Oberoi Gurgaon offers authentic French pop-up at Threesixtyone°

Payel Majumdar Upreti

Food aficionados and French food connoisseurs in the city take heart, for The Oberoi Gurgaon has a special ongoing French menu pop-up at their all-day dining restaurant Threesixtyone°. Chef Gerald Genson, Executive Chef of Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur has been flown in to serve up a limited edition five-course modern French menu at the venue. The collaboration is part of a strategic alliance between the Oberoi Group and Mandarin Oriental Hotels. This is the first time a chef’s flown in from Mandarin Oriental to delight the guests at the hotel.

Authentic French fare

The menu included an amuse-bouche of tomato consommé and gazpacho, served in a shot glass with a perfectly crisp piece of brioche. The classic French onion soup is made for such chilly winters, the gratinated cheese on top a perfect complement to the caramelised and slow-cooked broth underneath. The bread basket served alongside included individual portions of various French breads. The freshly baked baguette, in particular, was crisp on the outside and absolutely soft inside, and up there among the best breads I’ve ever had in the city.

The next entrée was the best representation of French cuisine on my plate – a serving of Beluga caviar sat on top of seasoned mashed potato medallion surrounded by a Champagne-flavoured cream sauce. The vegetarian option made a prettier picture, a crisp potato ring filled with a reduction of forest mushrooms. The next entrée was fish, served with a side of ratatouille, and a quenelle of potato mash.

While we were feeling quite full and satisfied with the food, the next course made us sit up. A rare-medium lamb loin was covered in a crispy pastry crust, served with Provencal vegetables in a thyme jus. The meal took me back to a French dining room, with the chef’s finesse.

The dessert was a chocolate lover’s delight – La Tarte au Chocolat – a chocolate tarte cooked with a nutty praline, and served with a Malaga ice cream, followed by an assortment of chocolates and coffees to round off the delicious meal.

The menu will be available at The Oberoi till January 21, till Chef Genson is in town.

Chef Genson’s speciality is authentic regional French fare. He has experience working in top-notch restaurants including the Michellen-starred ‘Le Mas- Du Langoustier, the two Michellen-starred Le Chabichou and the Michellen-starred Le GrandHotel Du Cap- Ferrat in France. Since joining Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, Chef Genson has coordinated food and beverage initiatives that reinforce the hotel’s position as the culinary leader in the city. He coordinated Aziamendi 88; a 3 Michellen-starred pop-up restaurant. He has also collaborated with Michellen-starred guest chefs at the property.

The initiative between the two hotel groups is to benefit loyal patrons of both the groups and curate special curated experiences in food and beverage as well as wellness. Members of Fans of M.O. and Oberoi One, the brands’ loyalty programmes will have privileged access to over 50 luxury hotels in destinations across the world, where they will receive superior recognition, exclusive experiences and offers, as well as invitations to bespoke events.

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