Culinary Renaissance - Lake View Café

Hotels and restaurant bank on reputation to sell their experience to new customers and thereby increase their clientele. People also refer to recommendation by family, friends and sometimes restaurant critics to help decide on where to go to make a special day memorable. My grand parents live in Bombay, the entertainment capital of the Republic of India. Well luckily last year I was allowed to take a fortnight off from my hectic high school schedule to spend some time in the city I love. Bombay being the residence of the Indian Hollywood has some of the best restaurants and hotels in Asia. One such hotel is the Marriott Renaissance. I had heard a lot about it from my family and read about it in restaurant reviews that had a whole page to itself in the Mid-Day newspaper. Since the venue for 27 September was left for me to decide I thought of giving the Lake View Cafe at the Renaissance a visit.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor making it easily accessible for everybody. It overlooks a lagoon which helps create a pleasant and refreshing atmosphere for its patrons. The restaurant serves all types of cuisines and is generally categorized as serving International Cuisine. Admission is either by reservation or for hotel guest, thus there isn’t much of a rush. Calling 10 minutes before arrival assures immediate seating. Our host was most gracious in his greeting. The fact that he felt the need to ask us about our day showed that he was putting in more than his job asks of him. This extra touch by the steward started our evening on a happy note.

As you walk into the restaurant you can easily make out the unique seating arrangement and also the reason for it. The restaurant is divided into 2 parts. The lower deck and the upper deck. Your meal preference determine where you will be seated. Since we had opted for the buffet we were seated on the upper deck around the buffet setting. One thing that you notice when you enter is the amount of lighting. Huge chandeliers and a whole section of the restaurant consisting of a window overlooking the lagoon made the atmosphere cool, colorful and vibrant. This really was a different setup from other restaurants which tend to keep a darker ambience with low lightning(which is to cover up for any imperfection in the food). One thing that also struck me was that the decoration was limited to wood carvings in the wall panels depicting pictures of the ocean and other images based on flora and fauna. This uncomplicated method of decoration which lay emphasis on lighting and nature made me relax and put me at ease.

Like in any other restaurant we were given a beverage menu first. The sheer number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available was shocking. I was left staring at names I had never heard before in my life like Aperitif, Malt, and literally hundreds of different alcoholic beverages. Being and looking the 17 years I was, I settled for a mocktail called Gentle Breeze which consisted of guava juice, cranberry juice, lime and soda, which seemed the perfect answer to warm and humid summer evening. The steward showed his level of professionalism by helping everyone in choosing a drink. He did this in way that didn’t seem like an imposition. We were then offered hot towels which seemed more hygienic to me than the finger bowls served elsewhere.

Finally we all got up to help ourselves at the buffet table. The buffet was laid out in an irregular circle allowing easy movement from one section to another without having to bump into someone else. The food was separated according to cuisines, making it easier for the patron to choose. Just looking at the variety of food available was able to satiate some of my hunger. The appetizer circle was at one end of the deck along with the dessert. The main course was separated from the rest since it required a kitchen. The kitchen in the middle of the main-course buffet circle was an interesting concept which I hadn’t seen elsewhere. It was completely glass-enclosed hence being in plain sight of the diners. There were large modern and traditional earthen stoves(for Indian cuisine). There was a lot of fire play behind the glass as the chef were cooking your food while at the same time trying to entertain you. This seemed to add to the novelty factor. The best part about this unique kitchen was that it was completely sound-proof. No bustling noise came from the kitchen like in other restaurants thus keeping the atmosphere quiet. You just place your order at the main course buffet table and they prepared it in front of your eyes.

Given the vast variety of food offered, I was very indecisive about what to eat. The chinese offered was extremely authentic, contrary to other restaurants in India serving chinese who serve a more Indianized version of the chinese cuisine. There was also a lot of emphasis on Indian food, ranging from street food found in Bombay and Delhi(two cities famous for their lip-smacking street food). Punjabi food was also spread out, being extremely popular throughout India. This was lucky for me since I am extremely fond of Butter-Chicken(fried chicken in a sweet, buttery red gravy). I locked on Forest mushrooms and grilled tiger prawns for my appetizer. Here also staff of stewards and stewardess were extremely helpful. They calmly explained the preparation of the dishes and warned me about the allergen present in the prawns. The appetizer were prepared with only hints of oil just to make sure that we still had an appetite for main course and desserts. As soon as we were seated after taking our appetizers, our drinks were served. I have to say the Gentle Breeze is still one of the best drink I have ever had. Unlike in other mocktails, there was less of crushed ice and more of the actual liquid. Each flavor was distinct and put my tongue on overdrive.

Although the appetizers were delicious and the grilled mushroom had 6 different types of mushrooms with different sauce for each I was more excited about the “live cooking” you experienced along with the main course. Main course for me was Spaghetti aglio olio(Spaghetti in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese) and Red Thai chicken curry. The spaghetti was a treat for my eyes as well as my taste-buds. The chef did his magic and put my spaghetti on fire using only the olive oil as a fuel. I got my spaghetti in under 6 minutes with the cheese on top of the spaghetti slightly burnt, just as I had ordered it. The thai curry was equally delicious, only slightly spicy and sweet.

The food in every way surpassed what I had eaten till then. From the oil used, to the way it was presented and the portion everything was just perfect. For dessert I settled for Coconut Panna Cotta, an Italian coconut custard, which according to me was a perfect blend of the coconut bitterness and custard sweetness. Through this dining experience our steward was extremely helpful and friendly, at the same time being extremely courteous and gracious. Probably the only reason for complain can be the pricing which was extremely steep. But for a once in a while affair such as a birthday or an anniversary it is a highly recommendable restaurant.

As a final assessment:-

Food ★★★★★

Pricing ★★★☆☆

Service ★★★★★

Ambience ★★★★☆

Lake View Cafe - Renaissance - Mumbai

★★★★☆

Picture : www.marriott.com