Marwaar Food Festival at Nawab Saheb, Renaissance Powai

"Keshariya Baalam Aao ji.... Padharo mhare desh mein"

Renaissance means -Revival. Revival in the world of art and learning. It also means renewal of Life, Vigor, and interest.

If I tell you that I am having a Renaissance with food or vice versa, I would like you to be not surprised but excited, as excited as I was, as I am.

Indeed, when I received a call to attend the media table hosted by Renaissance, Powai, Mumbai to bring forth the authentic Rajasthani/ Marwar cuisine, I was nothing but excited! I belong to Rajasthan and had been staying away in different cities in India, little do I get a chance to try Marwadi cuisine. And if it is "authentic", I am all game.

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel is celebrating the vibrant culture and cuisine of Marwar with traditional Rajasthani Food festival. A specially designed, well-crafted menu featuring a "wide selection" of exotic, enthusing, rich in flavor dishes from the Marwar region will entice your taste buds and suit your palate.

Renaissance is hosting this brilliant, finger licking, a sumptuous food festival at their Indian Specialty Restaurant, Nawab Saheb from 20th June to 30th June. This festival showcases a wide array of choices to spoil your taste buds, making you wanting "some more, some more". 

The festival has everything for everyone including meat lovers. Succulent dishes like Shikar Maas ka Soola, Murgh Amer, and Machchi Rajasmandi to delight their guests. And if you are pure vegetarian, worry no more, cause the dishes are very well segregated and kept separately, including the vessels, spoons everything. Knowing the sensitive vegetarian food lovers in Mumbai, like me, I guess this disclaimer is very much needed. Besides, I am an eggetarian so the experience shared here will be more towards the vegetarian fare.

My experience at Marwar Food Festival, Nawab Saheb, Renaissance.

Friday,20th June 5:00 pm IST-  It all started at 5 pm in afternoon when I was reviewing my team for their performance and have hurried my way out meeting a gracious Mrs. Sunanda Shetty [Mother of beautiful actress Shilpa Shetty] to wish her happy birthday at her beautiful residence, filled with lovely Tanjavur paintings.. A look at my watch and another at my office dressing, I was all disheartened. Time was a luxury that I could not waste, so I kept my thoughts aside and went on doing my karma.

6:00 pm Evening- I received few missed calls and text from the Main Chef- Sandeep Pandey, checking my time of arrival so that he can receive me at the lobby. Such a hospitality, I was moved. There is no way, I can miss being there, let the bad hair be, let the timelessness be, let the rush be, let all the be, be!

7:00 pm - I was relieved to get free however, there was not much time for me to go home, dump my office bags and freshen up. So I decided to throw caution to winds and requested my mother to join me midway. A very ruffled me reached the venue at almost 15 minutes late at 8:15 pm after battling mad traffic, unfamiliar driver and wrong detour in absence of a map. 

I rang Chef to check and found him very graciously waiting in the lobby to escort me. I reached the venue and excused myself for a minute so that I can quickly go to the powder room, fix my hair and wash my hands to enjoy the authentic cuisine with my hands. Isn't that the way how you should eat Indian food, especially Rajasthani food? Yes, it is :)

On my way to the powder room, I saw this live counter making "ghewar" a traditional sweet dish from Rajasthan. In that second, the aroma took me into its stride and I forgot all tussles that the day put me through and could not wait to be served.

The Live Ghewar Counter

Food Trail- From Starters to the Main course to Dessert

The more I say is less. I am a foodie and I go out for food or order home delivery at least twice a week. I have a great penchant with starters but very rare dining had been able to delight me with their innovation, creativity and different taste. Well, Renaissance was one of the rares and I absolutely loved the way they experimented with "Ker Sangri ke seekh", "Sesame Aloo Mangodi Seekma", Paneer Papad roll, Paneer ke Sholay, Mirch Khilma etc. The 4 varieties of chutney including garlic, mint, tamarind, and Sesame added to taste and were made flawlessly.

Flawless is the word that I associated with the "main course" as well. I was spoiled with a variety of side dishes like that delectable Subz Jodhpuri, Ker Sangra, Chena Nagori Methi and Malai Saunf ke aloo, Ramadana Gatta Curry that paired so well with Indian bread like Missi roti, Jov & Bajre ka Rotla among others. The Kesari bhaat was mild but well-flavored rice cooked with less spice but a good flavor of Ghee and was a delight to savor. Oh! I feel hungry again.

How can a Rajasthani Food fare be complete without Daal-baati, churma? Well, Renaissance not just included it but also made it delicious. To top it, they have around four varieties of Choorma and 4 varieties of traditional Halwas.

After eating all these, I had no space left for dessert and I quickly savored a piece of rasmalai with enriching Moong Daal ka halwa, finishing with a bite of yummy Ghewar that just melted in my mouth.

Everything from the venue to setting to variety to taste and to hospitality was perfect to the T. Dining at Renaissance has always been a pleasure, gourmand, food-coma trip, and this one were indeed a cherishing one. 

In case, if you love eating out or trying a new cuisine or you have heard about Rajasthani food, intrigued but never tried, tried but not sure of taste, tasted and love it, I strongly recommend to go ahead and dine at Nawab Saheb at Renaissance. After all, we work so hard to have a #BetterLife and indeed being Indian, we love eating. Treating our taste buds to rich, sumptuous Rajasthani food festival would indeed be a joy worthy to take. I went with my mom and a dear friend Disha and we all loved it beyond the limits of our appetite, beyond the flavors that we got used to in name of Marwari food festival otherwise [as diluted by popular thali dining in cities n malls]

Venue- Nawab Saheb, Renaissance Convention center, Powai

Timing- 7:30pm to 11:45 pm

In case, you want to book before going, you can call at- 022 66927558 and get it reserved.

Not to forget the yum-licious, tongue licking appetizers there including masaledaar chaach, Jaljeera, and mocktails. I also tried a rose based "Gulkand-betel" mock-tail recommended by chef and can vouch that you would not have drink something as sweet yet tantalizing as this. Go ahead and soak in food fare like a fresh Jalebi soaks itself in a bowlful of sugar syrup. Slurp!

Here's a picture video for all things at "Nawab Saheb" Marwar Food fest. 

And that's how a "Daal baati" crumbles.. Suggest, add a little choorma and a good serving of the tangy pickles that the skillful Chef at Renaissance crackles, and make your day! Bon Appetite