FROM ITC GARDENIA,BENGALURU

PARSI FOOD FESTIVAL IN PERFECTION

                                      

"I learnt cooking from my mother and aunts" says Parvez Patel(59), owner of IDEAL CORNER, a renowned, 45 seater Restaurant, that serves authentic Parsi Cuisine, located in Mumbai.

I had met him in ITC GARDENIA  BENGALURU today morning. Parvez has been in this hotel in connection with the orchestration of ten days PARSI FOOD FESTIVAL.(12 to 21 Sept 2014).

"I think the Parsi food festival in ITC Gardenia has attracted good comments from the guests.  I might have scored eight out of ten" says Chef  Parvez, who also had been instrumental in pitching Parsi food festivals in two other ITC properties- ITC Sonar Bangla in Kolkata and ITC Maurya in New Delhi.

The Parsi food festival has been hosted by the CUBBON PAVILION the sky-lit ,green walled,24 hr fine dining restaurant, that is known for the responsiveness to the requirements of the guests. The Parsis trace their origin to Pars, the centre of the erstwhile Persian Empire. Their achievements then, and since, have set benchmarks in culture, art and of course cuisine.

"Prawns cutlets, Patra Fish and "Salliboti" (Mutton cooked in onion and tomato gravy)", informs Chef Parvez Patel, "have been the most sought after dishes of this food festival. Top five dishes of Parsi Cuisine remains the same, other dishes change everyday as per the menu."

Zubin Songadwala, the GM of this hotel had met Chef Parvez  around eleven years back, during an award ceremony, in Mumbai, wherein Chef Parvez have been honoured with an award for the best Parsi food. Right from their first meeting, both were keen on supporting and encouraging each other.

"Ever since our first meeting, Zubinji has been the guiding force in my life. He is very understanding and helpful. He is just a mail away ...all the time" admits Chef Parvez.

 

"Perhaps ITC is the only  hotel chain in India that promotes and propagates regional cuisine with an unabated regularity".

Remember: Lonely Planet has listed Ideal Corner Restaurant, Mumbai. Chef Parvez has around 12 staff members which includes two cooks. At 9am it is thrown open for the breakfast; 11.30am is the time for Lunch and by 4.30pm they all sign off. No dinner please. 85 per cent of the items served here are non vegetarian items. Chef Parvez has won around a dozen awards for his culininary skills.

Other than ITC group of hotels, his clientele includes Tata Steel, Vodafone India, to name a few.

TEXT AND PICS: R Kesava Mallia in Bengaluru