Chef Sanjeev and his delectable creation
The cooking demonstration and food served was befittingly fusion in character, in this specifically, a fusion of Singaporean and Indian culinary traditions. In conjunction with the spicy theme of the Festival, the Grand Park Orchard hotel presented the launch of the 'Singapore – India Culinary Inspirations', showcasing the collaborative efforts of Executive Chef Sanjeev Chopra from India's Gateway Hotel Ganges Varanasi and Grand Park Orchard's Executive Chef Chua Yew Hock, who helms the kitchen at the trendy Open House.
The restaurant lends itself most suitably to the cooking demonstration as it has four cooking stations, so when all the warm welcome and introduction were gotten out of the way, all of us, members of the press plus the paparazzi, flocked eagerly to the designated cooking stations to take a closer look at Chef Sanjeev in action.
An array of colourful ingredients greeted us, as Chef Sanjeev proceeded to prepare one of the highlights of the afternoon – “Black Pepper Fried Flat Noodles”. It was indeed a feast for the senses as the aroma of the spices assailed our noses and the delightful sizzle of the oil in the frying pan caused rumblings in our stomachs!
Once the dish is done, we rushed forward to snap pictures. We waited eagerly as the restaurant staff brought out the other highlight of the event – the “Chicken Satay”. Again, there was a round of flashes as more pictures were snapped before we all took our places for the food tasting.
Chicken Satay
I tasted the noodles first, and the interesting blend of sweet, sour and spicy flavours lends an unexpected lightness to a satisfying main course. The spiciness from the black pepper only kicked in later, but it was a pleasant sensation and not overwhelming.
However, for me personally, the chicken satay absolutely overshadowed the noodles. The chicken pieces was delightfully tender and well-marinated, but it was the sauce that shone. The sauce is different from the usual spicy peanut concoction – this sauce is creamy and curry-infused, making the chicken even more melt-in-your-mouth.
Both dishes, the Black Pepper Fried Flat Noodles and the Chicken Satay will be available for a limited period only, from 22 July to 22 August, exclusively at Open House Restaurant, as part of its all day a la carte all-you-can-eat menu, priced at $30++ per person.
Chef Chua, who represents the Singapore end of this culinary fusion, then proceeded to bring forth some of the new dishes that resulted from this collaboration – namely, Seafood Claypot Burnt Briyani and Kredai Prawn in Coriander and Tomato.
Kredai Prawn in Coriander Tomato
The event ended with more sampling from the menu of Open House, helmed by Chef Chua. We sampled the laksa, which was fantastically spicy and 'lemak', the to-die-for Teriyaki Chicken with Bonito Flakes and Seaweed Pizza (thin-crusted and baked in a wood-fired oven of course!) and last but not least, freshly-made juicy bundles of dim sum.
It was indeed a seriously spiced up afternoon and my partner and I are definitely making plans to go back to Open House to have more of the Chicken Satay and the Pizza!
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