Altair's Rendezvous tells food tales with a twist

The sprawling, re-interpreted diner Rendezvous, on the 20th floor of Altair Hotel, speaks of opulence, with captivating views. Featuring progressive modern Indian cuisine, the re-done diner embraces innovation, creativity, and experimentation while staying rooted in the rich culinary traditions of the country.

Walking into Rendezvous on a bright sunny after noon had us all the more impressed as we spotted the black and white chequered floors on one side, and polished wooden floors on the other; leather chairs, and intricately carved wooden wall panels with quirky posters decorating them. “By exploring new culinary techniques, we break the stereotypes associated with Indian cuisine, showcasing its versatility, and pushing culinary boundaries giving traditional recipes a contemporary twist yet being casual,” said Chef Chiranjib Chatterjee, senior corporate chef, Ambuja Neotia.

We waited for the starters while sipping on to a dainty-looking Twisted Gimlet 1920 made of king lime imbued London Dry Gin with lavender, elderflower, rose and lychee. In no time, a mesmerizing bowl of “Rendezvous Air”, arrived at our table. It was a spice mix lit into a smoke to give out a flavour of the spices that we would be tasting throughout our meal. We started our meal with a bowl of Murgi ka arq, an Indian take on a French consommé, a type of clear soup made from richly flavoured stock or broth strained and served with a multigrain lavash, topped with chicken tikka mousse. Smoky yet refreshing, the entrée was light and super flavourful. We next moved to two refreshing salads — Baby burrata, replete with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and balsamic vinegar, served with cheese toast, and a Detox salad with root vegetables, curried chickpeas, sprouts and goat’s cheese cream. As healthy as it sounds, they were high on taste as well.

For appetisers, our favourite was the Chana hummus nitro bhel made live using liquid nitrogen for that extra crunch, and the Avocado Chaat with mashed potatoes and diced avocados served with chunks of masala khakra. The Thambi chicken molecule, served with Anaar foam and turmeric yoghurt, looked similar to chicken popcorn but tasted way better. Juicy and high on spice quotient, it’s a perfect match with any fruity or floral drink. For the mains, not only did we try their signature mixed mushroom Italian pizza, a pop dish retained from their previous menu, but also two of their large plates, roast chicken with stroganoff sauce and sauteed spinach, and black cumin prawns bhoona, served with sticky rice and prawn crackers. Wholesome and delicious, the dishes were filling as well.

We wrapped up the tasting session with Oh My Tart, inspired by chef Massimo Bottura’s “Oops I dropped the lemon tart”, a deconstructed dessert comprising smashed Belgian chocolate mousse, cracked short biscuit, bits of frozen cut fruits and dollops of melted chocolate. It may not look very interesting but you have to taste it to believe how amazing it is.

Meal for 2: Rs 1500+ (without alcohol)

Pictures by Anindya Saha