Umami is that one flavour that the Indian palette is not used to. But if you look at it, saying that the Indian palette is not used to it would be incorrect because knowingly or unknowingly, we all have tasted the umami flavour but never knew it by that name. Green peas, raw jack fruit, gucchi or dried morels, sweet potatoes, walnuts, lotus root, poppy seeds, sesame oil, ginger and coriander seeds are all big sources of umami. To make diners accustomed to the flavours of umami, chef Meha Kumar hosted The Fifth Taste, a pop-up celebrating the flavour.
We made ourselves comfortable and right in front of us, were two printed cards — one showcasing the menu and the other had the umami agents for each dish. We began our dinner with Tomato, Dashi and Maize, which was Gazpacho jelly with a maize miso cream in a delicate dashi cup. The umami agents were Maize miso, dashi and tomato.
Next up, we were served Taro Okra Sweet Potato, which included crisp taro root and okra with a sweet potato cream and kidney bean miso. Here, the umami agent was kidney bean miso. The ingredients used for the dish included taro crisps, okra crisps, sweet potato crisps, sweet potato cream, pungent foam, chive swirls and flowers, red amaranth cress and kidney bean miso seasoning. The dish was flavourful and to the point.
Next, we were presented with Surf and Turf Dumplings, which represented both land and sea — chicken from the former and shrimp from the latter. These were served in a field bean miso broth. The umami agents were field bean miso, mushrooms and seaweed. The dish also included confit mushrooms, red vein sorrel cress, alfalfa sprouts and lentil sprouts. The chicken and shrimp were cooked to perfection and were very delectable.
As for the fourth course, we tried Parmentier (herby potato parmentier with a soft centre quail egg, cured ham and jowar miso). Here, the umami agent was jowar miso and we loved every bit of the dish. Then, we were served Murrel, which had aromatics of nori, kaffir lime and lemongrass, with burnt butter and miso hollandaise. The umami agent for this dish was soya bean miso.
As we eagerly awaited the next dish, we were served Parmigiana, which was the chef’s take on the traditional Italian dish. It was layered with brinjal and its miso, parmesan and an in-house tomato sauce, served with lamb pastrami, with the umami agents being parmesan, tomato and eggplant miso. The dish was one of our favourites till now and we wished we were served one more serving of the same.
Now, before the dessert arrived, we were served Granita, so as to clean our palette. It had cranberry hibiscus and starfruit vinegar granita. The umami agent was starfruit vinegar and with every bite, we could feel our palette cleaning. As for the dessert, we had chocolate, figs and mulberry. If we had to explain the dessert, it was chocolate cremeux laced with a kodo millet ferment, pickled mulberries, figs and fig leaf syrup. Here the umami agent was kodo millet ferment and we couldn’t have asked for a better finish.
Meal for two at INR 10,000. At Neo Kitchen By Hilton, Embassy Manyata Business Park.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
X: @al_ben_so