Restaurant Review : "Taste of Mesopotamia" at Persian Terrace, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway , Bangalore

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Iraqi cuisine or Mesopotamian cuisine , one of the oldest in the world with long history going back some 10,000 years.

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Source:Wikipedia

It is said that the first cookbooks in the world are the tablets found in ancient ruins in Iraq that has recipes prepared in the temples during religious festivals.

“ The Mesopotamian Diet
Written documents, along with art and archaeological remains, reveal an impressive list of foods in the diet of the ancient Mesopotamians. The meats included beef, lamb, pork, deer, and fowl (with the exception of chicken that came along later).

Source :Jean Bottero (The Cuisine of Ancient Mesopotamia)

This photo of Persian Terrace is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I have known Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway for bringing exciting cuisines to Bangalore. The ‘Taste of Mesopotamia’ from the region of ancient Iraq , is their latest culinary offering at their al-fresco Persian dining restaurant, Persian Terrace.

For those who has been here at Persian Terrace, will remember its picturesque setting with an Arabian night experience under the star lit sky and the aromas of food especially the kababs and others lingering in the breeze, fragrance.

The Ancient Mesopotamian Cuisine

One of the oldest cuisine it is known for its striking richness, finesses and artistry.As per the chef Anthony, even today this ancient cuisine has left rich inheritance and strong influences on the current culinary traditions of regions i.e. Iraq, Kuwait, parts of Saudi Arabia and the Turkish-Syrian border.

As per the Jean Bottero, the French assyriologist, who had deciphered the first ever recipe tablets from Mesopotamia, their diet included the rich mix of meat, fish, dairy, vegetables and fruits as well as grains and legumes, with dishes ranging from spicy meat stews, duck and vegetable stews, braised turnips, and baked pigeon pies. (Source :History On Net)

The Menu

The ‘Taste of Mesopotamia’ festival menu is curated by Chef Gopal under the expert guidance of Executive Chef Anthony Huang, who has bring the time-honoured delicacies from the region.

“The special Mesopotamia menu will showcase a diverse spread of dishes featuring a rich blend of spices such as Mahi-e-kebabs, Roast kebabs to savour along with pilafs & traditional bread.“

We started off with the Mezze comprising of the Baytinijan Mogli , dish made from egg plant with tahini sauce ,lettuce ,parsley and tomatoes. Sources say that This 1000 year old recipe , was served with the Beiruti Hummus , dish from the capital city of same name in Lebanon, along with the marinated olives. (The chillies in the Beiruti Hummus makes it different from Hummus.)

After the refreshing round of mezze, We were served the delectable Kababs and starters from the region , that has been greatly influenced by the ancient day cooking styles and still remains to be important part of cuisine in the modern era.

Lamb Kofta Kabab

minced lamb meat seasoned with parsley , onion & Arabic spices

Kabab Shariyih lahamialdaan

charcoal grilled lamb ribs marinated with rosemary & Arabic spices

Jajaj al khadrvat

charcoal grilled chicken with bell peppers

Jajaj Baghdadi Kofta Kabab

minced chicken kabab seasoned with parsley , onion & Arabic spices

Samaak Haraa Kabab

charcoal grilled fish marinated in parlsey , lemon juice and chilli paste

Kaba I Robian

charcoal grilled prawns marinated in Arabic spices

Pholdhori Kabab

minced vegetables with cheese kabab

Subzi Kabab

charcoal grilled assorted vegetables

The mains we tried were Fasanjan , a pomegranate & walnut stew that can be served with lamb / vegetables along ,the Iraqi Karoofand , a tangy middle eastern meat and brinjal stew ,and Assyrian Masha , a Mesopotamian white beans vegetable stew.

Finally we were served with the choicest of the desserts from the cuisine that included the all time favourite Baklawa , the Persian deep fried doughnuts soaked in a syrup, Bamieh , and Zulbia , the deep-frying maida flour batter roundels that inspired our very own Indian jalebi. The Dates ice cream was also served as the part of dessert.

For the love of one of the oldest cuisine, be there at the Persian Terrace and experience the wonders of this delectable cuisine, which promises to provide an experience to remember from the ancient land between the two rivers.

‘Taste of Mesopotamia’

Date: 9^th March – 18^th March, 2018

Time: 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Price: INR 2700 (With Alcohol) | INR 2100 (Non – Alcoholic)