The exciting menus at destination weddings
While you sample wedding buffets in awe of all the wonderful delicacies on offer, there may be some ceremonies that serve simple food and dish out only traditional offerings. But, is it the same at destination weddings where food items may be scarcely available? We found out what destination weddings have in store for us in terms of palatable party food.
The Destination Menu:
It all begins with planning the right menu and staying true to the couple’s roots.Mr. Sachin Malhotra, Hotel Manager, Lavasa International Convention Centre, says, “At destination weddings, the menu is extremely important. Lavassa, for that matter, has a huge demand for people based in Mumbai and Gujarat who are looking to have a budgeted destination wedding along with traditional food.”
The Menu to Get You Excited:
Most people prefer traditional food for the main ceremony and will not mind flying down their own guy to cook up the main meal with all the rustic flavours.
Chef Ranveer Brar, Senior Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, reveals, “Regional food has high demand even in destination weddings. People go to the extent of flying down chefs to get special dishes made.”
Most boutique hotels have trained chefs and culinary experts who can assist with the food and various cuisines. But it’s usually the pre- and post-wedding functions that people prefer to experiment with the menu.
“Families prefer to go all out with theme-based menus like Khao Gali, Chaat Bazaar, and Mediterranean buffets along with pan Asian food, ranging from Dim Sums to lesser known Mongolian cuisine. People also like picking food items from various parts of the world.” says Mr. Sachin.
People prefer opting for wedding packages that offer breakfast in the forest along with a nature trail. For instance, they would love being served authentic Maharashtrian cuisine while on a walk overlooking the scenery and create a number of wonderful memories.
The Off-Beat Food Demands:
Guests demand various things like, cooking for specific requirements like catering a Satvik menu or to work out temple food of South India for an Iyer wedding, serve pre-plated food for a large wedding and liaising with multiple properties within a destination.
“It does become a bit difficult because of the multitude of functions that destination weddings bring. A kitchen has certain key strengths and characteristics and the menus reflect those. However, in order to not repeat dishes during weddings, we need to be extra creative and collaborate with other hotels in the company to bring in a unique culinary skill set to the wedding,” adds Chef Brar.
Special Chefs for Special Ceremonies:
“Even in hilly destinations, traditional food is always in demand. A South Indian family will want their own cook to make an elaborate traditional meal,” continues Mr. Sachin
Most chefs love to please their guests and have walked that extra mile to do so. Chef Brar adds, “Many instances have taken place where the clients have chased me down to Mumbai asking for the same menus that I did for their family and friends in my Delhi hotels. My ex-hotels have been kind enough to share those old menus with me to recreate them. We have gone as far as couriering our signature dishes, especially desserts, to a couple on their honeymoon.”
These culinary escapades get more interesting.”At one particular time, we had a family fly down the chef especially from Delhi. The flamboyant menus are all based on the fact that the destination can take the pressure of continuous food supply along with immaculate service and delectable food,” adds Mr. Sachin.
Most couples prefer to pick, choose and design their own menus for their special days and their demands can vary from a simple, authentic dish to an elaborate one made with scarcely available products.
Well, there’s a whole lot to watch out for this wedding season with the amazing combo of beautiful locales and appetising food.
Image courtesy: Shutterstock
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