Hey everyone, hope you all are doing good!
Its been a while since I treated you guys with a food post, and specially one from Renaissance, since I missed out on the previous month's fests! But, now that I'm back with my routine, I feel its my duty to take you along on my journey of PASTAABILITIES, the new ongoing dinner buffet which is an amalgamation of 'possibilities of pasta dishes' at L-14, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel.
With my previous posts about the 14th floor restaurant at the hotel, I'm sure you don't need any further notes on how beautiful it looks and how warm the ambience is. Or if you've landed for the first time on my blog, let me just summarize the fact for you that L-14 is a fine-dine restaurant serving the best of breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, for foodies like me and has the most beautiful top view of the town! Now, lets get rolling to the session of pastaabilities..
Nothing says Italy like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. It is an integrant part of Italy's food history, like wherever Italians immigrated they brought their pasta along, so much so today it can be considered a staple of international cuisine. Popular legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century; however, we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.
Today pasta is everywhere and can be found in dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca) varieties depending on what the recipes call for and it is the perfect foundation for a healthy, delicious and satisfying meal. At L-14, Renaissance I was amazed to see the different variety and shapes of pasta laid in front of me at the buffet counter! Not that I don't know of them from before but most of them were quite pretty as they appeared and looked super fresh. Distinguished on shapes they are named — penne, maccaroni, spaghetti, fettucini, fusilli, pacheri, mushroom pecorino panzotti and many more varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.
I was invited to attend the dinner with my friend and photographer, Azman Khan and we made sure we did go since I missed being a part of the previous month's buffets so this was a must! Now, while interacting with Chef Balwinder Singh, the man behind the inventory pasta dishes at this fest, I was told that I could pick my favorite type of pasta with my choice of vegetables and oil to add into my dish, and tbh it was a pleasant surprise when he himself came to my rescue and got special dishes prepared for me and my dear friend since I was uber tossed between the widespread of pasta types!
WHAT WE TASTED
For starters, Chef Balwinder sent across a platter of Brushchetta - fresh garlic bread baked and topped with yummy vegetables and lots of cheese. And along with it, some vegetarian and non-vegetarian tomato soup with macaroni for our appetising taste buds, that tasted yum!
For the main course, we were served different pasta dishes. Named, Broccoli and Mascarpone Agnolotti (veg raviolli with broccoli and cheese filling, for me) and Prawn Aglio Olio (non-veg sphagetti with prawns and cheddar, for Azman). Each of the dishes tasted heavenly and the garnishing looked mesmerising as well! So much so that for an instance, I thought they served me some rose petals topped on my dish which were beetroot shaving in real :p
Brocolli and Mascarpone Agnolotti
Prawn Aglio Olio
While we were engrossed in eating as whatever served at our table, a few moments later we realised that it won't be fair if we didn't take a round of the buffet and I'm so glad we took the decision of leaving our comfortable chairs for a while because then we saw the display of innumerable other dishes at the counter waiting or us to grab 'em all. Well guys, below is the display for you to have a look at the entire dinner buffet presentation because the Pastaabilities food fest is still on and will run till 16th October, 2016. So, you can actually go and experience it yourself!
APPETISERS / SALADS
Crisp pita thins with cheese dips and hummus
Vegetarian Salads
Non Vegetarian Salads
MAIN COURSE (VEG)
Soba Noodles
Stir Fried Green Vegetables
Seekh Kebab Cottage Cheese and Kurkuri Tikki
MAIN COURSE (NON-VEG)
Pudina Kukked - Mint Flavored Char Grilled
Chilli Basil Fish
Mutton Rogan Josh (Curry Lamb Preparation)
Grill Fish in Dill Sauce
Char Pepper and Cheese Chicken Breast
Murgh Curry (Traditional Chicken Cooked with Onion & Tomato Sauces)
Black Bean Lamb
Gosht Biryani (Traditional Lamb Dilaf)
While casually strolling in between the desert counters with Chef Balwinder Singh, learning about the new recipes they've come up with, I met Chef Neeraj Jha who is as important a face behind the mouth watering pasta dishes at the fest. It was indeed a pleasure meeting him and getting clicked alongside felt like a privilege! *sigh*
Well, with my infinite LIVE Snapchat stories last week you already got a hint of the LIVE dessert making I witnessed during the buffet and tbh it was one of the most astonishing things I've ever seen in my entire life! Dressing the cold stone with colorful condiments and placing sweet lasange right on point and melting the cream cheese with a fire gun, it all looked so fascinating and toothsome by the chefs who were such fun and clapped at their own creation making the entire atmosphere joyous! I was sceptical that if I'd take a piece that big, would I be able to finish it but I did try a bite because I just couldn't resist and by all means I was delighted!!!
LIVE Dessert Making
L-R : Chef Abhishek, Chef Jitendra, Chef Neeraj, Chef Balwinder, Chef Binay, Chef Raj
OTHER DESSERTS
Pastries - Tiramisu, White Chocolate Raspberry
Tiramisu, Creme Caramel, Mahalabia
I took four rounds for Mahalabia and ate around 6 bowls. It's one of the best sugar free desserts I've ever tasted what makes me even more excited from now is, Chef Balwinder promised to make it for me from every time I'll visit them next. So, yayy!
This candy corner was a supreme surprise for sweet freaks like me.
PS : If you're a kid or no, if you're at Renaissance, it doesn't really matter!
To end, both Azman and I enjoyed ourselves a lot. From the warmest welcome of all times with our favorite mocktails, to sharing information about the origin and making of the different types of pasta dishes, to the dessert making sessions and everything in all was absolutely fabulous! If you're a foodie and love exploring elite places to eat, L-14 is your stop and Pastaabilities is your event at the moment! MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW.
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It had been a while since I wore my LBD and hence thought of throwing it up at the Italian food fest this time. Looks good? Find full outfit details below! :)
choker : Auhna Creations | earcuff, ring : Myntra.com
If you liked reading this post, do share it across! I will be sharing another food story from Renaissance Lucknow in this month again, so stay tuned for that. Until then, lots of love and warm hugs!
Photographed by : Azman Khan
~xoxo~
It's so exciting for us to know the pasta varieties.It looks so delicious and mouth watering.The desserts loos scrumptious.��
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