Nov 20th,2014

RaSo’vary good !!!
An evening at Rasovara, UB City

So the universe knows that I To’Thally love Thalis … especially the Gujarathi, Rajasthani, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada etc etc thalis … you get the picture !!!
So when I was invited by partake of the Royal thali at the launch of Rasovara, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not stop me from accepting !!!

Rasovara meaning Royal Kitchen, is the new launch from Mirah hospitality and is positioned as the more regal cousin of Rajdhani.
The regular thali is now served at a more leisurely pace (because people like me really need the s’pace’ing) and broken up into the Starter thali, the Main course and the Dessert platter.

They will go a la carte in the evenings but only after a month from now. Their snack menu is in place though, between 3 pm and 7 pm and with items like vada pav and dabeli on it, there are no prizes for guessing why it is titled Yum Times !!!

So back to my story (because somehow its always about me only) … I was invited at 7.30pm and as is my policy, 7.30 means 7.30 and not a minute out of place (why can’t everyone be like me). Which is why I was the ‘Boni’ guest … though by the time I was done with the meal, Bony was NOT the way one would have described me. Plump and Bonny ? Yeah let’s go with that 🙂
( Boni = inaugural … for those who don’t understand ‘Indian’ )

So I was ‘Teeka’fied with my forehead ‘dotted’ and welcomed very importantly into the restaurant.
In keeping with the Royal theme, there was a ‘throne’ and a tiara to go with it (turbans for the males … yes yes don’t worry), which of course I had to promptly wear and flaunt.

When I was a little girl my mom would recite the rhyme ‘Queen Queen Caroline, Dip yourself in Turpentine etc ’ (probably in a bid to make me feel regal) and this was one childhood delusion that came true as I sat on the throne and recited Queen Queen Caroline, Gorge yourself on Fine Dine … recited in my head of course.
We queens have to be dignified you know !!!

Well we had to soon get down to business and what a delightful business that was. In the company of my friendly hosts and co guests, the evening unfolded with food, food and more food.

A kokum cooler was served along with a thick lassi that I did not try upturning … but am sure would not have flowed out even if I had.

The steamed starters were served in bamboo steamers. This appealed to me since I am a dimsum fan (yeah there is pretty much nothing that I don’t like). The rest of the items were served in a compartmentalized wooden container and the little little pani puri in their own Shot glass … a sure Shot success !!!
See pics for the names of the individual items and also to evoke envy !!!

Gujarathi Farsaan makes me a Happy Parsaan !!! With that little rhyme, we shall move towards the next phase.

The main course was served in a thali made of Pure Gold … ok ok gold colored thali but in keeping with my royal childhood dream and all, I will insist that it was all gold. I am taking the trouble of entertaining you, humor me now !!!
They call it handcrafted kaansa tableware of course but this is my story, not theirs.

The food was a lot like the regular Rajdhani fare, which means a humongous spread and no complaints from my side. And as always, the simplest and most rustic item ie the Bajra Roti/Rotla got my vote. And for the same reason, the tongue tickling Pickle array, also greatly appealed. I must have been a villager in my past life. I wish I was one in this life too !!! They really do have the best food.

Each table has its own designated ‘captain’ to take care of its guests and while some people would be uncomfortable with the hovering and insisting on offering of food with a MotherInLaw-SonInLaw kind of equation, I am quite happy to be fussed over and coaxed every microsecond of the way … because no one at home even asks whether I have eaten … yeah yeah they don’t 🙂 So this is good fun. Of course its another matter that my arms are always crossed over my plate in a bid to foil ‘repeat servings’.

Now what can I say about the desserts ? As usual they arrive at a moment in my life when I have crossed all limits of gluttony and reasoning. Which apparently is a good enough reason for me to indulge in them. So indulge I did. The wooden box made its appearance again, this time its compartments filled with bite sized delectable goodies and a Rabri Shot, which no doubt Shot my weight onto the next Point on the weighing scale but at that Point it was Pointless to keep track !!!

An after dinner Mukhwaas basket, again of wood, had us frantically picking up paan flavored supari, jeera goli, saunf etc, in the desperate hope that they would wash away our earlier sins or at least make the conscience and tummy lighter to bear !!!

Mirah Hospitality, so aptly named, for they are generous and they make their guests feel at home, is offering this Thali at Rs 650 AI for this month. This will switch to Rs 750 AI after that, so anyone with a fraction of math sense will er … be able to do the math and get themselves right away to Rasovara for a session of pampering where they will welcome you with a – ‘Padharo mhare des’ or in this case Mhare restaurant.

I for one, felt like Queen Mhare Antoinette after my reign there, as I decreed – Let them eat Snake (or snacks as we villagers say) !!!

Nov 20,2014

For more pictures see My Facebook – Rasovara-launch