Bonjour people! Hope y'all have been enjoying the bright sunny days all this while. But I'm quite afraid about the gloomy days which are going to be back soon as weather reports suggest! Well, I'm all set for that too, with all my winter essentials and mainly some hot, sizzling food to keep myself warm enough from inside. And, today's post is just about one of my favorite hot meals - the sizzlers.
I recently attended the on-going Sizzler Festival at KAVA restaurant situated at Fairfield, by Marriott which opened recently in Lucknow to serve the Nawabs of town some exclusive delicacies from the Chinese, North Indian and Continental cuisines to soothe their hearts.
Talking of the restaurant, I've been there quite a number of times and I personally love the interiors, decorated in bright orange and yellow walls with some black geometric lines on it. It feels so energetic and full of life with the LIVE kitchen and the buffet counter being operated, that I love visiting and re-visiting the restaurant often. The ambience feels strong and positive with a courteous set of staff to welcome you warmly inside the tall building of Fairfield, a brand new stylish hotel by Marriott, standing opposite IGP in Vibhuti Khand area to provide everything you require for a distinctive experience!
STARTERS
While on my recent visit to the KAVA restaurant, Mr. Vishal, the manager and Chef Prashant welcomed me and my friend Azman with some crispy Dahi Batashas decorated fancily with all the yummy filling and sev to top. Now, batashas are something I absolutely enjoy consuming without fail and these were some super ones! Apart from that we were also served Aloo Bharwan Tikki (made of mashed potatoes and cashews, roasted beautifully in golden) and Dahi Kebabs (made of hung curd blended with toothsome spices), both being the succulent and delightful! The dahi kebabs won that round though because it looked pretty luscious and irresistibly impressible.
Dahi Batasha
Aloo Bharwan Tikki
Dahi Kebabs
MAIN COURSE
Since I was at Kava to attend the sizzler festival, Chef Prashant very sweetly came to me to discuss my preferences from their lavish sizzler menu. A bunch of things caught my eye and it was very difficult to choose a single sizzler platter all for myself, but he helped me with the choices and I finally decided upon the Paneer Shashlik in Sweet n Sour Sauce with Spicy French Fries and Vegetable Noodles.
The origin of the sizzler probably goes back the teppanyaki-sizzled dishes of Japan where the steaks are generally prepared using high-heat to sear the outside and leaving the inside moist. Once plated, the steak lets off a dramatic hiss of steam, which is its great appeal. Well, while I was researching about the origin of sizzlers, the Indian history of the same, however, seemed to have begun in Bombay in 1963, when Firoz Irani started a restaurant named 'The Sizzler' near Excelsior Cinema, to showcase this novelty, and as he put it, "the secret of the perfect sizzler, apparently depends on the precise temperature of the metal platter."
Apparently, everything said about the sizzler now made sense and just for all those who still don't know what it looks like, a vegetarian sizzler is an open-roasted, grilled or shallow fried pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) with vegetable patty, served with french fries, noodles, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, french beans etc., served on a metal or stone hot plate, kept on a wooden base. And, the word "sizzler" comes from the sizzle that one hears when, after heating the dish under a grill, the sauce based gravy is poured on, which dribbles on the hot plate and heats up, keeping with the modern preferences of people.
Having said that, my sizzler platter looked nothing less than a beautiful decoration in itself, with the sizzling paneer dipped in sweet and sour sauce, clubbed with french fries and noodles and some boiled veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms) to balance the entire meal. Hot, fresh and divine! These three words describe my entire experience of a sizzler at Kava.
Having said that, my sizzler platter looked nothing less than a beautiful decoration in itself, with the sizzling paneer dipped in sweet and sour sauce, clubbed with french fries and noodles and some boiled veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms) to balance the entire meal. Hot, fresh and divine! These three words describe my entire experience of a sizzler at Kava.
DESSERTS
Marriott food is amazing and that's just no secret, but their desserts are beyond heavenly and I can totally vouch for it. The wonderful sweet dishes at the buffet counter laid at the KAVA restaurant looked so mouthwatering and amazingly appetising! Though Azman and I just tried the Phirni, Rasgullas, Banana Cake and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and needless to say there were soft, juicy and very scrumptious!
An Array of Desserts
Banana Cake, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Rasgullas
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Over All Rating :
Food - 4.5/5
(beautiful presentation, palatable, super yummy in taste)
Service - 5/5
(quick services & courteous staff)
Ambience - 5/5
(vibrant, positive feels and so appealing)
I hope this post made you drool like never before. The sizzlers at the KAVA restaurant are a must try and if you're in Lucknow till 29th January, 2016 then you just have to attend this on-going food festival and do let me know about your experience! PS : You can make your bookings for the same at Kava by clicking HERE.
Photographed by : Azman Khan
~xoxo~