The Real Taj of Restaurants

Dinner at Taj - always gives a plush, prestigious feel. Taj is still considered to be an expensive affair, meant only for the rich and glamorous. A meal at Taj may still be considered as an illustration of extravagant living. Well, it definitely is good to spoil oneself once in a while. In my case, it has started happening a little more than ‘once in a while’, though.

My love for food and the wide plethora of food offered at Taj is what pulls me there again and again. Any celebration has to be at Taj. Well, eating out without any reason also happens at Taj frequently. I hit Taj Gateway, Surat recently, on occasion of my birthday, and had a memorable meal.

I started off my meal with the juice of the day called Fruit nectar. It was a mixed juice with heavy flavour of pineapple and passion fruit. I decided to head for salads, before taking the second helping of Fruit Nectar, as the salads looked very inviting. Cold Chicken and Fish salad, Pineapple and Mayonnaise salad, Bean salad, Brazilian Veg salad, Chicken Hawaiian salad could be had by adding salad dressings and oils like Rosemary oil, Basil oil and Thousand Island dressing. I could easily ignore the main course and go on with salads.

Before the main course, there were soups and pastas to try. Various types of plain and flavoured breads and croissants can be had with soups. The Chole-Aloo chat got me hooked on to it. I didn’t even want to leave out the 4 types of raitas and pickles there.

Pastas are made to order. You can ask for vegetarian or non-vegetarian pasta in sauce of your choice. We ordered for a veg pasta in red sauce (in the pic) and it was heavenly.

Though I am a non vegetarian food lover, I found the vegetarian dishes interesting. Vegetables in green Thai curry. Spicy Noodles, Mixed vegetables cooked in Avadhi style, Brinjals cooked in South Indian style were some of the dishes I couldn’t say No to. One of the up sides of Taj is that it caters to all kinds of tastes – Various national specialities, Asian and European. No wonder, you see Gujaratis, North Indians, Muslims, Japanese and Europeans regularly flocking into the place in good numbers.

Main course included fish in white sauce, Chicken in Sarso Saag, Lamb Masala, Hakka Noodles and Singaporean Noodles. I wish I could eat more. But I was already full and we were yet to attack the desserts.

Desserts. My favourite part of the buffet. Taj always offers around 10 variety of unique desserts during each buffet. This time they had Pineapple Crumble, Doodhi Halwa, Lemon Soufle (in the pic), Mango Blueberry Mousse (in the pic), Strawberry Burfi, Strawberry Swiss Pie, Rasgulla (my favourite), Kiwi Catalana (in the pic) and Chocolate Cheesecake.

I didn’t even know unique combinations such mango and blueberry make up such wonderful, yummy foods. My tummy were at the optimum level by this time and I could eat no more. Alas. All good things come to an end.

Taj Gateway is a spacious, peaceful, elegant place witnessed by the upper crust crowd of the city. A buffet at Taj means a getaway from the usual, daily humdrum and to rejuvenate. The staff is courteous and you are sure to have an undisturbed, balmy time here.

Buffet dinner costs Rs. 650 per head.

I am already waiting for the next occasion when I can celebrate at Taj.