Bar Review: Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon- Striking a confident Pose

Pose- The fashion bar at Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon, is strategically located in Sector 50, near prime corporate and residential quarters. The bar is a preferred watering hole of many in this area on two accounts- firstly due to no equivalent option available within a 5 km radius and secondly, a certain versatility in the place that affords it to adapt to different customer profiles- from meditational sippers to exuberant denizens.

Décor and Ambience

The bar, which is an extension of the hotel’s world  cuisine restaurant “Glasshouse” is designed on a modern theme and can seat upto  40 guests. In line with its fashion theme, it is done up in silver, gold and purple combined with fusion design elements. The seating is comfortable and well arranged to give a feeling of space notwithstanding the medium sized floor area. The floor to ceiling glass walls enable a beautiful view of the lush green lawns and a contemporary alfresco area on the other side, where popular events are often conducted (DJ Aqeel was there the preceding week of my visit). The overall luminescence is good, central to which is a mesmerizing array of hanging lumières  right above the bar counter.

Beverages Menu

Settling down at the bar, I was served a rack of iced tea sampler  with an option to order larger measures. I sampled the chamomile, apple-basil and rose flavours that turned out refreshing and rejuvenating. Non alcoholic drinkers would find it an attractive low cal option. The overall beverages menu of the bar is quite uncomplicated and functional with a good selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages including freshly brewed coffee. The Single Malt and Wine range though, is conservative- which according to Vivek Sharma, the General Manager at the hotel, is in the process of being enhanced. However, what interested me the most was that unlike the common practice, the bar highlights its innovative cocktails more than the world classics- that are mentioned succinctly as “Stone Age Mix”. Sensing their pride in their mixology skills, I considered it worthwhile to sample some of the ingenious cocktails on offer:

 

Juvenile Flash: Vodka, Orange Juice and Red Bull

Verdict: Vibrant as its name, this bright orange drink is actually a twist to the classic Screwdriver- one of the simplest yet charming classics. The Red Bull effect gave it an extra peppiness and a refined balance. The ease of preparation also makes it an ideal party punch.

Virile Fizzle: Blended Whisky, Blackberry Syrup, Lemon Juice and Sprite

Verdict: Potent name apart, the drink has an innate fruitiness quotient and despite two sweet ingredients, a good balance However, may not work  for those who dislike more than a dash of sugar in their drink.

Hop Up: Draught Beer, Vodka, grape juice, fresh mint leaves and lemon juice

Verdict: In the times when many bars in the city find draught beer unsustainable due to supply side problems, this drink not only uses the same but also harnesses its freshness quotient- further adding complexity and aromatics to it. I am sure that even brew haters would love this one.

Wines

The wine list at Pose is not humungous but incorporates a decent repertoire from major wine regions of the world . Certain fast moving wines are also available by the glass and work as good incentive for light drinkers and experimentative souls. I ordered the Beringer Stone Cellars Merlot, USA (available by the glass at Rs 575 for 150 ml) and  Bird in Hand, Two in the Bush Semillon-Sauvignon, Australia available for Rs. 4550 per bottle. The condition  of wines was good, and the service- impeccable.

Food

A brief chat with Executive Chef Vikas Pant gave me an insight on  his philosophy of balancing the five basic senses of taste- sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savoury, with central focus being on the range of drinks in the bar. Sure enough, the food menu had an assortment of light and strong flavours - both vegetarian and non vegetarian, prepared using different modes of cooking viz. pan frying, steaming  and baking. The serving measures were good and value for money. I sampled the Chilli Lamb Spring Rolls, Spicy Garlic Prawns, Bhatti ka Murgh Tikka, Lamb Seekh Kabab, Batter Fried Fish with Chilli Mayo and Breaded Mushrooms with Chilli Garlic Mayo.  The food was well prepared with a signature touch to most of the dishes.

Batter Fried Fish with Chilli Mayo

Chilli Lamb Spring Roll

Crispy Breaded Mushroom

Spicy Garlic Prawns

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

Extras

The co location of the bar with the dining area offers convenience to those who may like to conclude  the experience with a complete meal. The restaurant has a Rs 1149/ 1499 (plus taxes) daily buffet lunch/ dinner comprising of Indian, Italian, Continental and Pan Asian Cuisines to facilitate this. But of course there is also the à la carte option for those who would like it petite.

The Buffet Spread

Upside

This article was featured in Jul 14 issue of Spiritz-
India's most read Alcobev Magazine

• ·         Relaxed ambience.
• ·         Zealous staff.
• ·         Innovative drinks and food.
• ·         Value for money.

Downside

• ·         A frugal Single Malts menu.

Average price for two: Rs. 4000.00

Hilton Garden Inn, Gurgaon Baani Square

Sector 50,Gurgaon – 122002,Haryana, India

T +91-124-442-0000

F +91-124-442-0010

Email: gurgaonbaanisquare.hgi.com

Un Chevalier et l'Honneur de voir une Cérémonie (A Knight and the Honour of witnessing a Ceremony)

Chevalier de l'Ordre
National du Merite

It was literally a "Guns to Gewürztraminer" moment for me as I stood in rapt attention during the investiture ceremony of Mr Rajiv Singhal, Ambassador of Champagne in India,  at the French Ambassador’s residence in New Delhi. Having witnessed numerous investiture ceremonies during my career with the Armed Forces (of handling Guns of course) - here was one ceremony that was similar in soul but  with a distinctly different execution.

To speak about the occasion first. Rajiv Singhal is no alien name to the World Wine Web ( my  interpretation of WWW as  the global wine community), when any mention of India is made in the vinous context. A graduate in economics from the prestigious Yale University, Rajiv chose to go the entrepreneurial way two decades back, after politely declining hot shot financial assignments. But apart from his urge to be professionally independent, there was a lurking wine passionate in him that blossomed soon after, making him silently promote the cause of wine- particularly French wines- with the sole aim of educating and delighting the Indians on this potion of Gods. 20 years later, as we stand witness  to the Sommelier phenomenon, Wine Flights  and ever increasing availability of Fine Wines in India,  Rajiv’s services towards promoting the cause of  French wines has been deservedly acknolwledged by the award of France’s second highest civilian honor viz. Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) by the President of France . The award is made in exceptional cases to foreign citizens and it was indeed a  privilege for me to witness it's bestowal on a mentor and a friend.

Coming to the ceremony- as compared to investiture ceremonies in the Armed Forces where protocol, ceremonial accoutrements, fanfare and Standard Operating Procedures are de rigueur, here we had only subtle formalities in the form of a dress code (business formals) and  having to carry the invite for security reasons. Thereafter it was the unsaid decorum that came naturally to the select group of guests befitting the occasion to the tee.  There was no earmarked seating here- in fact no chairs at all- that made it convenient for the guests to mingle around some wine. To summarise, while the investiture ceremonies in the Armed Forces could be called Strictly Formal, here it was ‘Casually Formal’ but the essence remained the same- of pride, elegance and celebration.




H.E. François Richier, Ambassador of France in India, delivering his speech

The glorious moment of bestowal

Celebration Time!

As the coveted medal was brought pinned on a red silken cushion, the Ambassador of France in India

Champagne ready to be uncorked

H.E. François Richier rendered a short and humorous speech putting the guests further at ease followed by reading of the citation and  pinning of the medal on Rajiv’s jacket lapel. This was followed by a short speech by Chevalier Rajiv taking the guests down the memory lane when he embarked on his dream of making wine approachable to Indian enthusiasts and at the same time making the Indian market more accessible to passionate wine producers .  A magnum each of Champagne was opened by the Ambassador and Rajiv and thereafter it was congratulations galore with free flowing wine and exotic finger food.


The Gewürztraminer part of my Guns to Gewürztraminer journey had just witnessed a familiar pasture with a different  chemin.

With the Chevalier

Bar Review: Copper Bar, Crowne Plaza Today, Okhla, New Delhi

Every bar has a soul- and that soul evolves around the primary clientele that the bar wishes to entertain. To connect with the soul of Copper bar at Hotel Crowne Plaza Today Okhla, I recently dropped in there. Located in the buzzing commercial locality of the Indian capital, Hotel Crowne Plaza Today was established in June 2010. It is a convenient destination for business people to stay and  meet,  and courtesy the Copper Bar, to clink glasses while negotiating those win-win deals!

Though the bar mostly caters to business visitors, others are welcome too. To emphasize this aspect, it has an adjoining alfresco area replete with an exclusive neon lit bar counter, stools, a giant screen with projection system and an informal seating arrangement. With the IPL season approaching, the ongoing muster at the place was quite palpable.

The main bar is conveniently situated near the lobby and hard to miss. The bar proudly displays its “Meet and Eat” USP wherein one could order bar food as also requisition common office facilities such as photocopying, fax, scanning, CD copying etc at the flick of la carte. 

Good Privacy in Seating Clusters

The overall ambience is warm and welcoming with abundant use of wood and copper highlights.  Thanks to a massive floor area and various configurations of seating arrangements, finding a place of preference is not a problem. The inter se distances between seating clusters ensure a good level of privacy without having to miss the bonhomie around. The bar island is surrounded with temperature controlled wine ‘caves’ (French for cellar and pronounced kaav) that also act as show-windows. A separate kitchen island complements the bar to animate the ambience.

Beverages Menu

The liquid glitterati had a predominance of Single Malts and other straight drinks. As I strained to locate the cocktails within the menu, Rohit Sharma, the beverages manager of the hotel explained- “our primary clientele is business people who largely prefer straight-up drinks, hence we have excluded cocktails from the menu – but these could definitely be ordered by the clients”. Not fully convinced, I decided to order an “Old Fashioned” to find the proof in the pudding. The litmus test turned out to be affirmative, encouraging me to venture further.

 "Old Fashioned" getting the finishing touches

Cocktails Ordered

Old Fashioned: Bourbon whiskey, Angostura bitters and sugar with lots of ice and garnished with an orange peel.

Verdict: Outstandingly prepared to text book perfection. I didn’t feel like leaving the cocktail after a few sips but professional compulsions dictated otherwise.

Rob Roy: Blended scotch whisky, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters with a lemon spiral garnish.

Verdict: The proportion of all ingredients being perfect, the drink was delectable. However, the temperature was slightly wanting. The James Bond-ian  diktat of “shaken, not stirred’ could have worked here. Enjoyable, nevertheless.

Mai Tai: Dark rum, white rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, Cointreau, lemon juice.

Verdict: This was a slightly tweaked Mai Tai with the absence of Amaretto (bitter almond flavored liqueur) and presence of some sugar granules for a crunchy feel. Those who like sweeter styled drinks would love it. But for a person like me, the lesser sweet version having the nuttiness of amaretto retains the mojo.

Margarita Chronicles. Tequila, lemon juice, triple sec, bell peppers.

Verdict: A signature preparation of the bar, this was a superbly innovative drink harnessing the fresh spiciness of bell peppers and a rainbow effect all through the highball glass. An interesting and productive twist to the classic margarita that could well be chronicled – true to its name.



The Food and Drinks sampled

Food

The bar food menu was quite versatile with a good mix of vegetarian and non vegetarian options. I ordered the following:

Golden Fried Prawns with Sweet Chilli Sauce: Delicately flavoured prawns in a crispy coating. The mild flavors and a rich unctuousness made them good to go with any drink. The sweet chilli sauce married well with the hint of sweetness in the prawns and spiciness of the flavouring.

Lamb Chapli Kabab with Mint Sauce:  Succulent, flavourful and coarsely textured kababs that were quite filling. The freshness of ingredients was noticeable with bell peppers and coriander leading from the front. First bite and I was tempted to ask for a robust red wine. Of course the cocktails did great too!

Falafel and Pita bread with Tahina dip: An innovatively presented bite sized version of the popular Lebanese dish. Well suited for scalable eating without disturbing the remaining portion- hence well suited to sharing sans overeating.

Paneer ke Sooley with Mint Sauce: This dish of pan seared soft cottage cheese chunks with mint stuffing had a rich and creamy texture resultant of its marinade of hung curd and fresh cream. Quite filling and satiating.

The wine I requested having arrived (a Chilean Merlot),  I had an opportunity to see the level of wine service which was quite good with pristine glassware, correct wine temperature and serving etiquette. Overall, the bar turned out to be a pleasant experience and well entrenched in its business orientation. I’m quite positive that the Grands Crus wines on its list will roll pretty fast!

This review has  been published in the Apr 14
issue of Spiritz Magazine

Positives

• ·         Good ambience.
• ·         Efficient service.
• ·         Value added services.

Negatives

• ·         Cocktails not listed.

Average rendezvous for two: Rs 4,500 approx; 

Timings: 11 am to 1 am.

Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla

Plot No. 1, Community Centre

Okhla Phase-1, New Delhi- 110020, India