World On A Plate: A Treat To Your Palate By Culinary Experts
A food festival that was the perfect springboard for imaginative leaps into the greatest depths of culinary culture with #MasterChefs turning food into art of the most beautiful kind!
Last weekend presented me with the chance to witness culinary artistry as VR Bengaluru hosted ‘World on a Plate 2’, as part of the #VROne Carnival. The festival was a marvellous compendium of food and drinks, and insightful conversations with the gurus of the culinary world.
After the successful 1st edition, Gold Rush Entertainment launched the 2nd edition of World on a Plate with an illustrious culinary line up of some of the most celebrated chefs from around the globe. I had the opportunity to attend the event on the 2nd {press conference} and 3rd of June {master class} and the elaborate food presentations complemented with master classes intertwined with lively conversations with the gurus, rendered a magical experience at the festival.
My rendezvous with the experts included: English Australian chef, celebrated restaurateur and one of the judges of the MasterChef Australia series ~ Gary Mehigan, acclaimed Australian patisserie chef ~ Adriano Zumbo, Asia’s renowned pastry chef from Singapore ~ Janice Wong, Indian celebrity chef ~ Ranveer Brar, and winner of MasterChef Australia, 2016 ~ Elena Duggan.
#Day1 #PressConference #Snapshots
#Day2 #HUG #Snapshots
The #MasterChefs spreading smiles at #VRBengaluru with HUG!
Scratch a gourmand, find an artist. Cooking in its verities offers a sensual experience that is cherished by everyone who shares a love for food. World on a Plate 2 was brimming with artistic touches to food transforming simple dishes into exquisite ones.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kiran Soans, CEO, Gold Rush Entertainment explained that the resounding success of the 1st edition had motivated them to repeat the magic of last year by organising the 2nd edition. He explained that the inspiration behind WOAP was that Gold Rush Entertainment wanted to create quintessential experiences for the food aficionados of India.
Tanya Fontes with Kiran Soans {CEO, Gold Rush Entertainment}
In all its glory, the most delightful facet of the festival was the chefs and the pleasing aura they created with their affable personalities. All five gourmet experts seemed to have the gift of repartee, and they indulged the guests in tête-à-tête sessions. Foodies were given the chance to be a part of their masterclass where they took us through their signature dishes with subtle twists of Indian cuisine knitted into their recipes. Their unprecedented knowledge of food, cooking techniques, and ability to translate their thoughts into words, left every person in the room hungry for just a little more of their time; and inspired to indulge in some experimentation of their own once they got back home.
Master Class With The Gurus
Sunshine streamed in through the sunroof at the throng who came to witness food in its most glorious form. As the young staff meticulously prepared for the day ahead, the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread, cupcakes, and tarts filled the air fuelling the anticipation for a day of gastronomic perfection. In this atmosphere, heavy with saccharine flavours, entered Australia’s favourite MasterChef Gary Mehigan with a beaming smile. He proceeded to tell us, “India has always floored me with its diverse food palate. Coming back to India is always exciting but coming to Bangalore is a surreal experience. The diversity of cuisines and its cross-pollination always brings something new for me every time I visit India.”
#Snapshots
Gary turned two unlikely ingredients into a winning combination ~ Chocolate and Beetroot
Roasted Salmon with Peas, New Season Asparagus & Cauliflower Skordalia Recipe
Tanya Fontes with Gary Mehigan
While not denying the MasterChef Australia shows’ influence, as well as its social and cultural impact, Gary believed that they {Gary, George, and Matt} had metamorphosed the language of food bringing in an element of fun and experimentation, changing the way dinner tables were set in the average home where plating and presentation had gracefully walked into the limelight. He said, “We mirror the changes taking place in communities, and people are easily able to co-relate. There is more awareness among people about food sources and whether it is sustainable or not. Then there’s the question of whether the food they consume is organic or not. Food is now a fascination and everyone wants to know about its interesting complexities.”
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Adriano Zumbo is one of Australia’s most celebrated patissiers. When it comes to delicious desserts, his reputation precedes him. His relationship with ‘all things sweet’ goes back to his early childhood days when he would raid the lollies and cake mixes from his parent’s Coonamble supermarket. At the age of 15, he decided to further his love for pastries by beginning an apprenticeship. With his Balmain shop front in 2007 being the start of his transformational journey, Zumbo’s empire continues to expand at an accelerated rate to this day. The first series of MasterChef Australia introduced his croquembouche to a larger audience contributing to his resounding success and making Adriano ~ and macaroons ~ a household name!
Adriano Zumbo’s romance with desserts is deeper and more influential than what meets the eye. His innovatively created desserts constantly evolve to find themselves in a new garb prepared with a different technique, or collaborated with a new cuisine and presented in a refreshingly new way. His exuberance is infectious, and his fans {we} love it that way, and so does he.
“I am really excited to be in India, more specifically in Bangalore, for the World on a Plate. Indian cuisine is an incredible amalgamation of flavours, textures, and colours which is a treat for any foodie. Gold Rush’s World on a Plate is a wonderful platform for diverse cuisines to be showcased and I am eager for more,” he said.
I was elated to be a part of Adriano’s WOAP Masterclass where we were treated to the tempting Dirty Chai Spiced Honey Cake. The recipe included chai, honey date cake, raspberry jelly, dirty chai cremeux {chai tea with a shot of espresso}, chai foam, all in a milk chocolate cup with a delicious dirty chai ice cream.
His advice to budding patissiers: “Don’t expect extraordinary success in just a couple of years. Practice is the key, so find yourself a mentor who can show you the way and fuel your curiosity for the world of desserts.”
#Snapshots
Tanya Fontes with Adriano Zumbo
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Janice Wong, whose forte lies in her remarkable knowledge of ingredients and intuitive pairings, has captured the attention of people in the culinary realms with her dessert-making skills. She finds it natural to understand and use different culinary concepts in her gastronomic adventures. Her most recent edible art installation wooed a huge crowd with a shared love for sweets, at the Atrium in VR Bengaluru during WOAP 2. The whimsical and fun installation comprised 20 kg of chocolate in the form of 1000 lollipops in the appealing flavours of Passion fruit and Green Mango.
#ArtInstallation #Snapshots
Playing with a multitude of colours and textures interwoven in the delightful choice of flavours and a dramatic play with perceptions; her strikingly unconventional artworks are constantly evolving as people interact with them. The one thing constant in all of her endeavours is the endless search for perfection in imperfections and her remarkable appreciation of imperfection in perfection. She brings to us food through the artist’s eye which has subtle tones of flawless imperfections woven into the magnificence of flawed perfections. Janice Wong’s creations are truly art from the gourmand’s viewpoint!
My eagerness was hard to contain as Janice Wong stepped into her workstation. My undying love for chocolate spurred my excitement and the only thought that sprinted across my mind was ~ What magic was she going to weave this time?!
And magic it truly was! The patisserie extraordinaire created her signature Cacao Barry Inaya 65% H20 {Chocolate H20} ~ Chocolate water mousse, salted caramel, yuzu sorbet, and chocolate soil. Wong’s inspiration came from the striking beauty of the dead corals at the San Sebastian coast. The dessert featured an aerated frozen chocolate with water mousse sprayed in grey which was laid out over a bed of chocolate soil, and was served with Kochi Yuzu Sorbet to give a light and refreshing balance to the dessert.
During the class, she spoke passionately about the benefits of chocolate, the joys of creating fusion desserts, and her dedication to chocolate art. On a parting note, she said, “The journey of exploring new flavours at World on a Plate is a remarkable one. I am impressed by unconventional ideas and techniques utilised in India for desserts, and I simply can’t wait to share my experiences once I am back home.”
#Snapshots
Tanya Fontes with Janice Wong
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Ranveer Brar was born and raised in Lucknow, a city that is famed across the country for its delectable kebabs. At the age of 17, he learned the intricacies of kebab making from Ustad Munir Ahmed. His fascination for food grew as he learned more about kebab preparations which ultimately led to him choosing cooking as his calling.
Loved for his nice-guy persona, Ranveer Brar has earned fame as a chef, travel show host, food columnist, and food stylist. During the master class, the affable chef constantly shared nuances and experiences from his career and talked about the diversity that vegetables and fruits offer to a cuisine ~ something that meats may fail at ~ explaining this as the reason for the world closely following Indian cuisine. “The astounding intermingling of masalas and spices combined with the colourful textures and flavour of Indian cuisine is irreplaceable,” he said.
He shared the secrets of his cooking techniques, recipes, and ingredients giving guests a first-hand experience of his culinary wisdom. And, the conversation was soon directed towards the importance of styling and presenting dishes to wow and amaze. He demonstrated his craft by the means of molecular gastronomy for the dish he created at the WOAP 2 Masterclass ~ a wonderful and eye-pleasing platter of Cured Salmon and Chilli Compressed Melon with Achaari Yam Guacamole.
Pointing out how beautifully the festival brought together a world of tastes and foods to the people of Bangalore, Ranveer concluded, “This is an extraordinary food festival which demonstrates the skilfulness of culinary masters from different parts of the world. It introduces new cooking techniques and a modern outlook towards gastronomy. I am sure that the foodies of the city will be taken on a whirlwind of flavours at World on a Plate 2.”
#Snapshots
Tanya Fontes with Ranveer Brar
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On her maiden trip to Bangalore, MasterChef Australia Season 8 winner, Elena Duggan told us “I am so excited to be part of World on a Plate 2 in the city of Bangalore. Working alongside Gary is always fun. I look forward to the experience and learning more about the local cuisine.”
What followed was an interesting storytelling session during her master class while she grilled up salmon {Crispy Skinned Snapper, Mango, Lime and Coconut Salsa} and prepared a delicious summer Quinoa salad.
#Snapshots
Tanya Fontes with Elena Duggan
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The excitement of the crowd demonstrated the love and adoration people have for these iconic chefs. I enjoyed the light-hearted discussions and witty answers of the culinary gurus who are revered for their amazing skills in an event that put food before everything else. They shared personal experiences and industry secrets which had to be the best takeaways for amateur chefs and those revving up to be a part of the food industry.
To conclude: As my roller coaster journey exploring new foods and meeting some of the most renowned masters of the culinary world came to an end, I carried home fond memories of chefs with warm smiles and warmer hearts.
Kapila Chandran, you are a gem of a person and I am thankful to you for giving me an unforgettable opportunity and helping me live my dream. Kiran Soans, congratulations on another successful season of WOAP! As for the celebrity chefs I interacted with, I am inspired by all of you and I only hope to live up to whatever you aspire for us to achieve.