During the time, when I first
started teaching Special Children, I used to travel from Bandra to Byculla by 4ltd bus everyday, I passed through the mill areas of Parel that had mainly
small community homes and chawls, there were some traditional small food joints
that served delicious authentic food to the cotton mill workers. It used to be
buzzing center of activity and prior to that, during my grand parents times, it
used to be a posh colonial residential settlement where governor of Bombay-Sir
William Hornby lived.
A lot has changed in Parel over the
years and it has a different skyline now, the beautiful ITC Grand Central Hotel
with its majestic Indian touch adds an ethnic charm of this place.
This week I had an opportunity to
visit Shanghai Club that is located inside this hotel in the celebration zone,
the wing separated from the peace zone by a long corridor, lined with designer
stores and an open lounge with water fountain in the center..
I was invited for Sagria and Seafood
dinner by FBAI. There were four types of Sangria, fruity and sweet, (my
favorite being the Berry flavor although the other three, the cherry and plum,
watermelon were equally good) they were very refreshing after a long walk from
peace zone to celebration zone.
In between my sips, I took in the
beautiful ambience of this place, the charming parasol lanterns against the
polished Burma teak rafters, the porcelain pots and other art work all
around the room.
There was a set of 5course meal
prepared specially for us. We had fan-shaped menu card,, which in a way was a
good idea, that we could ration our serving to be able to enjoy all that
restaurant had to offer.
The appetizers arrived as soon we
were settled. Master chef Yuanzhing Jia had crafted a new Seafood Menu and was
eager for us to start the party. We took a little time to click pictures before
we began to eat (food bloggers are weird that way, before the aroma touches the
senses, the cameras captures its visual impact) the lighting was low, hence I
was not able to get very good shots, I decided to concentrate on food instead.
Main course was to die for. The Singapore
chili crabs in egg white were perfectly cooked, tender meat under shells so
brittle and juicy that there was no need for nutcrackers. I got my hands dirty,
just relishing its flavors of marinated meat infused with sauces. I was happy
when they gave me wet towel to wipe off my hands before I went on to continue
with my next dish. But this is one dish I enjoyed thoroughly and will be the good reason for me to return once again.
This was followed by Wok fried
Lobster with chili black bean sauce cooked from freshly made lobster stock.
This tasted delicious when mixed in the bowl of brown garlic fried rice dish.
The attractive dessert plate of
jasmine flavored Tiramisu, star anise torte and vanilla ice cream and mixed
fruit bowl marked the end of the meal. It was very satisfying meal.
The service was very good and the
staff was quick to refilled glasses with sangria as soon as
possible, they made sure that food was satisfying, and even offered to custom
cook for us to suit our palate.
I would highly recommend Crabs and
lobsters in this restaurant. They are truly amazing, waiting for my next guest
to visit me, this is on my to-do-list for sure……
