À Ta Maison has brought in a new Executive Chef, Rahul Gomes Pereira, who brings with him a smashing new menu to the city. Having donned the chef’s hat across continents, from Australia to Singapore to Germany, the 25 year old weaves together his vast experience and ATM’s exemplary service to take ATM’s menu from hero to superhero.
As we landed in Versailles, aka the Formal Dining Room at ATM, a promising candlelit supper welcomed us. Without much ado, we started off with the amuse bouche, a savoury take on the typically sweet éclair, a clever filling of tomato and brie sandwiched between choux pastry. The trio of lightweight bread, tangy tomato, and brie – our taste radar sensed we were off to a good start. The first of the appetisers, Peruvian Quinoa salad, arrived as a medley of pomegranate, asparagus leaf, Peruvian quinoa, vanilla & truffle espuma. The earthy taste of the quinoa and asparagus was complemented well by the subtle sweet notes of pomegranate and the vanilla & truffle foam – successfully cracking the complex code of healthy and delish. Chef Rahul stated this is the healthiest dish on the menu and loaded with antioxidants, setting the tone to take on the upcoming meats, sweets, and everything in between.
Next up was the Parsley Crêpe with pork sausage ragout and cheddar, amping up the spice for the night. The ragout, made with homemade Goan chorizos, is the perfect punch of pork & paprika, befriended by the bold flavours of cheddar and parsley – making it a clear favourite of the night. Drawing the starters to a close was the Tenderloin Carpaccio, served on a bed of olive oil and topped with rucula leaves & parmesan. While the meat was pounded well and sans fibre, the base of decadent olive oil & peppery leaves lent a clash between flavours of letting one shine as the hero of this dish.
The second course was a holy trinity of seafood, duck, and pork. Starting off with the Portofino Risotto, we were presented a cracker of a combination – saffron & parmesan rice with seared salmon, scallop, snapper and bay prawns. The saffron rice worked it’s never-fail charm on us, with the subtle sweet hint of saffron sitting well with the seafood flavours; the succulent bay prawns, especially, had us add a bookmark to our list of favorite dishes. Giving it competition was the Maple Glazed Smoked Duck Breast with truffle mash and kale chips, cooked for over eight hours, the meat was tender till the bone. The slightly tangy yet sweet sauce did complete justice to the expertly prepared duck, and the light & flavourful truffled mashed potatoes found certified fans in us as we couldn’t help but polish those off the platter. Rounding up this sesh was the Apple and Beer Braised Pork Belly with pearl barley and beer foam; though we enjoyed the pork and apple & beer sauce, and the peppery foam individually, it didn’t captivate us when had together in a single bite. However, a shout-out to the pork, which as also done just right, is definitely in order.
Graduating to dessert, we made acquaintance with Chef Rahul’s Chocolate Crémeux with a side of golden jelly, vanilla & truffle espuma, and asparagus leaf. Made with 90 percent Manjari chocolate, the crémeux was the perfect melt-in-your-mouth finish to this stellar meal. The Madagascan chocolate works its magic with its slightly acidic nature and undertones of red fruits, with a creamy texture to enhance the flavour. The re-entry of the foam and asparagus was a happy surprise, and made an ace match with the jelly for the chocolate’s dark palate.
Downing this smash-fest of a supper with a cuppa joe, we blew off the candles, beaming the way only good food can make you beam. The evolution of ATM’s menu from French-centric to pan-European certainly gets a nod from us, and with each dish surpassing the next, we were making plans to come back for seconds even before stepping out! Watch out Delhi, with Chef Rahul’s innovations on the table, you’ve been served.
Find them at: 21, First Floor, Khan Market, Sundar Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi 110003
