Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar was recently in Kolkata for an amazing afternoon cook-out session at Afra Tafri, the only Transitional Gastro Brew Pub of the city! He came here to introduce new dishes in the existing menu of Afra Tafri and he had derived all his inspirations from the local flavors that are produced in the city. Masterchef Ranveer is the Consultant Chef of Afra Tafri who is a very renowned name in the cooking industry, and is a much known face on the Television screen today. Meeting him, having a word with him and seeing him cook right in front of you is truly an experience in itself, which can be treasured for long!
It was overwhelming to be a part of this star studded event that revolved ‘round the MasterChef and an equally talented TV Host at the same time! About a year back I was invited to Sanjeev Kapoor’s cookery session held in the city of joy, and I must say this cook-out session by Raveer Brar was equally informative and enjoyable! The small chit chats in between were making it pretty interactive as well. In fact this session was more enriching and overwhelming as this was being done for a small bunch of selected people, so more attention and interaction was possible. Now let’s discuss a bit about this amazing experience to give a bit more insight.
Firstly, let us check out some facts about the maestro! Ranveer Brar was born in Lucknow and the amazing culinary treasure of the city drew him close to the art of kabab-making at a pretty early age, when he decided to take up coking for a living. He had been in the opening teams of many renowned restaurants and hotels and opened up several restaurants like Morisco, Fishtail, etc. He was also associated with Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida. At the age of 25, Brar became the youngest Executive Chef of that time and opened the Chocolate Box, a unique pastry shop. Then he moved to Boston and opened up restaurant called Banq which won numerous awards. Also after that, he planned out the new menu at Kashmir – an Indian restaurant and it won the Best of Boston award in 2010. Then he came back to India as the executive chef of Novotel, Mumbai.
Personally for me, watching Ranveer Brar in person or on television is an experience. His story telling capabilities and his connect with the nature and local culture and ingredients give the cookery show that much needed depth, which is surely his signature. I believe his greatest strength is to view the culture of a place holistically and to be able to place a cuisine in that culture, and then finally to be able to translate that cuisine onto a plate.
All in all, experiencing this amazing character and his strengths is surely a memorable experience which is very close to my heart. And maybe I can’t explain that enough in words.
Now let’s come back to the cook-out session held at Afra Tafri. Here Ranveer Brar has created the menu keeping in mind the culture of Kolkata holistically, so the dishes and the beverages that are served at Afra Tafri are the translation and reflection of our beloved city. Chef Brar and Afra Tafri team has created the menu keeping in mind the diversity of taste and broad appeal of the people in Kolkata and around the country. As we all were waiting for the guests to come in and the cookery session to begin, snacks and super refreshing mocktails were being served on the house, which kept us busy 🙂
The cook-out session started off and people were all busy clicking pictures of the maestro! Soon we realized that for him, ‘innovation’ is the name of the game. Chef addressed the attendees and briefed them about the amazing dishes which he’s going to prepare.
That list included – Quinoa Salad with apple slices, asparagus and zucchini, the quinoa salad was stuffed inside small zucchini rolls and topped with coriander leaves. Also he decided to try out some pub grub like some basic fish finger done in a rather different Chili fish style. The masterchef’s love for jhalmuri and gochujang prompted him to present this dish called Paneer Gochujang Tikka which was inspired by the Bhojpuri dish called Bhujna.
It had the ingredients like – chopped onions, diced paneer, ginger, gochujang paste, chopped coriander, lemon juice, cheeseling and puffed rice (muri). Ultimately they were presented on skewers and they looked pretty appetizing!
All these dishes are sure to scintillate your taste buds; they looked great and tasted amazing. This was followed by a fun meal and tasting session which I had to skip since I had other appointments. But the experience which I gained from this cook-out session is something which would definitely be cherished and remembered for the rest of my life! Thank you Candid Communication for the invitation to cover this event and big thanks to Raajiv for being such an amazing host!
Afra Tafri is surely one of the best places in town for their amazing events, classic drinks with those lovely twists, vintage yet contemporary styled interiors, and some exemplary dishes and pub grubs which are sure to entice you and give you reasons to come back to this place for more. Till the next time, I would only love to say, thanks for the memories of the amazing afternoon cook-out session!
Cheers!
foodiedada 