29 November, 2011

Greenhouse on the Ridge

As promised in my earlier blog post, here are the details of the restaurant where I went on Sunday night. Actually it was a presentation for new chefs at Olive in Qutub.
British chefs Flora Hilleary and Alice Helme showed off their culinary prowess at the Greenhouse on the Ridge, Olive at Qutub, recently.






In an intimate Tuscan kitchen overlooking a tranquil forest, we dined as if at home in the middle of this rustic room. Sneaking culinary secrets from the chefs while we a savoured a rustic , home style European meal with seasonal delicacies.
The sanctuary is surrounded with flickering candles and the sparkle of fresh flowers ....perfect for an intimate dinner or a close supper with friends.
A little secret tucked inside the Style Mile of the capital, Greenhouse on the Ridge is a delightful journey of discovery.
The Greenhouse is a small exclusively and intimate space, where Chefs Flora and Alice are cooking Live in an open kitchen-right before your eyes producing delicious, honest food. The exclusive menu selection changes often according to the produce that arrives fresh in the market that day.
With a homely feel to it they recreate memories from their cookery school in Ireland, Ballymaloe, placing a strong emphasis on well sourced food combined with care and time taken over flavour combination and produce.
Ballymaloe Cookery School, heavily embedded in the slow food movement, believes strongly that the key to good food is in the raw produce; it is these ideals that they reproduce at the Greenhouse.
Says Flora Hilleary “ Our aim for the whole idea of the Greenhouse is that it should be relaxed and have the atmosphere of a French bistro where the food is cooked before your eyes and the produce is fresh. Our ethos is that the fresher the produce, the better the food … we learnt to have respect of ingredients.”
The menu brings forth carefully devised entrĂ©es, mains and desserts with a selection of 15 dishes, part fixed part variable according to the fresh produce of the day.. With a very hands on approach the chefs will talk you though each dish and are keen to offer advice on wine pairing.
Adds Alice Helme , “commitment to well-sourced, simply cooked traditional food has stood the test of time…forgotten cuts and obscure ingredients creates a reliable exciting environment. Today it is increasingly hard to eat with a clean conscience towards animal and human welfare and thus time and concern must be spent to ensure wonderful ingredients.”
Greenhouse on the Ridge follows a strict philosophy of sourcing the best produce in the world, preparing it with clean techniques and presenting it with flare. From the onset the food glows with the care and thought that has been put into each morsel.
Pioneering for natural, organic and ethical produce, they believe that good, European food can be created, using produce and ingredients that are readily available here in India.


Greenhouse menu by Alice Helme and Flora Hilleary – Highlights


The caramelized garlic and goats cheese tart is filled with unusual flavours and the contrasting sweet and sour tastes that come from twice caramelizing the garlic in balsamic vinegar, complement each other to make a fulfilling starter.


With some fabulous seafood available in India the Chefs have prepared a main course with rock cod, steamed spinach and a bacon mashed potato that is paired with a creamy lemon sauce with mussels. A subtle, but delicious dish that includes many aspects of Indian produce.


For dessert we had a pudding trolley that has 3-4 desserts. With a variety
of puddings at offer we had something for every pallet from fruity, indulgent and decadent dishes such as chocolate fudge torte with caramelized strawberries, a Vodka lemon sorbet with Rosemary short bread…


The journey goes further in the Greenhouse as the Chefs demonstrate variety of dishes that are a theme in the cookery school starting soon in the New Year.


Greenhouse on the Ridge is open for bookings for parties and can prepare special dishes with advanced notice, such as lobster, suckling pig and whole roasts.
Make your reservation to have your date with the chef every night (Tuesday closed) and sit back and relax as they create tantalizing delights.


Average meal for two: Rs 3,000 plus taxes (exclusive of alcohol)