monicabhide.com / dr.com Dinner @ Passage to India

[Monica Bhide]

SOme pics:

[bilrus]

The two fish dishes didn't work as well for me. The concept of the cilantro-napped filet steamed in banana leaf brought thoughts of the Yucatan, but not very much flavor, unfortunately. And it was unfortunately overcooked.

And for me these were the highlights. Although the texture of both were fairly similar, the Cilantro fish avoided the watery residue that you often see in fish steamed this way and the spicing with the cilantro offered a subtly sweet flavor. The Mustard fish, which could easily have been overpowering, offered another subtle hint of flavor. This one an almost wasabi-like hit in the back of your nose.

Did you notice that I used the word subtle twice in that paragraph? That is what struck me about last nights meal(s). The flavors in the Indian cooking we are often exposed to here is very assertive and about as subtle as a two by four to the head. Last night showed that subtle works too.

Another thing to note. Chef Seth's charming wife asked how we liked the course with the mustard fish and I couldn't stop raving. A few minutes later she returned with a whole plate of the filets. Now I really liked this fish but we were already midway through a huge meal. She told us she could tell that I appreciated what they were serving and how in India they consider it a pleasure to feed people who appreciate eating. That attitude was obvious in last night's generous meal.

And I don't regret those two extra filets I finished at all.

[Lydia R]

I pdf-ed the menu but cannot seem to upload it.  I suspect the error is my own.

Here's a scan of the two page menu. Great meal and wonderful company.

ETA: Sorry, still having trouble uploading even from a different network...

[Jacques Gastreaux]

What an extraordinary evening. At this point, it is all a blurrrr. The things that sort of stick out are the chicken kabobs, the lamb curry and the mustard fish. The bite of the mustard on the fish could be completely elimiated with the tomato curry. I brought my 17-year old daughter with me who has never eaten Indian cuisine before. She dove right in and had just about everything. For me, the only complaint would be the cheeseburger that I had in the afternoon; big mistake. I sorely needed that extra stomach that Monica said we should bring. When that last platter came out, it was so stuffed that I could do no more than have a taste of the about a half-dozen different bowls on that platter. And Monica was such a gracious hostess, roaming the room making sure eveyone was well informed about the different things they were eating. And I'm sure the chef and his staff are relieved that this is overwith as I'm sure it presented a workload outside their everyday routine. Chef Sudhir Seth is truly talented.

[JPW]

So what if I had a fun time at the wedding this weekend, despite waking to the smell of brush fires, I'm really depressed that I had to miss this.

[mdt]

Passage to India was the place to be last night as we had plate, after plate, after plate of wonderfully flavored dishes. The second round (dishes of Western India if I remember correctly) was my favorite of the night, but not by much.

One surprising dish was in the final bunch, the British influenced chicken stew. It looked like a normal stew with carrots and peas, but the flavor was outstanding with the undertone of coconut.

I was also impressed by the subtlety of many of the dishes that were full of flavor without just being overpowering in either spice or heat.

The only dish that I did not really care for was the mustard fish. While the mustard sauce was delicious, I could not get around my thoughts of a bratwurst or similar sausage being underneath. In the scheme of things not a big deal at all.

A huge thank you to Monica and Chef Seth for putting together this culinary tour of India. I just wish that I lived closer so that I could stop in more frequently. We are truly lucky to have members on DR.com like this and I look forward to other events of this type.

[Sudhir Seth]

I would really appreciate if all those people who took photos of the event could email me the same at

passagetoindia@comcast.net

Many thanks in advance.

[farid]

So this is where all the D.C. people post. Oh why oh why did no one tell me? And why didn't you invite me to this Monica?

Actually JPW told me about this forum awhile back, since I'm not in the area I didn't join then. I recognize more than a few names here. Hi and it looks like a fun forum.

[Monica Bhide]

Farid - So nice to see you here. Next time you are in DC, lunch is on me!

[RaisaB]

ChefZadi,

I usually see you in France;), welcome!