Ten years ago,
the food scene in Panjim was very different. While the city catered to different cuisines, there
was still an expertise in Pan Asian cuisine lacking for food lovers. Taj
Vivanta opened in May 2009 and the swanky restaurant Tamari became one of their
signature restaurants, drawing in food connoisseurs who would love to relish
the dishes from the Far Eastern region. With its recently revamped menu, the
restaurant now caters to the taste buds of those who enjoy Chinese, Japanese,
Thai as well as Vietnamese cuisine with Executive Chef Jose Thomas at the helm.
Over the last ten years, his predecessors in the kitchen at the Taj Vivanta
included Chef Sahil Desai and Chef Harpreet Kaur Longani.
To celebrate the journey of 10 years, Tamari, will present its
best-selling signature recipes of the last 10 years old classics and new
favourites with dishes from China, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. With a series
of celebrations at the hotel, the focus is on Tamari which has a large base of
regular guests. “This is the tenth anniversary of the hotel and we thought of
starting the celebrations with the first festival at Tamari. We contemplated on
building a whole new menu looking back at the last ten years as a celebration
of traditional favourites and also something that is well known at Tamari. Some
things in the menu like the classic Chinese the Chopsuey and stir fries which
are not featuring in the menu, are included particularly for this festival,”
says Executive Chef Jose Thomas from Kerala, who oversees Tamari.
Soups which form a very important part of the experience
includes traditional and flavoursome soups with a choice of the classics, Hot
and Sour, Golden Sweet Corn, Manchow, Homemade Wonton, Tom Yum and Lemon
Coriander which can be relished with vegetables or chicken. Indulge in a crisp
fried layer of vegetable wonton which redefines the taste of a wonton and
Konjee Crispy Shiitake Mushroom, a tangy and sweet aftertaste with the mix of
different types of mushrooms. The selection of appetizers also includes Wok
Tossed Chilli Potatoes, Vegetable Pepper Salt, Fried Wontons, Sliced Tofu
Chilli Basil, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Crispy Fried Water Chestnuts, Vegetable
Coin in Manchurian Sauce, and Beijing Onion Cakes.
Drums of Heaven is another signature dish of the restaurant with
its batter fried chicken and Golden Fried Prawns, with another batter fry
option with a varied taste. The menu for non-vegetarian options one can enjoy
includes Chilli Chicken Dry, Thai Wok, Chicken, Satay Kai, Chicken Spring
Rolls, Wild Honey Sesame Crispy Chicken, Wok Fried Squid with Chilli Basil,
Konjee Crispy Lamb, Prawns Pepper Salt, Prawns with Lemongrass Chilli Sauce,
Shanghai Prawns with Spring Onion, Pla Rad Prik and Crispy Fried Red Snapper in
Chilli Mustard Sauce.
Choose from Bok Choy
and Shiitake Dumplings, Sichuan Vegetable Pot Stickers, Chicken Mandarin Dim
Sums, Chicken Jiaozi, Siu Mai, Char Siu Bao, Har Gow, Shanghai Seafood
Dumplings and Steamed Crab Dumplings among the many options.
Take your pick from a
variety of signature mains prepared using traditional techniques and fresh
ingredients. Those with vegetarian preferences can savour the Sautéed Spicy
Field Mushroom, Mapo Tofu Vegetables, Vegetable Dumplings in Hot Garlic Sauce,
Manchow Cauliflower, Kung Pao Vegetables and Tofu and Asparagus in Mahalaka
Sauce. The extensive choice of non-vegetarian preparations include Shredded
Lamb with Onion and Slit Green Chillies, Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken in Black
Pepper Sauce, Chicken in Chilli Oyster Sauce, Chicken in Chilli Basil Sauce,
Roast Lamb in Black Pepper Sauce, Mapo Tofu Lamb, Hunan Style Spicy Sliced
Pork, Spare Ribs in Barbecue Sauce, Roast Pork, Butter Garlic Prawns, Steamed
Pomfret in Lemon Ginger Sauce, Crispy Pomfret in Sweet and Spicy Sauce and Stir
Fried Lobster in Butter Garlic Sauce.
A vital accompaniment
to a Pan-Asian meal is an aromatic bowl of rice including Moon Fan Rice and
Burnt Garlic Fried Rice or a heady mix of noodles comprising American Chopsuey,
Chinese Chopsuey, Pan Fried Noodles and Hakka Noodles.
Desserts include Date
Pancake, Honey Daarsan, Tub Tim Krob, Banana Toffee with Vanilla Ice Cream,
Apple Toffee with Vanilla Ice Cream, Fried Ice Cream and Lychee with Ice Cream.
“We are getting in new trends. Golden fried prawns which is very popular, won’t be found in most restaurants but we will be serving it here. These are what people still remember from those years. Sushi dishes which were available from the beginning of Tamari will be made served for the festival. The focus is more on Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisine. People who like these dishes will definitely come back for it. The composition varies because we are working on the dishes that people have been asking for, so it is not completely divided between the three cuisines,” concludes Chef Jose.