Across Asia on a platter

If you want to taste the flavours of Asia, step into the South EastAsian night at Westin, Koregoan Park. The food festival serves a broad spectrum of South East Asian cuisine, ranging from the much-loved street food - from Japan, China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malayasia - to some exotic dishes.
Filling us in on the details of the festival, Ray Liew, executive sous chef, Westin, Pune, says, “This is strictly Asian food, made in the traditional way. You can taste a plethora of regional dishes under one roof. The fare is mostly about fish, chicken, duck, beef roast marinated in herbs and spices and then cooked. To add the authentic touch to the spices, we got them from across these countries.”
There's a lot about this food festival that will attract foodies. Francis Purification, Chef, Westin, Pune says, “South East Asian cuisine is simpler, the masalas and the sauces are not overpowering. It's healthier too, as a number of dishes are served steamed or raw. What is a big hit amongst the gastronomes is the simple and easy way it is cooked and served. It appeals to the conservative eaters too.”
The food festival , which is laid out every Wednesday, has three live counters where you can choose your ingredients and have them cooked. The menu for the festival includes soups, starters, served with assorted dim sums made of minced meat, lamb, porks and crab. On the other hand, the salad bar has 13 salads made from quids, octopuses, shrimps and a variety of meats with 20 different traditional ingredients. On the sushi platter comes the teriyaki roll and the crunchy prawn tempura roll. In the main course is a variety of rice and noodles cooked with broccoli, carrots, zucchini and greens. For vegetarians, there is an ample variety of veg items, while dishes like Peking roast duck, roast pork ribs, sweet and sour pork, Vietnamese fish head curry and laksa, Malaysian butter prawns add to the novelty factor.
Another area where the festival scores are the assorted Asian sweetmeats. Desserts like coconut sugo melon, kiwi cakes, green peas pudding, mango pudding offer the perfect way to end this feast. Care for something different and delicious?