Fava Version 2.0, a New beginning...

Fava at the UB City, a culinary extraordinaire from Chef Abhijit Saha needs no introduction. It created quite a buzz when they decided to refurbish the venue and introduce a whole new menu to add more grandiose to its existing hiatus. I was lucky to be invited for a special tasting along with a discerning few earlier this evening.

As I proceeded to the corner bar, I was presented with a special selection of drinks served for the evening. I was elated to find my favourite Sparkling Rose-Chandon topping the list and decided to stick to it for the rest of the evening. After a few rounds of pass-arounds of the Baked Mini Gozlem Pies, Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian we proceeded towards the tables designated for the tasting.

I started with the Polenta Crusted Crispy Goat Cheese and Thyme Roll and slowly made my way through the Persian Chicken Jujeh Kebab. The latter was mildly spiced and set the right pace for the evening-a touch of Mediterranean delicacies with a hint of orient. The Grilled Garlic Krauker Sausage with Baby Potatoes and the Crispy Calamari were popular appetisers that quickly disappeared off the table. But it was undoubtedly the Grilled Deep Sea Prawn with Black Sesame that took the crown for the best amongst the appetisers.

The best Mezze/ Salad I have ever tasted in the last forty years (almost) was served up next in the form of Plated Smoked Salmon Labneh. The richness of this strained yogurt and the Smoked Salmon complimented each other and to me was the ultimate Moksha for food.

The Tenderloin and Ricotta Manti Ravioli was my ultimate choice for the Pasta and the Peperoni Multigrain Pizza my favourite guilty pleasure for the evening. The Vegetarian Pizza Bianca with slices of Potato and Arugula was delectable to say the least.

My Mains consisted of Mediterranean-Style Stir Fry with Millet and Black Rice Risotto with Deep Sea Prawn and Organic Vegetables. However the Galette of Mushroom and Snowpeas was quite appealing and I dug into a slice or two from my friend’s plate.

Desserts appeared in the form of a heavenly Black Pepper and Chia Seeds Panacota with Red Grape and The Caramel and Chocolate Flan. I was simply enamoured by the taste of the Panacota and its ethereal flavours. The Passion Fruit and Coconut Tart was the final happy ending to this wonderfully curated menu. We proceeded towards the Ice Cream section where Home-Made Ice Cream infused under Liquid Nitrogen with Sorbet and Frozen Yogurt was served. I decided to go for the Dark Chocolate Decadence which is my ultimate comfort food. The evening was planned and executed very well and with much finesse. A big round of applause to Chef Abhijit Saha and his esteemed team for putting together such a special event and my heartfelt thanks to my friend Chetan Kamani for the special invitation.