Every inch of Blue Ginger (Taj West End, Bangalore) is a snapshot. Fringed by wild grass, curvy water bodies dappled with lily pads and sunshine, the restaurant walks a languid line between formality and leisure, and is packed with Vietnamese aesthetics and the aromas of a mysterious yet instantly engaging cuisine.
The crunch of fresh herbs, the slowly spreading warmth of delicate sauces, the tang of refreshing salads, the conversation between all things sweet, sour,bitter, salty and spicy apart, I feel too distracted to focus on food here because the interiors engage all my senses.
Even my low end , not-so-smart phone manages to capture its tall, gleaming vases, leafy corners where you can lean back against a cushion and watch the day pulse by, its slanting ceiling, its gently glimmering lamps and the breezy verandah vibe.
Meeting the resident Vietnamese chef over a new menu is a bonus because when you watch a master in action, you imbibe just how much food means to those who passionately love it.
And so at a cook out session, I saw just how shredded mango or raw papaya when teamed with carrots and shallots, crushed peanuts, chopped basil, slivers of chilli and a dressing of soya sauce, water and sugar grains , can be transformed into an addictive salad. Not as simple as it sounds though. You need to know how to chop like a magician and to balance flavours so that they don’t collide but dance together.
I learnt just how a simple rice paper sheet when moistened can become an artist’s canvas and with a handful of water chestnuts, rice vermicelli, shredded cabbage and carrot, basil, iceberg lettuce, a splash of hoisin sauce and some peanut butter can be rolled into a marvellous surprise.
You will find the new menu at Blue Ginger to be delightful especially if you start with dessert like I will when I go there next. A delicate jelly with coconut cream with rose petal ice-cream, enough said! Vegetarians , please check out the grilled Tofu Saigon, crisp stir fries, a delicate trio of mushroom, a red curry that tastes how a red curry should taste, fresh, creamy and subtle, a bounty of Asian greens, rice noodles with a hint of celery and steamed jasmine rice to go with everything.
This is a five-star restaurant but the food lives up to the image though for budget conscious eaters like me, Blue Ginger is a place for really special celebrations when you want your breath to be taken away for a few hours over a long, leisurely, flavourful meal.