Savour The Culinary Flavours of Kashmir at the Wazwan Kashmiri Food Festival @ Nook, Aloft CBP

Aloft Hotels are quite familiar to me thanks to a few visits to their Hotels at other locations across the country.

This was my first visit to Aloft at Cessna Business Park and I was quite impressed with the utilisation of space in the lobby which fits into a lobby cum lounge area be it for leisure or business. Located inside Cessna Business Park, the hotel mainly caters to the busy IT sector but manages to maintain a perfect balance between business and leisure with their Trading Hours (happy hours) and Food Festivals. 

A little about Aloft CBP – Launched in 2014, the hotel features 191 spacious, loft – like rooms, an urban design aesthetic, live music performances and an active social scene. Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park caters to the next generation traveler and is considered to be among the best hotels in Bangalore.

I was invited to savour some of the dishes specially curated for their Kashmiri Food Festival by Chefs from Kashmir.

Venue : Nook

Festival dates : 13th – 24th February 2017

Timings: Lunch Buffet from 12.00 – 3.00 pm and Dinner Buffet from 7.00 – 11.30 pm

Price : Rs.1,199 per head.

All the dishes were specially prepared by Chefs Abdul Halem and Chef Reyaz from Kashmir under the able guidance of their Executive Chef Sandeep Kumar. 

APPETIZERS:

Tabak Mazz – This starter was part of the live grill and the soft shredded mutton cooked in loads of ghee was one of the perfect lamb preparations I had the pleasure to taste. Being someone who watches their diet, this was a sinful starter to begin with.

Bohri Fried Lamb Chops – Lamb chops would normally need no description and I am at a loss for words to describe this soft and well marinated dish. Again a must try!

Shammi Kebab – The non Veg kebab was mouth melting and it’s amazing how a well known dish such as this can taste so different when made with unique species. 

Muttar Ki Galouti – A simple mutter Galouti for the vegetarians. 

Tasaman Paneer Tikka – No meal is complete without a Paneer creation by the Chef and we were not disappointed. Soft cottage cheese lightly marinated and grilled. 

Chicken Tikka – By now I knew this was not a simple Tikka and once again I was not disappointed. Soft succulent grilled chicken just disappeared as quick as it was served. 

Other Regular Starters:

Dips:

SALADS:

SOUPS:

BEVERAGES:

We were served with a variety of cocktails and mocktails. I was given a lemon and ginger mocktail infused with bits of mint – a perfect drink to digest such a large spread. 

MAIN COURSE:

After the delicious and very filling starters we moved onto a wide array of gravies. 

Veg:

I would normally not take much notice of Veg gravies but some of the Veg gravies – Gogji Haak,  Mutter Tasman and Tosh Sagan deserve a special mention so that you do not miss trying them out.

Non Veg :

Among the non veg gravies, I was surprised that my pick was the Rawagan Gad (Fish) as I am more of a Chicken person. The spices used in this dish combined with the fish blew my mind.

The other non Veg gravies Gosht Mirchi Korma (Mutton) and Murgh Dhaniwal (Chicken) were also worth trying for their unique flavours.

Kashmiri Murgh Pulao – Though mentioned as Pulao it is equivalent to a wonderfully flavoured biryani. A must try here so do keep space for it. The rice was served with very different sides / chutneys.

Gucchi Mutter Pulao – Since there was a lot of discussion on the mushroom used in this dish, I did try a little of this flavored rice. The mushroom does bring out a nice flavour to an otherwise simple mutter Pulao. 

DESSERTS:

Mirchi ki Halwa – I did not think that any of the starters or main course tested my spice levels and I was a bit vary to try this Mirchi dessert. However I must mention that it’s perfect and not spicy instead you are able to enjoy the sweet and spicy notes in the dish. 

Zarda Pulao – Yes, a Pulao for dessert. It is a light saffron sweet rice which is perfect to end your meal. 

Shofta – A lovely light dessert with fruits and custard served in small bowls. 

In addition, they have some regular desserts such as Red Velvet cake, Banana yoghurt, Assorted cupcakes and many more.

After the sumptuous affair, all I can say is be prepared for a traditional food journey to the land of the saffron.

Aloft CBP is one of those places where you walk in, grab a drink at their lounge and then move on to savour some of their specially thought out Food Festivals.

Address: Cessna Business Park, Sarjapur–Marathahalli Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur Post, Bengaluru – 560103

Phone Number: +91 80 4510 1010
Website: Aloft Bengaluru CBP

Ambiance – 4.5/5   

Service – 4.5/5

Food Taste – 4.5/5

Quantity/Quality – Buffet / 4.5 

Value for Money – 4.5/5