When we take a sip of the jasmine-like-fragrant syrup, we cannot help savouring its aromatic flavour and sweetness. In fact Arun Kumar D, the Bar Supervisor at Chipstead, Taj Coromandel, has to gently take away the shot glasses from our grip as he explains how the White Chinese Tea sweetening syrup, is an ingredient and not a drink by itself. However, you will forgive us our preoccupation with Arun’s homemade infusions once you realise the variety of concoctions, infusions and mixes that are stewing behind the bar here (think Black Label-soaked prunes among others).
With six new cocktails added to the menu this month, we soon find the focus on fresh ingredients and homemade infusions makes all the difference. The first cocktail that we try is a heady Winter’s Ginger, with a smokey Islay malt-base with a homemade ginger and honey syrup. The final dash of the potent 16-year-old Lagavulin will see a whiskey connoisseur inhale with reverence. Well paired with succulent and sweet prawn tempura, the chilli powder dust on the Peri Peri Prawns makes it a perfect bar snack.
Enter the dragon
Thanks to the aromatic burnt sprig of thyme, the heady Gin Stimulator hits your nostrils way before the palate swirls with the delightful White Chinese Tea syrup, fresh grapefruit and tonic water. It is a perfect foil for the Pan Fried Chilli Fish, a new entrant from Golden Dragon’s menu. Here, the John Dory fish is flaky and delectable. Soon we are sipping flutes of Smokie Walker — a blended Scotch-based cocktail, which has homemade baked plum juice besides a sweetening syrup of jaggery, ginger and orange zest. Next, we are distracted with a mandatory dish at every bar — a sticky, sweet, soya-drenched, oriental chicken dish. The addictive Chicken Five Spices has juicy pieces lined up on a bed of fried spinach.
Pips and all
Arun is fresh from the Diageo World Class Bartending Competition 2019 where he was placed amongst the country’s top 10 bartenders, and his most impressive creation was the ‘stem to seed’ round where he used just a single ingredient — the unlikely pumpkin! Keeping with the global kitchen trend of zero waste, bars are also toeing the line it seems. Arun’s offering was a single malt drink that used every bit of the pumpkin — peel, seed, pulp et al!
On the drinks
The foamy vodka-based Nirvana cocktail is surprisingly subtle on the spice and heavy on flavour. Surprisingly because it is made from a single dish — the rasam! Another local connect, crisp on the outside and pillowy soft within, we make a meal of the cocktail podi idli. While the Banana Barrel Rum is in a clunky Tiki mug, the drink is fresh, tropical and breezy. In other words — progress with caution, this one promises to be smooth and numerous — with both white and dark rum, well camouflaged with delicious cinnamon-laced banana purée syrup, pineapple juice and lime.
Another platter on the side from the Golden Dragon, discs of crunchy batter-fried Lotus Stem Chengdu-style delights with the subtle heat of Sichuan pepper. And if that was not filling enough, we find ourselves gorging on the unusual but delicious fried Spicy Okra with Garlic. As we call it a night, we eye a cheerful looking container of pretty pink rose petals and lychees, stewing in sugar. Another infusion in the making, that will go well with a gin we are informed, which we duly note and save for another evening.
Price per cocktail INR 900 all-inclusive.