What are the five things that a host has in mind while planning
a party?
·
That the food is fabulous,
·
It is served aesthetically,
·
In a nice ambience,
·
By well trained staff,
·
And finally, creating a memorable experience for their
guest.
And if all this can be attained with the least amount of hassle
for the host, what can be better! This is how Select Events and Dining comes into the picture.
One of the first things
Ishaan Sarkar, CEO, Select ED, said to
me was: “We’re not another run of the mill catering company. We believe in
creating memorable dining experiences for our clients.” And this is exactly
what they did for us.
Understanding that it is difficult to showcase the variety of
their food and service based on one trial, Select ED invited us for a Culinary Trail spanning three meals. We
thus trotted off for a weekend of gastronomic delight where we indulged in an
extensive high tea, a sit down dinner and a leisurely brunch the next noon,
each highlighting not only different dishes but also creating a different
ambience, setting and layout.
The Venue
Before I go on about the Culinary Trail, I'd like to tell you a
bit about the venue. Situated an hour’s drive from Delhi, Heritage Village Resort & Spa, Manesar is nestled in 12 acres
of lush greenery. The property has been beautifully renovated, the rooms are
well equipped and tastefully done; the lawns are immaculately manicured;
there’s a lovely spa boasting an ambient relaxing lounge, individual massage
rooms as well as one for couples, a special hamam room for various kinds of
scrubs and of course a well equipped fitness centre. With 16 conference
facilities and 154 rooms the property is ideal for corporate events. An
extensive outdoor play area for kids, tennis courts, horse riding, swimming
pool, and all-inclusive holiday package also makes it ideal for families. As
the GM, Gopal Vaideswaran shows us
around the property he informs us that although the resort enjoys at least 70%
occupancy through the year there is a dedicated team to ensure that it is
maintained in top condition.
Indoor Buffet-style High Tea
Our gastronomic journey starts with an extensive high tea. We
are treated to a range of sweet and savoury fare. Apart from finger food such
as mini pizzas, calzones and cookies,
one finds a mélange of street food from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkatta. Thus
there’s lachcha tokri, gol gappas stuffed with tabbouleh, kala khatta chuskis and freshly made jhal moori. SelectED also prides itself in offering fusion fare. So in all their menus you’ll find Indian elements served with western touches or cooking styles.While we enjoy unusual
flavours and combinations, every thing is served aesthetically, either individually plated or
freshly assembled at our table.
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The Indian touches at the High Tea. |
I particularly like the sweet offerings in the high tea. There are tea infused cupcakes, cookies of various sort, pies and profiteroles. The Californian Avocado Pie topped with
refreshing watermelon balls and Caramelised
Lemon Ginger Tart with Mini Meringues are my favourite.
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Sweet offerings at the High Tea. |
Sit-Down Dinner with Silver
Service
The evening presents an entirely different mood and ambience.
With personalized menus and immaculate service, we are given exotic choices
such as Stuffed Baby Aubergines and
String Hoppers with tamarind salsa; Tandoori
Atlantic Salmon with basil pesto, aloo chokha and papaya relish; Grilled Lobster with String Hoppers;
and, Murgh Nehari with Pulled Chicken
Khichadi among others. The SelectED
Dessert Platter is a winner with delicious ghevar, gulab jamun tart and a
little chocolate cup with tangy raspberry to break the sweetness.
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The fancy sit down dinner. |
I love the setting of our brunch. Big handis dangling in tripod stands,
lovely rustic platforms and live food counters make it all visually very
appealing and appetising. The choice ranges from seasonal fruits, cold cuts and
salads to a Japanese selection; ghar ka khaana like masoor dal and methi aloo
to fancy biryanis and bheja fry; and, home made pasta to bao bun
wraps. The slightly sweet baos come with delicious fillings like tofu ragout, lamb rendang and lemon fried
shrimps. I have more than one, and settle on the charsui pork as my favourite.
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The beautiful outdoor brunch setting. |
The USP
SelectED is equipped to handle parties from a minimum of 15
people to more than 3,000. The senior management, including the CEO and Chef
Culinaire Gaurav Mathur, ensures that they are present at each event hence they
take only one event per day. And what I appreciated the most were the customized
touches that’ll make any guest feel very special.
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The welcome bouquet made of cupcakes and a customised cookie; place cards and personalised menu at the sit-down dinner. |
Details:
Select ED, Select Office Tower, 7th
Floor, Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi-110017.
Tel: +91 95607 86491
Website: www.selected.in
Prices:
Depend on the choice of menu, setting and service.