Dinner at a classy upmarket restaurant serving international food with a French flavour and washed down with French wines? Now, that is the sort of evening that would have the members of Delhi Wine Club coming out in hordes. And so it turned out as the guest list doubled at the last minute when the wine loving members of the club realised what a treat they had in store.
Manre is a new restaurant venture on the fourth floor of MGF Metropolitan Mall in Saket. Blessed with ample space and an imaginative Interior Designer every effort has been made to create a dining and entertainment space that would appeal to a wide range of different clienteles. There is a large bar area with multimedia screens and cosy curtained off booths decorated with white curtains, white leather sofa sofas and low level lighting for intimate drinking and snacking. The décor is attractive, contemporary and cutting edge.
It was here we started the evening with a range of delicately made hors d’oevres accompanied by a beautifully made, bone dry rose Ortas from Cave de Rasteau in s small toen called Rasteau near Cotes du Rhone. It was the 2007 vintage made from vieilles vignes (old vines) and predominantly a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah.
The restaurant has a very different feel. One that is redolent with the architectural nuances of eighteenth century Europe. There is low lighting, huge crystal chandeliers and large ornate mirrors. There is also the most spectacular gold leaf ceiling. However there is a contemporary twist as the crystal chandeliers come in black and red as well as the more traditional clear glass, the substantial and beautifully laid tables have glass tops and the accompanying armchairs are modern, comfortable and capacious. As well as the main dining area there are several smaller partitioned ‘rooms’ for intimate private functions.
As the larger than expected company put a strain on the amount of wine provided and the abilities of the staff to keep up with various courses and the wines that matched them it is possibly better if the food and wine are discussed separately. The menu was 6 courses, each offering a choice and each course difficult to choose as the options sounded mouth watering. We started with red pepper soup, accompanied by a cheese straw and a marvellous selection of breads. It was rich but light, delicately tasting of red peppers and the rich stock it had been made with. I then had a salad of smoked duck on top of lightly steamed eastern vegetables and accompanied by a spicy peanut sauce.
After that came a choice between red snapper and cheese soufflé and I was given the opportunity to try my husband’s red snapper whilst my cheese soufflé waited to materialise. The fish was redolent with the heady aromas of garlic, which to an extent masked the delicacy of the fish. My cheese soufflé was delicious, still puffed from the oven, still wobbly in the middle, and accompanied by a cheese and chive sauce that blended with it beautifully.
There was also no holding back with the flavours for the main course as the Moroccan baby lamb was accompanied by a spicy couscous and my companions agreed that their chicken or gnocchi packed a powerful flavour punch. The desserts were also very flavoursome. There was a liberal hand with the cinnamon in the tarte tatin and the ginger in the crème brulee but certainly there could never be too much chocolate as the Valrhona Chocolate Delice amptly showed!
The presentation of the food was spectacular, the plates of food looked very inviting and a lot of thought had obviously gone into the menu to give a balanced meal, which would tantalise and tease the taste buds.
The wines that accompanied our meal came from the south of France. There were two more examples of wines produced by the Cave de Rasteau in the southern Cotes du Rhone. Valerie from Cave de Rasteau was seated on our table and was very forthcoming about her wines and very pleased to share them with us. There was a 2007 white wine made from Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc grapes that was dry, balanced and fresh. Also from the Rasteau co-operatives was a 2006 Cotes du Rhone villages from the Domaine de Pisan. This rich ruby wine was redolent with all the spices and cherries, associated with Grenache dominant Cotes du Rhone, and was a match for the cheese and onion flavours of the soufflé.
The evening also offered the chance to taste an extraordinary wine made predominantly from Grenache. This wine was brought to the evening by Robert Oustric from Cellier de Marrenon. The wine was Orca V (made in 2006) and hailing from Cotes du Ventoux. The vines were planted 80 years ago and Robert claims that the wine is 95% Grenache as he cannot vouch for the provenance of all the vines. The yield is low, 25 litres per hectare, and the wine is aged for 15 months in old oak. The resulting wine is utterly delicious; complex, heady, fruit flavours mixing with something darker and more exotic. It was also a delight to meet Robert, a man so enthusiastic about his wine and so delighted with his extraordinary creation. He also assures me this is a wine that will age and will become more powerful and more complex with time.
It was an evening lasting longer than normal and a challenge for Manre to accommodate so many people at one time. The food was delicious, and the staff was polite and tried their hardest. As always the company was genial, knowledgeable about their wines and always interested in trying new experiences.
Elizabeth MacMaster
Member, Delhi Wine Club
