Is piping hot food your idea of a good time? The long monsoon has had the advantage of making the monsoon food festival a ubiquitous term. And now The Gateway Hotel is the latest to offer some mouth-watering delicacies.
The festival is being held at the Bubble Café in the hotel and is very aptly called ‘Bubble in the rain’. The premises reflect the conditions outside, with clouds floating near the counters and the windows depicting raindrops in freefall.
Executive Chef Jaffar Ali explains the finer points of the arrangement at the hotel. 'We have tried to focus exclusively on live counters this time. We will be having eight to ten live counters that cater to different cuisines, and our patrons can watch the food prepared and have their favourites fresh and hot,' he says.
Naadan food
The food is in different categories, and you can choose to go to the counter of your choice, such as the Kerala food counter for those who love the naadan taste. The range then spreads in larger sets as another counter offers food from all over India, while two more cater to international and oriental cuisines.
'We have tried to ensure that everyone who visits us during this period finds something of interest. Even the ambience has been tweaked to reflect the theme of the festival,' explains Jaffar. There is no shortage of dishes to sample either, with all manner of preparations available, from pastas and seafood grills for those who prefer an international taste to local staples like appam with stew and kothu parathas.
And if your favourite thattu kada is hard to get to in the pouring rain, fear not, the Bubble Café has also set up one counter dedicated to popular thattukada food to bring together the best of both worlds. A selection of Western and Indian desserts are also on hand for those with a sweet tooth.
The festival is on for dinner from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. till August 11.