Indian Food Festival at Hotel d'Angleterre's Windows Restaurant

This week I was fortunate enough to be invited to a tasting of Hotel d'Angleterre's highly prestigious annual Indian Food Festival. However, as I was unable to make the event due to a prior engagement, one of my fellow foodies kindly attended in my stead. And judging by what she told me and the pictures she took, I am seriously starting to regret not being there in person.

In fact, had I not planned a vacation during the very dates the festival is being held, I would have definitely made it a point to find a suitable date between July 30 and August 16 to go and enjoy what is clearly a unique selection of Indian fusion dishes currently offered at Hotel d'Angleterre's Windows restaurant. I definitely hope I'll get an opportunity to do so the next time the festival is held.

For those of you who would like to enjoy an Indian fusion meal at Hotel d'Angleterre, the annual 2014 Indian Food Festival is being held from July 30 to August 16. For more information on Hotel d'Angleterre, you can visit their website.

So exceptionally this review is by my friend and fellow Genevan foodie, but before we get to her description of the evening, I just want to add that she happens to have visited India numerous times over the years and is therefore particularly familiar with Indian cuisine. Furthermore, I often take restaurant recommendations from her because I trust her judgement, and somehow, she always seems to know where to go -- in fact, stay tuned for an upcoming review based on one of her recommendations!

For the purpose of this post, each photo will be accompanied by my friend's comments.

Mango Lassi

A lassi is a traditional, yogurt-based drink served in India and its surrounding countries. Unlike some of the disappointing lassis served at other establishments in the city, the mango lassi served at the Indian Food Festival was as fresh as it was delicious. Definitely a winner!

Selection of starters

The evening's guests were then treated to the following assortment of starters: 

Prawn Kalimiri, a crispy fried shrimp flavored with white, green and pink peppercorns. Not for the faint of heart -- it is quite spicy.

Pudhina Tala Murgh, grilled chicken served with lemon, ginger, chili pepper and dried mint and other Indian spices.

Channa Chaat, a spicy chickpea salad with mint and tamarind chutney, sweetened yoghurt and pomegranates. 

In keeping with the fusion theme, starters also include perch fillets marinated in traditional Indian spices.

Raita

An Indian classic. Can you really have an Indian meal without a traditional side of raita? This dish really hit the spot and was the perfect complement to the spicier dishes served.

Chicken Pepper Masala

A spicy chicken dish served in a traditional Indian Masala sauce. 

Biryani and Saffron Pulao

In addition to many other side and main dishes, two types of rice were served, you can enjoy a dish of Biryani, an aromatic rice that can come with your choice of vegetables, prawns, chicken or lamb. Alternatively, you can also order the Saffron Pulao, a rice cooked in cumin and -- as you may have guessed -- saffron. 

Sorse Maacch

The sea bream cooked in a special yoghurt sauce was  one of the highlights of the meal. It was cooked to perfection and a genuine delight for the taste buds! Highly recommended!



Various menu items including fish, two types of rice, lamb and potatoes were served at the media dinner.

Tandoor 

Attendees were also invited to visit the restaurant's kitchen, which is equipped with a tandoor, a special oven used extensively in India and its neighboring countries. Naan is traditionally made in a tandoor.

Chocolate Naan

Again, to honor the fusion aspect of the festival, special items are included on the menu such as this naan topped with chocolate-hazelnut and slivered almonds.

 Mango Panna

The dessert menu also includes a delicious financier cake topped with a scoop of lime and vanilla sherbet served in a special mango soup.



Overall, the Indian Food Festival is definitely worth a visit. The food is delicious, the menu manages to be both original and traditional and the service at Hotel d'Angleterre is top-notch. It is therefore no mystery this establishment is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

Gopal, the chef at the Indian Food Festival who came especially from London for the event, also deserves a special mention for preparing the exquisite dishes we savored with such delight.

Patara Fine Thai Cuisine

I had been wanting to have a meal at Patara's for a long time. Le Patara is located in Geneva's Beau-Rivage hotel by the lake and it is probably the most upscale Thai restaurant in the city. I had been hearing mixed reviews for years. For the most part, I find Thai restaurants in this city to be a complete disappointment, all the more reason to see if Patara was any different and decide for myself if it was worth paying upwards of CHF 100 per person. A friend's recent birthday celebration was the perfect opportunity to spend an evening at the ritzy establishment.

Turns out the food is actually very good, it is certainly a notch above all the other Thai restaurants I've been to in the area. The service, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. We had to wait a little too long for our starters and main courses and communicating with some of the restaurants's wait staff proved rather challenging. At one point we asked one of the waiters for an extra couple of minutes, but our request was either repeatedly misunderstood or ignored. Either way, I wasn't overly impressed with that aspect of my dining experience.

I should also add that while I thoroughly enjoyed my meal that evening, Patara seems to serve more of a fusion cuisine than the kind of authentic Thai food people often crave when they go to such restaurants.

So would I go back? Yes, but I'd expect better service - otherwise, I doubt there would be a third visit.

Pictured below: shrimp tacos, Tom kha kai (a Thai chicken and coconut soup),  Pad Thai and Khao Niaow Ma Muang - a delicious mango and sticky rice dessert.

Hôtel d'Angleterre - Afternoon Tea 2014

In early 2010, I posted about Hôtel d'Angleterre's afternoon tea. I remember at the time, I quite enjoyed it but somehow I didn't really feel the need to go back until very recently. Largely because a friend of mine told me they had greatly improved the experience over time. I figured I would have to go back and check for myself! And, let me tell you, I was not disappointed! The scones and finger sandwiches are hands down my favorite items on the cake stand. The cakes and pastries are very good too, but as far as I'm concerned, they're definitely not the main event.

Overall, afternoon tea at Hôtel d'Angleterre is a highly pleasurable experience!

Pictured below: scones, various finger sandwiches including an egg salad sandwich and a chicken salad sandwich and finally an assortment of pastries.

Kempinski and Four Seasons

Thinking of visiting a five star hotel for teatime? You might consider Four Seasons, the hotel's menu boasts an impressive selection of teas and you can also order their sinfully delicious (if rather expensive) chocolate chip cookies. Once you bite into a cookie, you'll probably find the texture to be somewhat cakey, but they're still very good.

Geneva's Kempinski Hotel is probably one of the very few places in the city that will serve you a Reuben sandwich. Exciting, isn't it? Sure. That is until you see it and compare it to a Reuben you might get in any other self-respecting establishment in the world.

Pictured below: the Four Seasons' teatime chocolate chip cookies followed by Kempinski's Reuben sandwich.





Thought I'd also add the kind of Reuben you're probably more accustomed to seeing just for kicks:



Photo credit: Ernesto Andrade

Tse Fung

Geneva boasts a host of Chinese restaurants, chances are if you're jonesing for some fried rice, you won't have to walk long before you can satisfy your craving -- regardless of what neighborhood you're in. Having said that, if it's quality you're after, it's slim pickings in Geneva!

La réserve's Tse Fung, however, makes the kind of delectable Chinese food that makes you want to keep going back for more. Of course, Tse Fung -- as well as the many sub par Chinese restaurants in Geneva that are more affordable -- also confirms the old adage, you get what you pay for... so one probably won't be going back for more as often as one would like! Nevertheless, it is probably one of Geneva's finest Chinese restaurants, and I would definitely recommend it!

Pictured below: scallop and beef dim sum, followed by garlic shrimp and fried rice.

A burger at Kempinski

An impromptu dinner at Kempinski, a decent Caesar salad followed by a cheeseburger. The burger was good, the bun was excellent.

Four Seasons vs. La Réserve

If you're looking at a hotel menu, more often than not, you'll see burgers and club sandwiches somewhere on that list. We've covered burgers at length and now may be a good time to take a closer look at its two-layered cousin, the club sandwich.

So how do club sandwiches compare and contrast at some of Geneva's finest hotels? Visits to La Réserve and the Four Seasons provided the perfect opportunity to answer that very question.

In many ways, the sandwiches -- as one might expect -- are very similar. However, overall, my preference goes to the Four Seasons' club sandwich. The ingredients seem ever-so-slightly fresher and the chicken was a little warmer giving the sandwich a little more texture. Furthermore, they did seem to use more herbs and small amounts of leafy greens which made the overall experience more flavorful. Also the Four Seasons' club sandwich comes with a small side of mixed green salad which definitely tips the balance in their favor in my book.

Having said that, I think the club sandwich aficionado would enjoy both sandwiches.

Pictured below: a club sandwich at the Four Seasons followed by a club sandwich at La Réserve.

Burgers at Kempinski's

A recent visit to the Kempinski hotel was the perfect opportunity to sample their burger. Overall the burger was good, but it is high time for establishments here to stop topping their burgers with gruyère cheese -- the combo just doesn't work for me!

Burgers - Swissotel

When grabbing a quick bite at a hotel, two of the more popular choices tend to be burgers and club sandwiches. A recent visit to the Swissotel located opposite the lake on the left bank was the perfect opportunity to sample their burgers, which contained a selection of tasty and fresh ingredients.

Pictured below: a cheeseburger with a side of fries and a mixed greens salad.

Burgers - Le Richemond

The GVA foodie's quest for the perfect Genevan burger continues with a visit to the Richemond hotel conveniently located by the lake. Overall, the burger is quite good and so is the service. Note: The burger and its toppings are served separately, so if you want some lettuce, pickles, a couple of slices of tomatoes and onions on your burger, be sure to look around your plate before starting your meal!

Afternoon Tea at Hotel d'Angleterre

Hotel d'Angleterre is one of the many five-star hotels located opposite Lake Geneva by the Mont-Blanc bridge. It is a prestigious establishment and it takes the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea quite seriously! There are a number of suggestions to pick from but the traditional tea comes with the tea of your choice as well as an assortment of finger sandwiches and cakes.

Pictured below: a very fragrant cup of jasmine tea a three-tiered platter of finger sandwiches, cakes, a fruit salad and a scone served with double cream.