was a soup or appetizer as you take it. They called it Amuse Bouche. A sweet flavored creamy little thing. A stylish and very tasty appetizer... it doesn't get better than this! Its success lies in its top quality ingredients – ask for the names and Palash will flash a grin. You leave your email id and I will mail it, but he will never do. All trade secrets. So I had to write this up without any input except the lingering taste buds. So the Amuse Bouche had a Greek yoghurt flavor with the scent of a rose. A perfect appetizer. It tasted heavenly and the craving for a second serving was so much to resist. A soup that can be made with minimum fuss yet delivers big flavor since it had some labneh. From the moment it touched my mouth, my taste-buds started singing. The saltiness of the Feta combined with the sweetness of the fruits transported us to Middle-Eastern heaven for a while.
For the Hors d'oeuvre, we were served with Scallop Meshvi Seared Sea Scallops with Citrus (?) Tabbouleh. “This recipe is perfect for this time of year,” says Palash the Chef. “It’s nice and light and citrusy.” It had the flavor of a little extra virgin olive oil. A skewer fashioned out of lemongrass or a sugar cane kept the scallops together – all probably, since the chef wouldn’t explain. For the tabbouleh, Palash had added a bit of crumbled feta cheese on top “for a little color and pizzaz.” The effect was spectacular. The second serving was out of question. You have to believe they had taken hours to concoct it and though I was going to hate myself the following morning, I could not help gobbling it up in one scoop.
And now, sink your teeth into some succulence. For the starters we had the Turkish Samak Maquali – a Lebanese fish preparation. I had heard that Lebanese and Middle Eastern food is wholesome and good for health. Made with lots of fresh vegetables and whole grains, you can taste the earth's goodness in every bite. As the Lebanese people immigrated over the centuries, they brought these tasty recipes to east and west, to Europe, Latin America, the United States, and to various parts of the world. And now to India through the Souk, which solidified in the hands of Palash. I will never know whether the item was a fish or a meat. The only thing I could tell is that it definitely had the Mediterranean flavor. Pan-fried and served piping hot with mayonnaise, taratour bi taheeni or whatever it was. The effect was delightful and idyllic. As if transported to a tranquil Lebanese household served with love by the housewife.
It was followed by some Juicy butterflied prawns sizzled with Mediterranean flavours - perfect for a tapas spread, Sprinkled with lemon zest and parsley and served as a Hors d'oeuvre though it goes as main course also with pita or bread. I washed it down with some expensive French Wine. It was a delicacy to die for. All the ingredients that come from Egypt) are flown in — they are not compromising on anything. The quality of the food was really good and authentic and it was the same as eating in a Mediterranean eatery.
Then we went on to desserts, though the mind warned enough. First we had a dessert sampler. The Baklava was good but the best was the rose petal ice cream served French-style on a sugar sponge that looked like a bird’s nest on which nested a dollop of ice cream. We finished the meal with Moroccan mint tea that had a strong aroma and flavor followed by a platter of dates. They served us what they called Chilly Oil Sandalwood smoked chicken, Tandoori chunks of chicken breast in a marinade of spices and sandalwood, whose real flavor was just incredible. For authenticity Palash produced a puch of sandalwood powder whose flavor was exhilarating. For a second I doubted how they could blend the Sandalwood the non-edible with that delicacy. The proof as they say was in the eating. No question about its authenticity. The sandalwood chicken had the toppings of Israeli Cucumber ricotta, an authentic Israeli salad and the effect was amazing.
Sips and nibbles done, let’s get down to the big bite. The main course was a forbidden dish – Chilean sea bass? (Which is actually not a sea bass, nor necessarily from Chile!) It’s a name to make you think a toothfish is something yummy. And boy, did we eat that up. The mind clamored and rose so high that it started to look like Pirates of the Caribbean out there. I have read the environmentalists crying foul over the endangered species. That was for later. Over there in the Souk Ignoring the controversy, I am a big fan of Chilean sea bass. I was amazed at how such an ugly fish can taste so good. Rich with the typical Sicilian blend of pine nuts and raisins, it is flavorful with onions and garlic and gutsy with ripe tomatoes. This braised sea bass in fennel broth is one of the best recipes I have ever tasted. The sea bass combined with the incredible spices, topped with loomi oil worked out better than I had hoped. And my wife loved it.
For the desert, Plash served us B'stilla au lait - Sheer poetry of flavors. You feel like doing a li'l jig once your eyes fall on this beauty. ! To wind up we also had Orange Blossom pistachioed Icecream with a savoury crunch to this ambrosial honey-and orange-scented ice cream. Really a splash of orange liqueur that softened the texture to create a creamy consistency for easy scooping from the plate.
My thoughts after the meal were dominated by the fact that I want to repeat the food. I would like to eat here again and again. We had a good time and re-examined the menu, I can say that I have many reasons to go back — including repeating what I have already tried. For my wife, the décor, the ambience, the wine – which she religiously avoided – the heavenly taste that lingered in our mouth and mind – all reminded of an untimely late honeymoon. Souk is the Soul of the Taj Bengal. Though it would be a pain later on while punching the credit card. But all good things come with a heavy price. Especially the sins of Mediterranean Marvels.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes