The Spice Route
The Spice Route
The Spice Route (Imperial Hotel, Janpath Lane, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi) — Designed by Rajeev Sethi, the celebrated cultural czar of India, The Spice Route reflects the journey of spices from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam. The restaurant is an overwhelming visual depiction of the art and culture that traveled with the spices through these regions, presented in a folk, religious and cultural fantasy of the Orient. The Restaurant, that was seven years in the making, is completely hand painted with vegetable and flower dyes by mural painters brought in especially from a temple in Guruvayur in Kerala with a tradition dating back to 3000 years.
The Spice Route boasts a menu that ensnares the taste buds of a seasoned food connoisseur. Orchestrated with passion by Chef Veena Arora, the menu crafted almost artistically is starred by gems such as Chemeen Thoren (Kerala style prawns, stir-fried with coconut, curry leaves and black tamarind; flavored with mustard seeds), Tom Yum Kung (the famous Thai soup with prawns, flavored with lemon grass, lemon leaves and galangal), Kung Nang Phad Khing (Stir-fried lobster with ginger and Thai black mushrooms, served in the shell), Kaeng Kheow Waan Kai (Chicken in Thai green curry with pea and cherry aubergines) and Phad Phak (Chef’s special stir-fried baby pok-choy with black mushrooms, flavored with soya bean paste).