There is an age old Chinese myth that noodles shouldn't be cut while boiling and instead should be eaten the whole length for a healthy and prosperous life (longevity). To commemorate this belief and celebrate the Chinese new year, Four Points by Sheraton (FPBS) have organised a noodles festival called 'Oodles of Noodles' at their Pan-Asian restaurant Panash.
Those who've been to Noodle Bar or All Stir Fry will relate to this concept. You choose between a number of options of noodles, vegetables, meats / seafood and sauces which is then tossed by the chef. Except that this is on a different level of authenticity and taste altogether. Also, the noodles are freshly handmade by chef par excellence, Sanjay Mitra and his team, and not just boiled straight out of a packet. It was indeed a revelation for me that varieties of noodles exceeded far beyond Lo-Mein {better known as Hakka}, Kwayteow {Flat Noodles or Pad Thai} and Somen {rice noodles} and much like pasta, there's a reason behind the variation of shapes and sizes of noodles. So we also have Ho-Fun, E-Fu {noodles that can actually absorb the stock they're cooked in} and Buckwheat Noodles to name a few lesser known varieties.
The first combination I tried was a beef and prawns stir-fry with Kwayteow noodles and Guilin Chili sauce. What I loved most about the sauce was that it was extremely flavourful without being very spicy. And there are no words to describe the fresh soft noodles {suffice it would be to say that every Pad Thai for me stands ruined}. Add some crunchy vegetables like water-chestnuts, peppers and carrots to the dish and you're going to be a very happy camper.
The next bowl was udon noodles with massaman curry and pork. I was always keen to try this very different version of the Thai curry which comes from a region with a dense Muslim population and hence the usage of more spices in it's preparation. The decadent curry had a good hit of peanuts, Thai chillies and spices like star anise and was perfect with the udon noodles it was served with.
I also tried some of the other combinations fellow diners came up with and quite enjoyed the stir fry with fish and chili bean sauce.
The meal also includes soups and desserts. They do have a soup and dessert of the day but you're allowed to order any other options from their a la carte menu as well. We were served a dessert of pan seared apples with vanilla icecream and it was the perfect end to the meal.
The fest is on till 16/02/2014 {for dinner only} and costs Rs.850/- plus taxes for unlimited soups, noodle bowls and desserts. Check it out for fresh handmade noodles and some fun combinations which encourage you to let your imagination run wild.
P.S. - Since this was a media event, we also got to sample some of their other popular dishes like dim-sum, sushi {so far the best salmon sushi I've had in Pune}, Lotus leaf chicken {chicken marinated with brandy, rum and other sauces}, prawns butter chili oyster {heavenly!} and Buddha's delight. Good stuff!
The first combination I tried was a beef and prawns stir-fry with Kwayteow noodles and Guilin Chili sauce. What I loved most about the sauce was that it was extremely flavourful without being very spicy. And there are no words to describe the fresh soft noodles {suffice it would be to say that every Pad Thai for me stands ruined}. Add some crunchy vegetables like water-chestnuts, peppers and carrots to the dish and you're going to be a very happy camper.
The next bowl was udon noodles with massaman curry and pork. I was always keen to try this very different version of the Thai curry which comes from a region with a dense Muslim population and hence the usage of more spices in it's preparation. The decadent curry had a good hit of peanuts, Thai chillies and spices like star anise and was perfect with the udon noodles it was served with.
I also tried some of the other combinations fellow diners came up with and quite enjoyed the stir fry with fish and chili bean sauce.
The meal also includes soups and desserts. They do have a soup and dessert of the day but you're allowed to order any other options from their a la carte menu as well. We were served a dessert of pan seared apples with vanilla icecream and it was the perfect end to the meal.
The fest is on till 16/02/2014 {for dinner only} and costs Rs.850/- plus taxes for unlimited soups, noodle bowls and desserts. Check it out for fresh handmade noodles and some fun combinations which encourage you to let your imagination run wild.
P.S. - Since this was a media event, we also got to sample some of their other popular dishes like dim-sum, sushi {so far the best salmon sushi I've had in Pune}, Lotus leaf chicken {chicken marinated with brandy, rum and other sauces}, prawns butter chili oyster {heavenly!} and Buddha's delight. Good stuff!
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