In the Gresh

“Olives and figs grow by the side of the road, rosemary is there for the plucking... I’d never run out of ingredients...It’s beautiful, man,” said chef Gresham Fernandes about his recent culinary trip to Ibiza, an island where he conceived The Tasting Room’s newly launched menu. As his faraway eyes took on a shade of day dream, we knew we’d lost him to Spain. Sipping on a bowl of hearty onion soup, we waited for chef and chevre to arrive.

If a Menu Could Talk

Beginning with the sketch of an elegant, wiry chandelier and ending with a listing of simple, non-flavoured cheese cake, the menu here – new additions supported by old favourites – is clean and fuss-free, with dishes designed so they don’t clash with the restaurant’s bright pink walls. Seriously. Besides interiors and Ibiza, the food selection has other back stories too: songs that have spurred on sauces, textures that have taught tenderloin and cities that have stirred soups. After a fun afternoon tasting, we got Chef Gresham to return from his Ibiza mind trip and dish on our top 5 picks.

Stories with Morels by Chef Gresham Fernandes

Chevre Pine Nut Phyllo Bake (Rs 250): This one has a sweet guava glaze that I first tried at a roadside bakery in London. It’s a great fruit reduction not often seen on Mumbai menus, and I was excited to implement it in an appetiser.  

Iced Gazpacho (Rs 180): The inspiration for this one came while sipping chilled gazpacho on an Ibiza beach. Of course, ours were spiked with vodka, but this is a great variation too. 

Smoked Salmon and Citrus Salad (Rs 250): A chance meeting with blood oranges in Delhi led to a passionate hour of experimentation in the kitchen. Et voila, I had a beautifully coloured salad with peppery salmon, fresh oranges, sweetlime and slightly bitter grapefruit.

Baked Bassa in Smoked Pepper Butter Sauce (Rs 430): Bassa’s a great fish that can take on any flavour, and so I really wanted to put it on the new menu. During the making of this I listened to a lot of Reggae from Putumayo’s collection which resulted in a super chilled baked bassa bathed in brilliant orange, airy sauce. My kitchen playlist however, usually features more hardcore artists like Metallica.

Lemon Cured Chicken Breast (Rs 380): Marinated overnight with lemon and garlic, this one’s inspired by my interest in Moroccan cooking.

Find your happy ending in a slice of carrot cake with a swirl of citrus mint. Bon appetit!

Getting there: The Tasting Room, 1st Floor, Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, call 65285284, dishes on the new menu start at Rs 180.