Cinnamon mornings in Mumbai

'Sunday mornings are special,' declares chef Madhu Krishna, hovering over the buffet area. While the display looks straight out of a storybook, it is a little too tempting to try in one morning, says GEETA DOCTOR.

AS the plane began its descent over the rugged coastline towards Mumbai, a tense silence filled the cabin. Only the sharp whine of the engines banking against the fierce onslaught of the monsoon winds could be heard. As the steel blue clouds rushed past the oval of the cabin window, a familiar pattern of islands, creeks and singular mountain peaks, formed and unformed in a blur of rain, as though being displayed on a screen. The monsoons had arrived in Mumbai.

"In a few minutes we shall be landing at the Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminal," said the voice of the hostess. "Oh, that must be the new name for Santa Cruz," chimed in the young man sitting next to me, smiling with relief.

As predicted, in a few moments, we had landed at the airport. In another couple of minutes, I was being swept into the wet stone cobbled porch of the ITC Welcomgroup Grand Maratha Hotel, the newly built hotel that stands on Mumbai's avenue of star hotels at Sahar. The contrast from the silent fury of the rains outside and the calm white and gold interior of the hotel could not have been more. Pleasantly mannered young men offered to take care of my luggage, tall, elegantly groomed hostesses stood waiting to show me the way, past intriguingly designed panels of glass, etched with a shimmering pattern of tree forms and ancient scrolled writing, into the light-filled atrium.

"Is this virtual reality?" I asked myself, gaping quite openly at the size of the place. It was more like the interior of a palatial courtyard, complete with a magnificent Gateway of India across one end, carved balconies, with pierced stone screens, bathed in a pale peach glow that looked down into a palm tree filled island of white and gold, floating on a magic carpet at the centre.

"My job is in fine tuning the details," explained Hans E. Koch, archetype of the famous Swiss hotelier that George Bernard Shaw has described as a "chocolate cream soldier", tough on the outside, with a soft warm interior. As vice-president and general manager, with a vast fund of practical experience, gleaned by his 23 years spent working in the Far East, Hans Koch was responsible for adding that little edge of luxury that made the difference.

I could not help staring at the young man who came to serve us, at the table. He seemed to be exactly like the young man who had just received me at the reception counter, except that he was now wearing the pin striped pants and long black apron of a waiter. Soon it happened with another waiter, who looked as if he too had a double. Was I imaging things? The last time I had met such a perfect pair of twins was double doormen at The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, where Koch had once worked.

Koch laughed, "No, it is not a question of multi-skilling though we encourage that here. There are two pairs of twins, one of them works here and the other outside." As he spoke, he picked up the slim stick of cinnamon that had been served like a spoon besides the cup of fresh coffee and used it to stir the contents. Looking for just such a spoon brought out the adventurer in him, the spirit of the old European merchant seamen setting forth to discover the Spice Trail to the East. "It was difficult to find at first, but once you know where to go, it is easy, because India is after all the continent of spices." As we sipped our coffee, a delicate fragrance of cinnamon spiked the air around us.

"Sunday mornings at the Grand Maratha are special," declared Chef Madhu Krishna, hovering over the lavishly appointed buffet area, that has been built into the far end of the atrium. "Because of our special brunch at the 'Peshwa Pavilion'." In fact every day is special, since the buffet is spread out, much like the amazing menus that one finds on a luxury cruise liner with an array of dishes.

At the two outer edges of the circular buffet counter are placed the cold salads and desserts. These alone are enough to tempt the gourmet with their variety and versatility. If there are salads, these are served and displayed in all their freshness, frilly leaves, fleshy avocados, tiny cherry tomatoes and all manner of dressings that are made for you on the spot. For instance for those who like to experiment, there is a choice of "Smoked Salmon, Roasted Spring Chicken or Crusted Calamari to scatter on your Caesar Salad", that comes with freshly shaved slivers of tart Parmigiano cheese, fried bacon and baked bread croutons. Lurking amidst the salads are tiny bowls filled with cubes of date halwa, while nearby made to appeal to the heart of the local Gujarati community, an array of their own snacks and munchies, served in a "Farsaan Platter".

Pizzas, Foccaccias and rich Provencal soups share their space with Thai delicacies, while a massive sandwich corner brings in more of the do-it-yourself spirit, though the chefs are always around to offer advice. The Italian accent is, however, the one to keep in mind, even the buffet decor appears to make the best of it. Tall jars in a glass-fronted cupboard by the side are filled with different kinds of pasta, while clear glass vases sprout with long golden sticks of bread. Somewhere lurking in the midst of all this bread is a spread of different kinds of cheeses and cold cuts.

Since it is a Sunday and the "Pavilion" is offering us a choice of wines and champagnes, we try the famous Sula wine from the orchards near Nasik, that have been nurtured by wine-makers with a California touch. It is the perfect combination if ever there was one. Chef Madhu's expertise comes in with Continental food since she presided over the famous "West View" at the Maurya Sheraton, Delhi.

This is not to say that there is not a wide selection of India specialities at the "Buffet". These make the best of the coastal cuisines beginning with a Malabar prawn curry, pomfret cooked in the Goan manner and Mangalorean delicacies served with the typical crispy rice pancakes of the region.

That Sunday, the "Peshwa Pavilion" was hosting a Hyderabadi Nawabi festival, so on top of everything else, we could not help but taste the amazing grace of a typical Hyderabadi biriyani.

It seems almost too much to go on to the desserts after this, but since the dessert section is particularly close to Chef Madhu's heart, we had already made an aerial survey and dived down on the tiny wine glasses filled with dark chocolate, decorated with twirls of even darker chocolate shavings and cream. The display looks straight out of a storybook, since the individual items, such as the tarts and custards are dainty to look at and displayed in tiers on the glass shelves of the sweet cabinet. Caramelised fruits, ice-creams, jelly molds, dark moist slices of cake, studded with raisins and almonds, as well as bowls of creamy Indian sweets, milk-based, or made of besan flour, vie for attention. If all else fails to tempt the jaded palate, there is still the tropical fuit salad, or the cornucopia of fruits piled at the centre of the table, and the cheese and biscuits, to round off the meal.

It is all a little too tempting to try in one morning. So what I do is to drift towards "Catherine's" that lies across the grant old bar, named "Bombay High" and sink into one of the chaise lounge type wickerwork chairs and order my coffee.

"Catherine's" has been named after the Portuguese Princess, Catherine of Braganza, who was given the islands that became the famous port city, as part of her dowry. The restaurant has been planned like a conservatory, all glass and fern filled corners.

After a Sunday brunch that would have satisfied the appetites of a Grand Maratha, perhaps even the Peshwa, it seemed only fitting that I should recover in the cool depths of a boudoir planned in memory of a Portuguese princess. We have certainly learned to dine in interesting times.

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