CELEBRATIONS -- 20:

FAMILY GET TOGETHER AT THE GATEWAY HOTEL, COONOOR..

BY P S SUNDAR.

As the mountainous and cool The Nilgiris district is getting ready for the forthcoming peak summer tourism, the tourists received an encouraging message on Sunday with the hospitality sector’s staff members assuring them of a memorable season ahead.

This enthusiasm was reflected at the 27^th Family Get-together of the Associates held at Taj Gateway Hotel in Coonoor.

“We used the occasion to reiterate our commitment to deliver our best for enhancing the tourism experience for the visitors”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.

My wife and I were special invitees along with D Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager, Taj Club House, Chennai.

The proceedings were set into motion by Human Resources Manager A Manoharan.

Muralidharan honoured the Associates who have served the hotel for long contributing consistently as also those who hold prompt reporting record at service.

The following got the awards for their Long years of service with the Taj group::

Sagayanathan, Ramalingam, Sakthivel, Bala Murugan, Ravi, Vijay Kumar, Anandha Kumar, Manikandan, Devaraj Govindaraj, Ramesh and Suresh.

Certificate as also Gold/silver coin were given to them. 

The following got ‘Perfect Attendance’ awards::

Sreejith, Mithun and Pandurangan .. all from Food and Beverage Production department.

“These are the gems bringing laurels through their dedication and hard work and are promising symbols of assurance to the tourists that their stay, food and picnicking experience in The Nilgiris would be of high order”, noted Muralidharan who himself has been serving through the Taj group for about 34 years now.

These two got Taj Scholar awards::

1. Junior .. Rithehwar s/o Bala Murugan.

 

2. Senior .. Dharshan . s/o Ramalingam.

Muralidharan showed to me the new organic manure creating facility using the excess food produced in the hotel as also the vegetable wastes from the kitchen.  “On the one hand, we have advised the kitchen staff to control the volume of cooked food to reduce wastes and on the other, we convert whatever wastes generated into organic manure, apply it in our garden and use the organic vegetables so grown to prepare healthy food for the tourists”, he explained.

The Associates and their family members staged variety entertainment programmes.

These were the responsible ones who conducted the Family Get together:: 

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

CELEBRATIONS -- 19:

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT TAJ SAVOY ATTRACTING A LOT OF VISITORS..

BY P S SUNDAR. 

The whole world is now celebrating with weeklong festival to usher in the ‘Chinese New Year of the Pig’ and the mood has caught up in The Nilgiris as well with Taj Savoy Hotel in Ooty launching the celebrations. 

“As the common saying goes, if you develop a liking for Chinese food, you can survive in any part of the world as the Chinese cuisine has become universal decades ago”, Savoy General Manager Ritesh Choudhary told me.

“This is becoming increasingly true here as we have many UK tourists enjoying the Chinese food at this festival with us”, he said.

“But, the variety is enormous.  Each region in China has an exclusive cuisine”, he noted.

“We opened the festivities with Chinese songs and dances by Anahita Sameer Singh, a child who has come from Shanghai where her family lives.  She thrilled the audience, especially the British, with her most apt numbers”, Ritesh shared.

Front Office Manager Thameemul Ansari is welcoming the guests with a garland made with eucalyptus tree leaves.   To the add the uniqueness, he is advising the guests to drop the garland in hot water before taking bath and experience the charm of healthy fragrant Nilgiri eucalyptus bath!

“We have decorated the restaurant to give a Chinese touch", said Om Prakash, Food and Beverage Manager.

The festive spread is for the dinner for the whole week.  We are serving complimentary festive drink ‘Orange Dragon’,” he said.

The Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj and Chinese specialist Chef Arogyanathan have come out with an elaborate festive Menu and are helping the guests to choose the dishes by explaining to them the ingredients and the significance of each.

This is the Menu now in use ::

The visitors are treated to a delicious beginning of Kimchi Salad::

And, now a mocktail with tea as well::

This is Cranberry and water melon juice with some Masala Tea to offer an awesome taste::

“Among the soups, Tomato Egg Drop, Lemon Coriander Soup (picture) are popular", Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj disclosed. 

"Among the starters, vegetable Jiaozi, (pan fried vegetable dumplings with sweet chilli sauce) is popular", he noted::

And, this Crispy fried spinach and corn kernel::

Also, this sesame honey chilli tofu::

"Xi’an style spicy chicken wings and Singapore Chilli Crab are also popular”, Arun noted. 

“In the main course, Chinese Lions Head Lamb Meat dumplings and Chicken Dan Dan Noodles (wholesome meals) are popular”, he said.

This is a combination of Singapore Rice Noodles, Fried Rice and Sichuan style braised egg-plant with pickled chillies::

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

CELEBRATIONS -- 18:

CHETTINAD FOOD FESTIVAL AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY

P S SUNDAR

The Taj Savoy Hotel in Ooty which sports an English ambience due to its historic lineage with the British who constructed the buildings way back in 1820s recently donned a typical Tamil countenance!

“Earlier, we celebrated Pongal with a typical Tamil village-style ‘Padayal’ on all the four festival days.   We were overwhelmed with the response we received.   So, we once again, we went the Tamil traditional way, this time with a ‘Chettinad food festival’ this time for dinner”, Savoy General Manager Ritesh Choudhary told me.

“Our Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj came out with an elaborate Menu with description on each item so as to help guests, especially non-Tamils and foreigners, understand the significance of each besides tasting it thus linking it with the culture of Chettinad homes”, he explained.

The Menu was as under::

“We prepared the food as done traditionally in the kitchens of Chettiar families in Chettinad.  The delicacies were slow-cooked in earthen pots.  We had displayed such pots in The Dining Room itself where we had drawn a traditional Kolam (rangoli) as done in Chettinad homes”, Food and Beverage Manger Om Prakash disclosed.

“More importantly, our men staff persons donned dhothi and shirt while women staff, saree creating the typical Tamil Chettinad ambience.  This itself kindled a lot of discussion among the foreigners on the Tamil culture”, he said.  

“We displayed the food in mud pot on tastefully cut plantain leaves”, said Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj.

“Every food item had a Chettinad link like Murungai Ilai Charu or Kozhi Karuvepillai Rasam as soup.   For vegetarian starters, Moru Kali urundai, Pookose Aachi Varuval, Chettinad Kalan Thokku and for non-vegetarian starters, Nethili Meen Varuval, Uppu Kari and Eralu Milagu Thokku”, he disclosed.

“For the main vegetarian dishes we had Urulai roast, Keerai Masial, Chettinad Vellai Kuruma, Podi Ennai Kathirikkai, Paruppu Urudai Kozhambu, while for non-vegetarian, Chettinad Kozhi curry, Kola urundai Kozhambu, Karaikudi Vanjira Meen Kozhambu”, he detailed.

“Interestingly, we also had Saiva Meen Kozhambu (vegetarian fish), a popular Chettinad-style fish curry without fish!”, he added.

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