Join the Gastronomic Carnival at Signature’s Friday Brunch

  • Category: Food
  • March 31, 2019

Take a gastronomic journey through India’s street carnivals and fun fairs with the recently launched Friday brunch at Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature restaurant in the Canvas Hotel, Dubai.

From the moment you get off the elevator, you enter a carnival-like ambiance with brightly lit trolleys borrowed straight from Indian street carnivals and fun fairs. Praveen Singh, Executive Sous Chef was on-hand to explain the concept and the theme of the carnival styled brunch.

One trolley held a clay pot of a cooling jeera drink with accompanying clay glasses. The adjacent chaat trolley was loaded with everything to create that perfect chaat. From the pani puri wafer balls with accompanying chutneys’ to chopped tomatoes, onions, coriander, wafers, and a yogurt chaat. I enjoyed the khandvi—a Gujrati gram flour treat, stuffed with coconut and spices, as well as a plate of pani puri, while the kids enjoyed the yogurt Delhi style chaat.

We loved the blinking front of a truck holding large pots of mincemeat (keema) and chickpeas curry (chana) to be eaten with the accompanying pav (Mumbai styled soft white buns). The other live cooking station showcased all the fun “off the highway” hot snacks—we tucked into the freshly made crispy fried Amritsari fish, the chicken tandoori, and the mini Punjabi samosas.

The chef at the live-cooking kebabs station was grilling pre-marinated vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties—we enjoyed beautifully plated mathania chicken tikka—melt-in-the mouth soft and buttery morsels of spicy chicken, the basil infused lamb chops which was tender and moreish, and our unanimous favorite—the souvid prawns—a cooking technique used to render an super soft texture and flavor. As we grazed, we enjoyed the live DJ belting out Bollywood tunes.

At the table, we were served a steady stream of delicious soft beverages—we enjoyed the mango and passion fruit mocktails and the creamy and rich mango lassi.

One large section held the mains from North India—the kids tucked into chicken biryani with lots of Lala Musa daal while I opted for the fragrant basmati rice, with some peas and cashew nuts paneer curry which was creamy, without being overly heavy. The Dilli butter chicken was also superb, with well-balanced and flavorful gravy with tender cuts of chicken.

To enjoy all of this food, baskets of assorted breads were served and replenished with garlic naans, cheese naans, and plain roti.

There is a terrace section showcased masala chai, and desserts like coco lychee blast—made from coconut, fresh cream, lychee puree, and lychees spheres garnished with pistachios. The Bapdoi was a baked yogurt dish from Bengal served with a sprinkling of saffron and pistachio power. Other sweets included boondi ladoo and sticky date pudding.

The Verdict: A fun place to enjoy celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s superb dishes; the carnival theme and ambiance coupled with the music and great service make it a must-visit.

Visit: The Canvas Hotel Dubai – MGallery by Sofitel

Phone: 04 526-0823