CELEBRATIONS -- 14:

CHILDREN MAKE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AT GATEWAY SPECIAL

BY P S SUNDAR 

Eight students of the Government-aided St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, kept tourists, including foreigners, singing with them during their scintillating rendition of Carols at the Christmas Eve celebrations at the top range Taj Gateway Hotel here on Monday night.

“These children hail from low-income families.  Our pianist Felix Marshal trained them for this presentation.  Now, they bear confidence for professional rendition.  That is the best Christmas gift we could give to them and through them to a portion of the deprived society”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.   

The children were thrilled at the reception they got for their rendition and were awe-struck when Executive Chef Ramalingam and Food and Beverage Manager Balamurugan took them, along with their teacher Arputharaj, to the expansive dining hall and encouraged them to enjoy whatever they liked from the huge spread of Christmas dinner. 

“The children admitted that they have not had such an experience before.  We enjoyed supporting them meaningfully and giving them an unforgettable Christmas celebration”, Muralidharan said.

“Likewise, the Christmas magic show by Ravindran and the gifts given by our Santa Claus made the Christmas cheerful for these children as also those who had come from different places”, he noted.

“We grow Christmas Tree permanently in our garden.  It is now 9-feet high.   We created the Christmas Crib with the plants taken from our garden.  Tourists enjoyed taking photos with them as the place looked like typical English villa”, Housekeeping Manager Nagaraj said.

“For this Christmas dinner, we had four divisions – barbeque in the open, live Aappam, pasta and chaat counters, main course dishes and a huge counter for desserts and fruits”, Balamurugan said.

“Our dinner spread covered Indian, Chinese and continental to suit the differing palate including 13 varieties of eggless and skilfully carved bread, Christmas special Roast Turkey in honey glazed cloves, seven types of condiments, six types of salad, over 32 dishes in main course, 19 Chaat items, 22 dessert varieties, seven barbeque items and many fruit juices and soft drinks”, Executive Chef Ramalingam disclosed.

Menu for the main course:

Spot: Pasta

Penne,Spagetti,Fussli,Macroni

Sauce -: Bolognaise. Arabiata Spicy Tomato, Cheese Sauce.

Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, Parsely 

Roast Papad/ Vadagams/ Applam.

Curd Rice/kambu Curd rice/Plain Curd / Strawberry Curd. Fried Chilli

Dosa counter( Aloomasala, podi,)

Sambar ,coconut ,tomato ,coriander chutney

Non Veg-Counter Main course

·         Roast chicken clemenceau with champagne sauce

·         Mandarin Béarnaise Tenderloin Flavor with Rosemary and Wilted Spinach

·         Crust Bird chilly garlic basil  prawn tossed in golden fried cashew .

·         Karuvepillai attu kari sukka

·         Aarachu vacha meen kothamalli kuzhambu

Vegetarian Main course

• Spinach Feta Phyllo Parcels
• Quick tossed bochoywith baby corn and blackfungus
• Walnut beeroot croquett 
• Grilled Chard / winter vegetables with brown butter
• Nargisi Kofta in palak
• Vegetable stew
• Avarakkai milagu peratal
• Bendakaya Palli fry
• Dum aloo kashmiri
• Mix vegetable saffron methi
• Karakudi kalan kozhambu
• Smoked Dal makhani
• Lasooni  methi dal
• Melagu Rasam
•  Steamed Rice
• Saffron channa  Pulao
• Burnt Garlic tomato noodles

The dinner was served amidst candlelight on the tables

The entire campus wore festive look with colourful illumination right from the entrance gate through the facade and the buildings besides the garden.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)