Relishing Tantalizing Flavours At The Marriott Food Trail In Mumbai

Our first Sunday of the month was a day full of great food, tantalizing flavours and the complete Marriott experience. We started off from our home and our first stop was the JW Café at the JW Marriott Sahar for a marvellous St. Nicholas Day Brunch and the second was Prego at The Westin Mumbai Garden City, an Italian affair. Here’s how our day fanned out.

St. Nicholas Day Brunch – JW Café

Tis’ the season to make merry, have a feast and become a child again in the presence of Santa Claus. The brightly lit Christmas tree at the entrance, the holiday décor and the fragrance of pork roasted with berries readied us for a grand affair. We were greeted by none other than Santa and then by Chef Rohit Joshi who guided us through the feast.

We began our feast with the traditional Spanish delights like the traditional omelette – tortilla Española the egg in which was fluffy and delicious along with the potatoes. Paired with sour cream and tasty salsa, this was a great start to the brunch. Next we tried some fish fingers with aioli and mashed peas and this too, was a treat to the taste buds. The batter was crispy, light and the seabass was full of flavour. The bocadito sandwich with onions, delicious spreads and crispy pomfret was packed with a punch of spiciness, crunchiness and made for an appetizing snack.

Next we tried the roast pork stuffed with berries, a traditional German delicacy along with Peruvian Jumbo Green Asparagus. The wine jus, the flavours of the berries and the slow roast pork truly made the feast what it was. It was outstanding with respect to the flavours and was the star of the brunch. Not to mention, the asparagus paired beautifully with the pork!

Last but definitely not the least we binged on the traditional Italian lasagne made with pesto, potatoes and lots of love. It was delightful, homely and quite filling. The lasagne gave our meal a refreshing change as our palates were full of spices from the Spanish delights to the rich meats. This was a dish one shouldn’t miss at the feast by JW Café. As we came close to our feast we couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the afternoon and soon it was time to take a trip down an Italian lane at Prego.

An Italian Affair – Prego

We stepped into Prego and were immediately drawn to the alfresco section of the restaurant where we waited for another delicious dinner to sweep us away. Chef Antonello Cancedda hailing from Cagliari in Italy has done a great job curating the vivacious menu that can leave a person spoilt for choice. Thankfully, he was there to guide us through.

He showed us how he made a Magic Paper using a whole wheat dough, rolling it out and cooking it in the traditional Italian wood fire oven. We nibbled onto the crispy magic paper as we sipped on Aperol Spritz, an aperitif quite common on an Italian dinner table. We sat back as the food kept coming from the kitchen. Our meal started off with an arugula salad with goat cheese, an all-time delight! The arugula was sourced from Italy as were the heirloom tomatoes making the salad all the more authentic. Next we tried the creamy burrata with pistachio puree and crispy gnocchi fritto. As we relished the appetisers, Chef Cancedda showed us a whole other talent of his – playing the guitar and singing ‘Pani Da Rang’ with utmost perfection.

We loved the Cappellini at Prego served along with basil pesto soup and a grilled focaccia. It was heart-warming and complimented the oncoming winter very well. Next up, we tried the grilled chicken stuffed with parma ham along with the mashed potatoes and herbs which was delicious. We finished off the meal with a mouth-watering tiramisu which was the star of the meal. Soft, creamy and light all at the same time. It was the perfect end to a grand Italian meal. It was fun interacting with Chef Cancedda who gladly showed us into the kitchen, showed us all the equipment and even taught us how to roll out a sheet of pasta for ravioli!

The perfect day had come to an end and during the ride back home with our bellies full of food, our taste buds thankful to the myriad of flavours and our eyes yearning for a good night’s sleep we couldn’t help talk about the wonderful experience at the Marriott Food Trail. A day full of food is a foodie’s delight and that’s just what we got all through one of the most memorable Sundays of our life.