Chandigarh savours exotic dishes

Chandigarh, Aug 26 : Food enthusiasts got something to cheer about recently in Chandigarh when two food festivals were held there, which tickled their palates.

The food festivals specialized in Mughlai and Chinese food.

The 15-day long kebab festival served a variety of juicy and lip-smacking Lucknawi kebabs. The menu included kebabs of 15 non-vegetarian and 10 vegetarian varieties.

Some of the gourmets like Vegetable Galouti kebab, Spicy Fish kebab, and Chicken Tikka Tarkand were cooked in red wine over charcoal, which can leave any food lover craving for more.

The added advantage of the kebab festival was that it was held in the monsoon season and the rains go well with sizzling hot kebabs.

The Chinese food festival was also quite an experience to food lovers of exotic dishes.

Dim Sums were the heart of the food festival. The Noodle Bar served dumplings that touched many hearts. Reminiscent of teahouses in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Dim Sums are central to the Cantonese teahouse tradition of Yum Cha, which simply means to drink tea'.

"In a teahouse that warms the spirit, it is all about savouring that gentle cup of jasmine tea with a basketful of Dim Sums," said a particularly happy visitor.

The people of Chandigarh were delighted with the variety of Chinese food that was on offer. From the traditional steamed Prawns Sui Mai, the open-faced Dim Sum, to the Shrimps draped with Asparagus were on offer.

One food enthusiast said, "The world has become smaller with people traveling all over and used to different cuisines." He was clearly excited about the variety of cuisines on offer in his hometown. He said that though quite a few varieties like Japanese food were not on offer, the availability of good Thai and Chinese food was wonderful.

The excitement among the people was a clear verdict that food festivals are quite a hit in Chandigarh. And be it the Lucknawi kebabs or Dim Sums from China and Vietnam, they found many takers. by Sunil Sharma

ANI