My Love affair with the Buffet @ Tamra, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi

August 12, 2015
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The newly opened restaurant ‘Tamra’ in Shangri-La’s Eros does
perfect justice to the meaning.  Tamra’ is
Sanskrit refers to copper – A vessel that stores food is known to have health
benefits making life longer and healthier. Located in the heart of Central Delhi,
Shangri-La Eros is easily approachable.

The restaurant is mostly full on weekdays and weekends, so
its always better to book in advance to save time. I went on a Thursday evening
for dinner with my husband. The restaurant is well lit and spacious that had
mostly expats enjoying conversations with food. The ample space and lingering aroma
enthralls diners.
 
Tamra is a multi-cuisine affair with delicacies from Japan,
Thailand, China, Europe and of course India. Wooden floors and a smart bar loaded
with cocktails, wine and beer near the entrance catches your eye as you walk in.
 
Copper vessels hanging from the ceiling, the canopy made from
rolling pins, an oven preserved from the British era are some of the admirable
things that are worth commending.
 
We took the seat next to the glass sill giving a picturesque view
of Lutyen’s Delhi.
 
Anyone who loves food, could work up a good appetite at Tamra.
With a wide variety of meats, chicken, seafood,
vegetables, the restaurant does justice to the expectation of the diners. The Ghar Ka Khaana is a tad different for the regular Indian food
at hotels, where the chef is happily preparing hot phulkas and serving them
straight on the plate, giving a homely feeling. This essence can be experienced
while drooling over gravies and vegetables that are absolutely devoid of any
creamy affair.
 
Moving on to the Thai counter, Tamra continues to astonish us.
A live counter of soups with fresh ingredients are displayed before us that
look as if they have been recently plucked from the garden. The list of
specials are exhaustive that only flares my appetite. There is the soft dumpling
that sits pretty in a warm cover, all ready to be devoured with home-made dips,
while the sea bass fish in lemon grass looked enchanting as ever.  
 
Then the Mughlai
counter on the other end of the spectrum has plenty of intriguing dishes for
omnivores like mutton curry, butter chicken, biryanis and more.The Japanese-style Teppanyaki prepares choice of vegetable, chicken,
fish dishes as per the taste.  The cucumber,
fresh tomatoes, pickled ginger and soy dressing are bottled and displayed that
would make you jump in anticipation.
 
We start
from the soup section and get the bowls filled with all fresh vegetables and
noodles. It is an interesting sight to watch the chef preparing the soup with
full dedication as he mixes the ingredients and adds noodles in them.
 
With the
warm soup served on the table, I cannot resist to taste the coconut based
vegetable soup. The aroma of coconut was accentuated with the flavors of fresh
vegetables; a flavor I cannot forget.
 
The chicken
and fish platter is more like a painting than an entrée, with vibrant petals of
sea bass, chicken decorating the plate with a finely cut salad. Each bite was
heavenly—the fish was peppery and flavorful, complemented by the mellow vegetables and the dips.

My first plate was dedicated to appetizer-type delicacies that I’ve
never seen offered at any food buffet. A more hearty
option to devour is the Mughlai counter that has layers of melt-in-your-mouth, scrumptious
gravies. Served with Indian breads like paranthas and naans, these dishes taste
perfect.
 
Moving on to the
Italian counter, there are many delicious options for appetizers and small
plates. The presentation of each dish is alluring. 
 
I could not
keep my spoon away from my husband’s plate that had the black gram daal, and
chicken dressed in a cream layer that proved
irresistible. Each stolen bite was rich and dreamy. I was particularly fond of the daal. The dish was a few notches spicier
than others. 
 
We sealed the
meal with dessert counter that has a wide display of the best sweet delights. I
stuck firm with the mango gelato that were layered with delectable toppings, while
my husband chose to dig into the Indian flavors in the form of rabri and kulfi.
I loved the chocolate lava cake, that was served with hot chocolate sauce.
 
The food is
top notch, but there are more things to enjoy about Tamra. I would call it the
complete package.
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