With their sweet-tangy flavour and ruby-red hue, strawberries are incredibly versatile. Joanna Lobo and Shraddha Uchil pick out unusual versions of it to be savoured in city eateries
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Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream
Strawberries and watermelons work beautifully when paired with balsamic vinegar, that deep brown syrupy concoction with an intense, sweet-sour flavour. This ice cream is a twist on the traditional strawberry and balsamic salad. To make it, balsamic vinegar is first reduced and then incorporated into a sugar-free strawberry ice cream.
Available: till February 9
Time: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u008812 pm to 12 am
At: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088All outlets of The Sassy Spoon and The Sassy Teaspoon.
Call: 8655555555 (Bandra)
Cost: Rs 100 per scoop
Strawberry Noel
Satisfy your sweet craving with a new range of desserts created by executive chef Kshitiz Shekhar. Two dishes stand out among the lot. The Knodel is a steamed cream cheese dumpling stuffed with strawberry compote. There’s also the Christmas hangover dish, the Strawberry Noel. This dessert is a roulade made with white sponge layered with strawberry cream, crunchy chunks of praline, and finished with a strawberry tiramisu.
Available: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Till ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088February 15
Time: 12.30 pm to 3 pm, 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm AT Hotel Marine Plaza, 29, Marine Drive.
Call: 22851212
Cost: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Rs 375 plus taxes
Strawberry Ketchup
Forget the tomato ketchup that you usually douse on all the fast food you eat. Instead, try ketchup made with fresh strawberries. This version uses corn syrup, which is a healthier version compared to a sugar-based one. Chef Phuong Tran uses strawberries for its wonderfully tart but balanced natural sugar. While you can’t buy yourself an entire bottle of it, you could try it with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Time: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u008811 am to 8 pm
At: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Ellipsis Bakery, Recondo Estate, Sudam Kalu Ahire Marg, Worli.
Call: 66164653
Cost: Rs 270 (Grilled Cheese Sandwich)
Chilled Strawberry Gazpacho
Strawberries are a natural choice for dessert, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used innovatively in savoury dishes. Try a big goblet of chilled gazpacho, which is available till the end of strawberry season. It combines its fruity and acidic flavours with classic gazpacho ingredients such as cucumber, tomato and pepper.
Time: 11.30 am to 11.30 pm
At: Craft, F-85/86, Phoenix Marketcity, LBSâÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Marg, Kurla (W).
Call: 61802073
Cost: Rs 275 plus taxes
Strawberry Goat Cheese Focaccia
Celebrate the royal fruit of the season with savoury treats you can pair with tea or coffee. Skip the desserts and, instead, try a Focaccia with Basil Pesto Sauce, Strawberry and Goat Cheese at a Strawberry High Tea. Yet another option is the Rolled Strawberry Cheese Salsa Bruschetta, where a sweet and spicy salsa is stuffed in a toasted bruschetta.
Time: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u00883 pm to 6 pm
At: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Lobby Lounge, Grand Hyatt Mumbai, off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (E).
Call: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u00887045950135
Cost: Rs 1,500 plus taxes for two (Strawberry High Tea)
Pics/Bipin Kokate, Suresh Karkera, Sayed Sameer Abidi
Antioxidant
Fresh strawberries get an upgrade in this dessert by Chef Sanjana Patel, called Antioxidant. The base of this dessert consists of fresh straw-berries and a berry consommé. A consommé is a broth that is traditionally a savoury preparation; here, it’s made using strawberries. The dessert is finished off with a rose pannacotta, champagne, yoghurt snow and a tuile. It can be served either plated or in a glass.
Time: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u00888.30 am to 11.30 pm (Monday to Friday), 8.30 am to 12 am (Saturday and Sunday)
At: ÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088La Folie Lab, Hill Road, Bandra (W).
Call: 9167937019
Cost: Rs 375
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