Gourmet Passport Experiences @ Serefe, Jubilee Hills

In this day and age where online food platforms are struggling, be it the unhappy customers not getting the promised deals or the exasperated restaurateurs not receiving the loyal customer base they expected, there’s this one-of-its-kind app which is still thriving and garnering rave reviews from the patrons as well as the restaurants alike. Gourmet Passport has truly done remarkably well in uniting the food connoisseurs with the finest of restaurants by providing them enticing 1+1 offers from all across the country. In the words of the founder and MD of Gourmet Passport, Mr.Rocky Mohan, Gourmet Passport is not a discount or delivery but a ‘Discovery’ platform which brings experiences to the patrons and as for the restaurateurs, limiting their exposure to the community to 3 per year provides a more consistent footfall in the longer run.

Keeping up the tradition of providing such staggering experiences, Gourmet Passport recently hosted an evening of exquisite delicacies and candid conversations in association with the newly opened Serefe Cafe and Malt which is again one-of-a-kind premium lounge sporting exclusive liquors with multi cuisine food pairings and to top it off, imported cigars from all across the globe. The event was curated by our very own Hyderabad Brand Host Shivani Mohan which was graced by the presence of many eminent figures of food industry including Mr.Rocky Mohan as well as the best food bloggers and influencers in town.

The menu for the night was humongous sporting a mix of various influences from different parts of the globe for both the diets. Starting with the vegetarian course, my personal favourites from the night would include the Roasted Chili Water Chestnuts along with the Red Quinoa Sweet Potato Patty. While the smoky hot chili paste provided the crisp water chestnut its unique flavour, it was the sriracha dip alongside the sweet potato patty which complemented the dish well.

The non vegetarian course again had an array of options to choose from but the one dish that absolutely blew my mind had to be the Ocean Crumbed Prawns with Cayenne Pepper Dust. Breaded and fried to perfection, these fresh king prawns were cooked textbook-perfect and with the minuscule amount of paprika, the dish hit just the right notes on the spice making it one of the best dishes of the night. Basil Marinated Chicken with Baked Egg Whites again was a commendable dish having succulent pieces of chicken blanketed with a foamy baked layer of egg whites. For the lovers of red meat, the kitchen offered the Rosemary infused Lamb Patty with Blue Cheese Gratinate where the juicy meat patties were very well complemented by the savoury, salty bite of the Blue Cheese making it one of the good dishes to look out for.

The main course came somewhat as a disappointment as the momentum which was made by the stunning appetizer course wasn’t followed through. While there were dishes like Middle Eastern Lamb Chop which did exceptionally well, be it on the temperature of the lamb or the sides or even the Veg Green Thai Curry which was very well received for the flavour balance, we had the BBQ Roast Chicken which came out to be overcooked and dry – a mistake which I didn’t expect from the talented kitchen staff which pushed just beautiful dishes through the night. Though the seasoning on the chicken and even the BBQ sauce were perfectly done, it was the star of the dish which needed to shine brightly but couldn’t.

The dessert menu for Serefe is one hell of a joyride. Just as the place sports some of the most exotic liquors from all around the world, the place proudly presents some of the most eclectic preparations using these liquors as an ingredient which don’t just sound extraordinary but also taste delicious. The patisserie items on offer for the night were the Pink Champagne Cake and the White and Dark Chocolate Mousse both of which worked decent for me. The mousse was splashed with Cognac which gave nice hint of smoky, aged fruitiness well complementing the bitterness of chocolate. A suggestion to the kitchen would be to work on the Champagne Cake a little as no striking flavour came through for this one making it a simple pound cake.

The service here at Serefe was truly a joy to watch. Planning and orchestrating events of this stature often involve long days and tiring schedules but the team here presented a display of flawless execution, which was absolutely laudable. Be it the service staff or the kitchen, each of the team members were on their toes all throughout the service to ensure the diners are provided nothing but the best. Kudos to the owners Mr.Nitin and Mrs.Neha for being such lovely hosts and ofcourse, thanks to Shivani and team Gourmet Passport for such a weaving such a beautiful night of great food and spirited conversations for all of us.

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