Popcorn, the all-time favourite go-to cinema hall snack is getting a major image overhaul these days at restaurants, bars and patisseries across the city, finding itself in everything from cocktails to cakes and a whole lot in between
By Raul Dias
Monk E Corn
Never mind the rather wacky name, this drink at the Pickle & Pint restobar champions a very unusual cocktail ingredient like popcorn with great aplomb along with another much-loved rum brand. So, what we have here is a melange of Old Monk rum, popcorn syrup, apple juice, lime and aromatic bitters all shaken together and served in a chilled crystal old fashioned glass, garnished with its raison d’être ie. popcorn and an apple slice to add more texture. “Popcorn and Old Monk are two crowd favourites. Popcorn is an ingredient that one can play around really well and so when rum is infused along with it, it makes for a rather unusual cocktail that brings in that classic movie theatre nostalgia”, says Mitesh Pawar, the bartender at Pickle & Pint, who also mixes up another popcorn-based vodka cocktail called the Willy Wonka.
At Paradise by Tunga, P16, Central Road, MIDC, Andheri East.
Call 67898944/678898900/9930374565
Cost Rs 295++
Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Cake
This stunning looking speciality cake at The Oberoi Patisserie brings to fore the delightful balance of sweet and savoury with every bite. Here, the highlight is the Tarta Caprese sponge cake that’s layered with unctuous chocolate marquise, raspberry confit, the star ingredient aka. caramel popcorn and a mirror-like chocolate glaze. Caramel popcorn adds the surprise element of texture and helps maintain a fine balance of savouriness that elevates the flavour profile of the cake. “Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a meal, but only a pastry chef can make you enjoy the last,” says pastry chef Prashant Sabne at The Oberoi Patisserie. “It is with this continued endeavour to bring our guests exquisite culinary experiences, that my team and I continuously research and innovate, staying firmly rooted to familiar tastes and classics such as this popcorn cake”
At The Oberoi, Nariman Point.
Call 66326245
Cost Rs 2,500++ per kilo
Chocolate Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel Popcorn
The lip-smacking sum of its rather unusual salted caramel popcorn and lemon-poppy olive oil cake parts, this layered dessert served in a clear glass pot is a textural treat. The light-as-air chocolate mousse, crumbly cake, silky caramel and then crunchy salted popcorn all add to the dessert’ edible and visual brilliance. “Without the popcorn this would be just another chocolate dessert, which although delicious, isn’t quite as unique! The salted caramel popcorn adds crunch, surprise and a play of textures, which is so critical in any dessert,” says Dheeraj Varma, the head chef at Monkey Bar.
At Summerville, Junction of 14th & 33rd, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Call 26005215
Cost Rs 270++
Popcorn Old Fashioned
Besides its name, there’s truly nothing ‘old fashioned’ about this popcorn cocktail served at The Quarter at the city’s Royal Opera House. Try fashionably modern and very avant-garde instead! Here, popcorn is infused in bourbon and left to macerate for 24 hours. It is then strained using a muslin cloth and mixed with just simple syrup and served on the rocks in an etched crystal glass with a small side of popcorn fastened onto the glass with a tiny wooden clip. “The idea behind the Popcorn Old Fashioned was to create something that’s a little sweet and a little salty for a perfect cocktail starter. We serve it with a side of butter salted popcorn to whet the appetite. The bourbon used in this cocktail is infused with popcorn for 24 hours giving it that wonderful buttery fragrance”, says Nikhil Naik, The Quarter’s bar manager.
At Royal Opera House, Mathew Rd, Opera House, Girgaon.
Call 8329110638
Cost Rs 700
Caramelised Popcorn with Crispy Bacon
This dish of a bed of caramelised popcorn with crispy bacon sitting atop it, that’s part of the new café menu at the Asian restaurant Hello Guppy, is one of those dishes that defy both convention and definition. Is it a snack? Is it a dessert? The mind questions when a birch wood bowl of this dish is put in front of you. But then you realise that it doesn’t really matter as it makes for the perfect indulgence for any time of the day. “Popcorn as a food is loved by everyone and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Interestingly, in Japan it is found everywhere—except at movie halls! I was therefore inspired to create a dish that uses popcorn as a key ingredient, since it is so ubiquitous in Japan,” says Vikram Khatri, the executive chef at Hello Guppy.
At Ground Floor, Godrej-BKC, G-Block, BKC.
Call 26534720
Cost Rs 199
(An edited version of this article appeared in the 3rd September 2018 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/pop-corn-stars/19763193)
By Raul Dias
Monk E Corn
Never mind the rather wacky name, this drink at the Pickle & Pint restobar champions a very unusual cocktail ingredient like popcorn with great aplomb along with another much-loved rum brand. So, what we have here is a melange of Old Monk rum, popcorn syrup, apple juice, lime and aromatic bitters all shaken together and served in a chilled crystal old fashioned glass, garnished with its raison d’être ie. popcorn and an apple slice to add more texture. “Popcorn and Old Monk are two crowd favourites. Popcorn is an ingredient that one can play around really well and so when rum is infused along with it, it makes for a rather unusual cocktail that brings in that classic movie theatre nostalgia”, says Mitesh Pawar, the bartender at Pickle & Pint, who also mixes up another popcorn-based vodka cocktail called the Willy Wonka.
At Paradise by Tunga, P16, Central Road, MIDC, Andheri East.
Call 67898944/678898900/9930374565
Cost Rs 295++
Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Cake
This stunning looking speciality cake at The Oberoi Patisserie brings to fore the delightful balance of sweet and savoury with every bite. Here, the highlight is the Tarta Caprese sponge cake that’s layered with unctuous chocolate marquise, raspberry confit, the star ingredient aka. caramel popcorn and a mirror-like chocolate glaze. Caramel popcorn adds the surprise element of texture and helps maintain a fine balance of savouriness that elevates the flavour profile of the cake. “Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a meal, but only a pastry chef can make you enjoy the last,” says pastry chef Prashant Sabne at The Oberoi Patisserie. “It is with this continued endeavour to bring our guests exquisite culinary experiences, that my team and I continuously research and innovate, staying firmly rooted to familiar tastes and classics such as this popcorn cake”
At The Oberoi, Nariman Point.
Call 66326245
Cost Rs 2,500++ per kilo
Chocolate Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel Popcorn
The lip-smacking sum of its rather unusual salted caramel popcorn and lemon-poppy olive oil cake parts, this layered dessert served in a clear glass pot is a textural treat. The light-as-air chocolate mousse, crumbly cake, silky caramel and then crunchy salted popcorn all add to the dessert’ edible and visual brilliance. “Without the popcorn this would be just another chocolate dessert, which although delicious, isn’t quite as unique! The salted caramel popcorn adds crunch, surprise and a play of textures, which is so critical in any dessert,” says Dheeraj Varma, the head chef at Monkey Bar.
At Summerville, Junction of 14th & 33rd, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Call 26005215
Cost Rs 270++
Popcorn Old Fashioned
Besides its name, there’s truly nothing ‘old fashioned’ about this popcorn cocktail served at The Quarter at the city’s Royal Opera House. Try fashionably modern and very avant-garde instead! Here, popcorn is infused in bourbon and left to macerate for 24 hours. It is then strained using a muslin cloth and mixed with just simple syrup and served on the rocks in an etched crystal glass with a small side of popcorn fastened onto the glass with a tiny wooden clip. “The idea behind the Popcorn Old Fashioned was to create something that’s a little sweet and a little salty for a perfect cocktail starter. We serve it with a side of butter salted popcorn to whet the appetite. The bourbon used in this cocktail is infused with popcorn for 24 hours giving it that wonderful buttery fragrance”, says Nikhil Naik, The Quarter’s bar manager.
At Royal Opera House, Mathew Rd, Opera House, Girgaon.
Call 8329110638
Cost Rs 700
Caramelised Popcorn with Crispy Bacon
This dish of a bed of caramelised popcorn with crispy bacon sitting atop it, that’s part of the new café menu at the Asian restaurant Hello Guppy, is one of those dishes that defy both convention and definition. Is it a snack? Is it a dessert? The mind questions when a birch wood bowl of this dish is put in front of you. But then you realise that it doesn’t really matter as it makes for the perfect indulgence for any time of the day. “Popcorn as a food is loved by everyone and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Interestingly, in Japan it is found everywhere—except at movie halls! I was therefore inspired to create a dish that uses popcorn as a key ingredient, since it is so ubiquitous in Japan,” says Vikram Khatri, the executive chef at Hello Guppy.
At Ground Floor, Godrej-BKC, G-Block, BKC.
Call 26534720
Cost Rs 199
(An edited version of this article appeared in the 3rd September 2018 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/pop-corn-stars/19763193)
No comments:
Post a Comment