Few days back I had a chance to dine at East Asian Spice Trails known as E.A.S.T. at hotel Sahara Star in Mumbai. The dinner was hosted by Food Blogger Association of India (FBAI) and was a lavish Asian food affair.
I have always been fascinated with Sahara Star – the dome is impossible to miss if you are around the Mumbai International airport. The architecture of this hotel is quite unconventional and from the moment you step in, you begin to enjoy the starry opulence.
Sahara Star has multiple restaurants – E.A.S.T, for Asian cuisine, Mabruk for Middle Eastern delicacies and so on. All are located together in the ground floor. The moment you enter into the restaurant area, you can see the rooms above you. All rooms have a balcony that open out to an atrium that has been designed beautifully with pools and carefully manicured plants.
Sushi, dumplings, variety of pan Asian dishes and scrumptious desserts were lined up for us. Each dish was beautifully plated and tasted delicious.
Sushi
Dragon roll – The presentation was the winner here. Inside out sushi made with of shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo & topped with grilled eel resembling scales of a dragon. The flying fish roe on top adds vibrant color & flavor to this sushi.
Ebi Nigiri – No fuss, clean sushi. The natural sweet flavor of the carefully cooked shrimps and rice was a match made in heaven.
Moving onto Dim sums..
Chicken Gyoza & Prawns Sui Mai – Flavors transported me from Japan to China. Dim sum in one hand and cup of jasmine tea in the other was my dinner story that night. This could have went on with me gorging on multiple plates but the mains looked so inviting that I had to take a break!
Mains
Mushrooms in black pepper – Tempura fried mushrooms tossed in an onion, garlic & black pepper gravy. Mushrooms are one thing that I am absolutely crazy for and I can tell when they are prepared well!
Mantoa – A Bao like bun but unlike Bao this one does not have any filling. Just a light and fluffy bun to mop up the gravy with.
Desserts
Dark chocolate Cremeaux – Not as sweet as a ganache and not as bitter as plain dark chocolate Cremeaux with a thin lining of sweet tamarind was an explosion in my mouth. Beautifully tempered chocolate crisp on the top was just what this elegant dessert needed. Clever combination of flavors!
Thai custard tart – Lemongrass flavored custard tops a crisp tuile, while fresh and jellied fruits adorn the dessert like colored marbles.
Coconut & Pandan jelly – After all the decadence, this one came as a savior. Light, refreshing jellies with the much needed tangy and sweet flavor were fragrant and the color was inviting.
E.A.S.T. is perfect for a long dinner drinking some sake and having endless conversations over plates and plates of sushi. We couldn’t thank chef Salil and chef Chang enough for presenting the food and the story behind each dish. Leaving with satisfied bellies and a smile on my face I look up at the glass ceiling, promising myself that I will definitely be back!
