A 'nostalgic' step back in colonial times

A 'nostalgic' step back in colonial times 

Review: Nostalgia, 1911 Brasserie

When Emperor George V declared New Delhi as India's seat of power in 1911, The Imperial was a part of his blue print. Built in 1931 by an associate of Sir Edwin Lutyen's, Blomfield, the hotel a gorgeous melange of colonial, Victorian and art deco interiors, has over the years come to be associated with niche luxury stirring up nostalgia for the golden age of the British Empire. Located on the erstwhile Queensway, now Janpath, The Imperial till today remains quite an address for exclusive dining.

Sitting as I did in one of its historic dining rooms,Nostalgia 1911 Brasserie, amid life-size sepia photographs of musicians, politicians, royalty, basically every one that influenced the history of India and the world at large, was like stepping into a time warp, where even the ambience came alive with colonial-style lamps, chandeliers and a Steinway piano. A place for tea and card parties for the ladies of the British Raj, Nostalgia 1911 pays tribute to this historic milestone that led to the emergence of New Delhi as the Capital of India by offering traditional European fare with an apparent French bias together with a handpicked selection of wine.

Nostalgia 1911's 'brasserie', a lesser used word in our dining-out lingo, is a throwback to the Europe of 50s and 70s where classical Continental cuisine was served in a fine dine setup, and live music like the harp played in the background. And since no one plays the harp any longer, the music scene had to be revived with piano and Jazz performances. The cuisine, however, stayed true to its origin. About two years now to Nostalgia's new menu, the focus has shifted from authentic to strictly authentic in serving European cuisine with a twist of flavours.

Leading the mission is executive chef Willi Haueter, a Swiss-born American, who has given 44 years of his life to cooking by travelling the world, experimenting in different kitchens, learning new languages, and creation new recipes. But it took several months of extensive research for Chef to finalise the new menu, and he did so by introducing an acute French angle to it by way of interpreting the French love of wine in traditional recipes. Explains Chef, "French cuisine is the most evolving in the world, it evolves every five years. But at Nostalgia we attempt to bring back the old-world style of cooking and reinvent the age-old recipes to keep the tradition alive." We Delhi folks don't quite have a benchmark to judge French cuisine, for authentic French food is barely served anywhere. And French cuisine, to say the least, is an acquired palate, but nonetheless very interesting in their use of vegetables, marinades, garnishes, and of course the timeless style of slow cooking. For instance, France's classic export, the French Onion Soup is unlike any other; it has a thick crust of Paremsan and Swiss cheese beneath which the hot soup bubbles. The broth brewed with wine is an explosion of flavours, but the soup on its own is a complete meal.

Cold salads and seafood too are integral to French cooking, and you'll absolutely love the creamy chillness of Shrimp Louis, a cold shrimp salad with avocado and French cocktail sauce. Set to look like a slab of colourful fruit cake, the shrimp renders itself very well with the avocado. Chef chose for me a Coq Au Viu for main course which is essentially chunks of farm raised chicken in red wine sauce with baby onions, bacon and mushrooms served with Parisian potatoes dusted with thyme. An absolute delicacy, the chicken was dark brown on the outside and soft pink on the inside having beautifully soaked up the flavours of the wine. For main course you can also try out a few things from the flambe station such as the French duck breast or the lobster Thermidor, a signature specialty of the chef.

If you wish to keep the dessert simple yet flavourful, go for the ice-cream parfait Grand Marnier, flavoured with Grand Marnier and orange essence. The parfait is stylishly plated up with a dash of raspberry puree and cocoa powder in the shape of a fork. A flamed coffee too would be a perfect end to this sensory journey. Flamed at the station in front of you, it's an absolute art the way your coffee is fixed, right from coating the rim of the glass with caramelised sugar, to flaming the liqueur, to pouring the black coffee and whisking it with whipped cream before presenting it to you on a plate with a neatly folded napkin and a piece of dark chocolate in the center.

Combined with the legendary old-world hospitality, a meal here is enough to make you nostalgic.

Venue: The Imperial, Janpath, New Delhi
Timings: 6:30pm to 11:45pm
Meal for two: INR 8000 plus taxe
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