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Gourmet at your doorstep
Old catering menus that boast of butter chicken and kadhai paneer are so yesterday. New-age caterers are here with an exotic fare and that personal touch.
A few years ago, the word catering conjured up a factory-esque image of plastic boxes stuffed with food that was already dead by the time you warm it up. The new breed of gourmet caterers have redefined the rules — the cookie-cutter approach is out, the dishes are spruced up with creativity and menus are customised to the minutest details.
From authentic Swiss snacks and desserts to Balinese and Ethiopian delicacies, you can treat your guests to the most lavish spreads. And if that’s not exciting enough, you can also have a chef lay out the table for your guests. We met some gourmet caterers in the city who promise to pep up any party with their fare. Here’s how.
With love, from Switzerland
When her search for perfect European breads in Delhi fetched no exciting results, Patricia Beerli (a Swiss citizen who made India her home a few years ago), thought of opening her own bakery. With assistance from two other Swiss businessmen, Beerli opened Swiss Gourmessa a year ago. On offer are breads, quiches, croissants, pizzas and pretzels with an authentic taste of European delicacies. Beerli’s mille-feuilles and meringues are the perfect treats to fix a bad day.
Minimum order: Rs 2,500
Call: 9582305906
Bakehouse daintiness
From oven fresh baguettes, croissants, bagels to quiches and customised 3D cakes, Sweetenders in Gurgaon offers a bevy of breakfast items and desserts. Gourmet expert Seema Verma learned baking from a Swiss neighbour during her stay in Philippines and now she runs Sweetenders with the help of a small team. You may also try their splendid range of puddings such summer breeze (a lemony sponge cake) and coffee Kahlua mousse. Do remember to order your gourmet goodies a day in advance.
Minimum order: Rs 500
Call: 9818573703
Global gourmet
Bored of serving the regular Chinese and Italian options to your guests? How about less explored cuisine such as Ethiopian, Indonesian, Balinese, and Vietnamese? One-year-old Blanco Catering, run by restaurateur Sudha Kukreja and chef Manav Sharma, has already got thumbs-up from food enthusiasts who are looking for a global dining experience, which is pepped up by the presence of a chef who will give the finishing touch to the dishes and also lay out the gourmet spread.
Minimum order: Rs 8,000 for 25 people
Call: 9910252626
A regal Hyderabadi feast
A far cry from commercial recipes passed off as authentic treats by establishments, Iram in Gurgaon lays out an authentic Hyderabadi Dastarkhan. Omer Khusro, owner of Iram (meaning earthly paradise in Arabic), has skilled chefs possessing secret recipes of Hyderabadi ‘heritage’ treats such as Shikampuri kebabs, Dum Ka Murgh, Dum Ke Pasande, the quintessential halim, baghare baingan aur mirchi ka salan, kachhe gosht ki biryani and more. When welcomed with such a royal spread your guests will surely feel like nobility.
Minimum order: Rs 2,500;
For South Delhi: Rs 6,500
Call: 9811224451
