When food stimulates all of your senses, not just your taste buds, you know you’ve had a good meal. My recent visit to The Spice Route, The Imperial, gave me a sense of satiation brimming with excitement that only a great restaurant can offer. Spice Route promises a food crusade like no other, which begins the moment you step inside the restaurant. The intricate ornamentation of the interiors captivated me at first glance and it only made me see more of the gorgeous artwork adorned with antique beams in rosewood and Burma teak wood. I could believe it when I was told that the restaurant was completely hand painted with vegetable and flower colors by mural painters brought from a temple in Guruvayoor, Kerala, but it was unbelievable that It took him seven years to build it. , There is a story behind every illustration, mural painting and painting which is nothing less than an architectural marvel.
The name Spice Route refers to the journey of spices that travel from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam. The restaurant itself is built on the concept of a ‘life boat’, depicting the different stages of life through its nine distinctive sections.
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Spice Route
The Odyssey of Life – A Vivid Illustration
As you step into the restaurant, you enter the ‘knowledge’ section in the corner surrounded by four 16th-century pillars from the temple marking a narrow entrance into the world. It covers the primary foundation of the age-old culinary flavour, the next section tells you about the three stages of life that come after birth – Meaning: (materialism) Cupid (lust) and salvation (Ultimate salvation). As you progress, you find the ‘Help and Support’ section, which is filled with ancient terraces of Kerala. Then there is the ‘Creativity’ section and then the ‘Relationship’ section which has only two seats – for you and your life partner. Needless to say, this section is the perfect place for a romantic date.
Relationship Section – Spice Route
The ‘Luck and Destiny’ section that follows brings you to its ‘Wall of Destiny’ – a wish wall – if you believe in luck. The ‘Dhan’ section is embellished with 24-karat gold leaves on the wall and ceiling and a genuine gold crown of an ancient Thai prince. This place is extremely popular for business lunches. The eighth section – ‘Paternal’ – is dedicated to our ancestors and is depicted through murals with closed eyes, indicating that we are always being seen from beyond. Interestingly, the murals are a handicraft of a blind artist. In the middle of the restaurant is the courtyard ‘Food and Health’ section which is decorated with traditional Thai sculptures from the Chiang Mai region of northern Thailand.
The beautiful visual depiction of life, as it is, took me to the core and took me to my table that overwhelmed me with some nectarine food influenced by the nuances of our primitive traditions and culture. The gourd in me adores the creations of renowned chef Veena Arora.
Spice Route
Culinary Tour:
Spice Route’s artisan menu includes some culinary gems such as Chemeen Thoran (Kerala-style prawns fried with coconut, curry leaves and black tamarind, flavored with mustard), Tom Yum Kung (the famous Thai soup with prawns, flavored with with lemon grass, lemon leaves and galangal), kung nang phad khing (Stir-Fried Lobster with Ginger and Thai Black Mushrooms, served in the shell). The combination of South Indian and Thai cuisine made for a tempting thali and worked up my appetite for more.
Kemine Thoran, The Spice Route
Kaeng Kho Wan Kai (with peas and cherries aubergine) and Phad Phak (chef’s special stir-fried baby spinach with black mushrooms, flavored with soybean paste. I could feel the depth of flavor in each bite; of course Of course, a lot has been considered in creating the flavor profile of these dishes.
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Chicken – Spice Root in Thai Green Curry
There are many luxury restaurants that promise to always have a good time for you, but few live on in your heart; Spice Root is among them for me.
What: Spice Route
Where: The Imperial, Janpath Lane, Connaught Place, New Delhi
When: 12:00 pm – 10 pm
Cost for two: INR 6,000 (approx.)
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