An Indian Spice Trail @ Melt Cafe, Mandarin Oriental

~Invited Session~
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Mention Melt Café and international cuisine comes to mind but this time, they have gone all indian.




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I was treated to a meal that brought me to India, quite literally.


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They have several live stations and the indian one is probably the busiest with the chef either making naans or ensuring his tandoor meats are not overcooked.




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Are you already drooling at this sight?




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Ahhh, this assortment of curries is extensive even for a buffet and those featured during the tasting would be available at this spread!


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From 8 to 17 June, Meltz Cafe invites you on an Indian Spice Trail as Indian Specialty Chef Santosh Kumar pays tribute to his roots, and presents a gastronomical journey to the streets of India.

We were presented a series of plated dishes, all of which and more will be showcased during the week long promotion later this month. 


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We were in for a treat when he demonstrated how he marinated the lamb before they are grilled.


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Raspberry lassi tastes exactly like strawberry yogurt, so uncannily.  I would suggest getting one of those to go with your meal.


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Or even these savoury lemon thirst quenchers!


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Ragda Patties came in such a gorgeous presentation, this colourful one is not to be missed. Made with dried peas, potatoes and a blend of mango and mint chutneys, it was a tantalizing start to my Indian meal.





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Next up was an assortment of tandoori meats.


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Lamb chops in a yogurt and herb glace, Chicken roulade stuffed with prawns and saffron mousse and
Portobello mushroom with cheese were amongst the tandoor dishes showcased. I personally love tandoor dishes very much, the fragrance especially is enough to whet the appetite.


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Yum in my tum tum.




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Succulent king prawns marinated in an aromatic mixture of garam masala and carom seeds, and cooked under the searing heat of a traditional tandoor oven.


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Spiced, succulent and so tasty.










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Meen Malabar, a pomfret fish grilled, and then drenched in a sweet-spicy curry, enriched with fresh coconut and mangoes. 


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These tandoor pomfets do deserve a mention as this is the first time I'm eating them.


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And there came a round of curries. I certainly wished these were spicier but the hotel does have to bear in mind the majority of the clientele's palette so I guess this suits the non spicy palette a lot better.


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Zaffrani Lamb Curry, a popular treat in Northern India was a hearty mix of herbs and tender lamb.


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I love my curries and the best way to have them is to pair them with naans.




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Naans are a must this meal and apart from the usual flavours like butter, garlic and cheese, ask the chef for lobster and cheese naan which is an absolute treat! 



Sweetened the feast with Ras Malai, which is an enticing blend of cheese dumplings steeped in sugar syrup and then boiled in milk. Kala Jamun, morsels of round golden donuts teeming with pistachio and cheese, are also bound to delight.
 
 

The dinner buffet is priced at SGD 78 per person (Sunday to Thursday) or SGD 88 per person, (Friday and Saturday) inclusive of free flow juices.  

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