Xmas Feast at Novotel

Xmas Feast at Novotel is an interesting festival to attend! I came back as a super happy girl!

Xmas is a time for celebration, for cheer, for mulled and for good food. Now, I have really never lived abroad but have heard so many stories of Xmas cheer and happiness, seen pictures, watched many movies. From past few years, however, I can see the Xmas cheer and magic being rubbed in the city too. Some of us bloggers were invited for a preview of Xmas offerings of Novotel last week and I have to say, I came back a very happy girl.

The afternoon started on all the right notes, a big chocolate covered santa at the entrance, table top Xmas trees, silver shining reindeer and mulled wine. What’s not to love, tell me?

 

 

The first course for the day was the amazing amuse bouche of a goat cheese, balsamic glaze and an amazingly crisp and fresh beetroot chip. With this amazing dish, I think the tone of the evening was kind of set.

 

 

We moved on to the soup post this which was a hearty, thick Roasted pumpkin soup with truffle oil which was so perfectly balanced on spice and texture that it hit the right spots with everyone. It only helped that there were some amazing in house breads to go with it. My only crib may be in the Amul Butter, that was like a big blotch on the lovely soup and bread we were served. Amul butter packets, Novotel we love but please let the Amul Butter be.

 

 

In the salad course, the meat eaters were presented with Seared scallop, confit of pork belly, celeriac apple puree & fennel salad, the pork belly was outstanding. I could have eaten the whole thing many times over for that, the seared scallop IMHO could do with some more flavour, but of that pork belly shone through the dish.

 

 

For the vegetarians, the salad was green beans, poached pears, orange segments, blue cheese, pine nuts & honey mustard dressing. I personally loved the poached pears and as well as the dressing of the salad.

 

 

“Pineapple & black pepper sorbet” with tart pineapple  and a lovely hint of pepper was served as palate cleanser. While,some others including me, loved it and were scheming on how to get some more servings of the same, I also heard some people complain that they found it too sweet. I could still eat one more all by myself.

 

 

They also have some Xmas special cocktails and mocktails that sound very interesting. We tried Father Xmas (which was cucumber and vodka) and Essence of Xmas (which was orange and gin). I loved loved loved Essence of Xmas.

 

 

As we moved on the main course, the non vegetarian choices were oven roast turkey with stuffing, and Fillet mignon. The turkey was a huge portion, served with perfect mashed potato, ribbon vegetables, poached apple and a cranberry relish which was to die for. The portion was so huge that I think two could have easily shared it, which we ended up doing too since I had ordered a vegetarian main (yes you can gasp, I won’t bite 😉 )

 

 

Natasha ordered the Fillet mignon, it came with artichoke puree, fondant potato & madras curry sauce, whatever bites I took of the dish I really enjoyed the pairing of the sauce with beef. Natasha did feel that the meat was a little more done than the medium rare, she had asked for and I tend to agree.

 

 

For the vegetarian mains, yes I had ordered one and no you are not allowed to laugh twice. So the vegetarian main was Mille feuille, though it was decent. The top layer of potato was over done according to me, the sauce was outstanding though.

 

 

And then we moved on to the best course of a Xmas meal, yes I know you are thinking any meal but we are talking Xmas here so don’t you digress, and what came on the platter was so good looking and so was the platter. A slice of Christmas cake, warmed stollen, drowned in butter and with a marzipan middle, mince pie which unfortunately didn’t have the meat but the was good, a heady plum pudding  with bourbon sauce and a scoop of oh so good vanilla bean gelato and hold your breath this was followed by tea/coffee that came with their own platter of cookies and chocolates! Yes there were ginger cookies and chocolate rocks.

 

 

Special Christmas 4 Course menu.

To be served  for Lunch & Dinner on 25th Dec at the Square, Novotel.

Price: Rs 999 + taxes.

(includes one glass of Mulled Wine)

and before I end the post I have to share this picture, we so rarely take group pictures that this might be a treasured one 🙂