Martini Fest @ Tales & Spirits

Mr Freeze

As far as food / beverage festivals go, the Martini Fest at Tales & Spirits {T&S} is a pretty unique one in that it's not very often that you have restaurants hosting beverage-based fests and that too focused on a single cocktail. Fortunately, the Martini has evolved over time, even allowing for swapping of base ingredients - vodka for gin - thereby making it more compatible with a variety of flavours and ingredients. T&S offers a neat variety of Martinis from the classic and dirty to fruit-based and even an Espresso Martini {more on that later}.

Balsamic Mushroom Skewers

Not being big on vegetarian restaurants had kept me away from T&S even though I'd heard plenty of good things about the place thanks mainly to the Chef Sagar, whom I know since his days at Olive Bistro. Tucked away in a quaint lane behind JW Marriott, T&S oozes warmth with ambient lighting, wooden furniture and panelling, and a pleasant buzz generated by it's mostly under-30 crowd - the 120 seater was packed on the Wednesday night we were there for a menu tasting. 

Jalapeno and Mozzarella Cigars

 

Thai Jungle Curry

There were a few dishes that stood out from the grub we tried - Jalapeno and Mozzarella Cigars, Balsamic Mushroom Skewers, a fantastic Thai Jungle Curry, and desserts like Baklava with Butterscotch Ice cream, Chocolate Brownie Jar and Churros. Desserts have always been Chef Sagar's forte so one wasn't surprised with how good the confections were. T&S Biscuit Bhakri, a Rajasthani dish with crisp puris topped with a potato and onion sabzi was a hit on the table but I'd skip it next time because of the besan {gram flour} content in the puris. 

Baklava with Butter Scotch Ice cream

Churros

The Wine, Cheese and Popcorn Soup could've definitely been cheesier and more decadent while the Malai Paneer Balchao needed a stronger hit of chillies and vinegar. The Edamame Gyoza, Shitake and Bok Choy Gyoza and the rather bland Mascaporne Cream Cheese Pizza are all voidable though. 

Porn Star Martini

The Martinis were pretty good! T&S Dirty Martini, Mr Freeze {vodka, raspberry} and Porn Star Martini {vodka, orange liqueur, passion fruit} were my picks from the lot. The drinks are sufficiently potent and the Mr. Freeze, a frozen martini, is particularly refreshing. All Martinis are priced at 299++ and will be available till October end.

{The bloggers table was hosted by Tales & Spirits.}