It is the most awaited time of the year as it brings love and happiness in abundance. From Christmas to New Year, celebrations start around the globe. This festive season, let us celebrate the fruits of nature with family and friends, exchange blessings, and cherish these moments forever. Here are some amazing food trends for this festive season from the Chefs of renowned hotels.
The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi
Grandma’s recipes are getting a twist and wisdom makeovers, with traditional favourites re-discovered in new and Morden techniques.
Festive staples are undergoing a re discovery—think of one pot meal in olden days where all the ingredients were added in specific intervals and finished in one pot. In this urban style we re-discover the same recipes and re-construct the whole concept, plated in a modern way. For example think of coq au vin or lobster thermidor and any classic dishes, I believe that this concept of plating cooking & glazes, provide opportunities for exciting twists with still maintain the nostalgia of grandma’s recipes.
Creativity in vegetarian cooking is going to new levels at this hard pandemic times.
This year, vegetarian folks get into the festive spirit with fresh vegetables/ tofu / fresh leaves /nuts or seeds. All of these make a great ‘centre-of-table’ when u imagine traditional roasted chicken and roasted lamb leg, replacing or bulked up with the likes of mushrooms and nuts or season with a vegetarian gravy or liquid smoke. These protein replacements offer bulky blank canvases for your favourite Christmas flavours or infact any festive season.
Christmas pies, rolls or pastries and tarts are also great for accommodating a vegetarian twist. Curry, Garam masala, caramelised onion and cumin add a flavoursome kick to any veggie-based pastry.
Taj Palace, New Delhi
This glittering time of the year is all about hope, togetherness and cheer. It’s a time when people get together with their families, friends and loved ones to reconnect, revel and rejoice and raise a #ToastToTomorrow. Since this time is all about celebrations, in terms of food, experiential feasts are the most in demand. Whether it’s a resplendent brunch with a host of options or a personalised dinette dining experience under the starlit sky, the unique experiential element is what counts. Essentially, it’s not merely about the food, but also the experience as a whole.
This is also the time to savour Christmas treats that are in huge demand such as decadent Plum Puddings, Mince Pies, Stollen Bread and more. At Taj Palace, New Delhi, for instance, we have curated a host of experiential festive specials during this time of the year including Christmas Eve feasts at Capital Kitchen and Orient Express, Winter Cocktails at The Blue Bar, a delightful Hot Chocolate selection at The Tea Lounge, a sit-down celebratory affair at Spicy Duck and more.
The Roseate Hotels & Resorts
I feel the current trend is inclining more towards the simple and elegant style of plating. Chefs are going back to their roots and focusing more on the flavors and heroing the ingredients. Despite the advanced technique that goes behind putting the dish together, the end result should always look effortless.
Another trend that has been noticed since the onset of the pandemic is that guests are now more conscious about what goes into the dishes. They want to check on its nutritional value, calories and are particular about the hygiene too. About desserts specifically they want to know what type of sweetener we are using . Guests are also opting for gluten free, vegan, plant based, alternate flours much more than in pre-covid times.
Hyatt Andaz, Delhi
This festive season we have curated a lovely menu exclusive to Christmas and New Year. People are in jolly spirits and excited to celebrate over a nice meal with family. At Andaz Delhi, on the occasion of Christmas, we are doing a whole suckling pork Spanish roast with a whole roast turkey to showcase.
We are also expecting an exchange of greetings this year, and have curated special hampers for the same. With assorted Christmas chocolates, puddings, dry cakes, cookies and scrumptious rum balls, Andaz Delhi is all set to add an extra touch of joy and flavor to your holiday season.
Jaypee Residency Manor
As new year and Christmas is around, Jaypee residency manor is bringing fusion of global and local cuisine this time for our esteemed guests….focus this time will be more on local and organic produce and live interactive cooking stations where guest can get there dishes tailor made from our master chefs ..we will also be introducing this time millet pastas which are made by local ladies group and millet flour for Indian breads which is locally produced in Garhwal region.
Apart from this array of dishes from all over the globe will also feature in our buffet spreads specially in Christmas eve dinner where roast turkeys and Christmas puddings are the traditional features ,guests will also enjoy this year never before culinary experience where health and immunity booster dishes will be a key feature this time as we all have seen in past that how important this Is specially during the pandemic which has effected us so severely….we will showcase how right food can play important role in your life.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island launches the “Festive Shades of Blue” this holiday season. A series of holiday events and programming across the twin-island resort that celebrate the surrounding azure hues of the South Ari Atoll. From 22nd December 2021 through 7th January 2022, the resort will bring new meaning to “Blue Christmas” with unique festive experiences including unique culinary offerings.
Executive Chef Christian Pedersen cooking style focuses on simplicity combined with wonderful texture, letting the quality of the ingredients shine through. This festive guests can look forward to simple and expertly executed dishes using classic and innovative techniques mastered over the years. Keeping a focus on sustainability and healthy eating.
The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, New Delhi
The Covid has changed how a consumer eats and shop. The “fear” has led consumer towards eating healthy food not only everyday but even during the festive season. This “New Normal” will continue for months coming. Gone are the days of large Christmas parties, rather people preferring meeting with closed ones over cookies and plum or other Christmas tea cakes. Cookies and plum cakes always dominated during Christmas and New Year, this year being no different only trend is towards immunity boosting ingredients.
So, where plum being a natural immunity booster will be a hot-seller, other ingredients like ginger, honey, turmeric, nut cookies and more will also be preferred in various flavours.
Le Bristol, Paris
The culinary master behind the hotel’s 4 Michelin stars, Executive Chef Eric Frechon has crafted delicate menus for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve respectively, to enjoy at Le Bristol’s worldrenowned restaurants. At triple Michelin starred Epicure, the chef has created an exclusive 7-course symphony of flavour showcasing the rich bounty of France’s terre et mer featuring white truffle ravioli, delicately fried sand sole and roasted free-range capon for Christmas Eve and caviar from Sologne, wild turbot and back of venison for New Year’s Eve.
For Le Bristol’s Michelin starred brasserie style restaurant, 114 Faubourg, the chef will offer a festive 6-course course feast for a distinctively Parisian celebration on both evenings.
Golden Tulip, Chandigarh
Our observation at golden Tulip Chandigarh cover food trends such as Dining-in, Dining-out, Beverage, Dessert, regional cuisine, international cuisine, combos etc.
With detailed opinion and observation, team and chef has ranked combos as top picks followed by live flambé .For the Christmas we have planned the combos of imported “turkey with wine pairing” along with best of Goan cuisine in Buffet. A new concept of Mocktail pairing will also be observed during service for non-alcoholic individuals/groups.
The flambé will be attraction for the new year eve. We will serving the starters to dessert in Live flambé counter. Major attractions in flambé category will be Baba-au- Rhum, Baked alaska, Flambe Gulab jamun, Fire rolls etc.
Skyview by Empyrean, Patnitop, UT J&K
During these days people express their happiness by cooking authentic dishes like plum cake, profit Suzette rolls, valli little’s turkey with fruit stuffing and duck fat potatoes, tiger prawn with chermoula butter, maple glazed turkey. Desserts like yule log, Christmas cookies, eggnog, trifle and brownie .
Keeping in view the festivities and the winter season in Patnitop we are introducing the items in the buffet including Roast turkey with sweet potato, vegetables and Brussels sprout, Turkey biryani, Deep fried camembert with cranberry sauce, Yulelog, Christmas cake, Salmon gravlax with dill and mustard, Orange-ginger roast chicken with fennel and beetroot sauce, Spicy lemon grass stew with steamed fish, Butternut squash and feta tartlets, Squid pepper fry (n/v), Malaysian crab curry in black bean sauce (n/v), Pan Seared scallops with garlic basil butter (n/v) and Mutton Rogan josh.