BLUE GINGER

Introduction

The first Vietnamese restaurant to open in India. Known for its attentive details to the cuisine and authentic interpretation of Vietnamese food, Blue Ginger brings a brand new experience of an unexplored land and culture to Bangalore. In Vietnam, Blue Ginger has hosted international celebrities ranging from President Clinton to other heads of state who patronize it for a true Vietnamese experience. Mr Oanh, the spokesperson for the Vietnamese chefs, Chef Loan and Chef Chuong says, the restaurant represents the people of Vietnam, and opens a stage for the two cultures to meet, an opportunity that may not have arisen otherwise.

This romantic Oriental tiled pavilion set amidst a pond became synonymous with “paradise” and evokes many emotional memories for Bangaloreans and visitors to the city. When Paradise Island, based on a similar structure of King Chulalongkorn’s palace wings, opened its doors in 1991, it offered the first taste of Thai food in all its regional nuances to the city. Blue Ginger continues the same tradition of offering an exotic Asian cuisine in an enchanting island with the bringing in of the Vietnamese Cuisine.

The restaurant has been refurbished with present day requirements and now incorporates:

· Show kitchen for a greater interactive experience; and an open bar counter.

· Interior designing done by David Winters.

· Mood lighting created by lighting expert, Mr Tony Corbett.

· Three musicians from Vietnam who perform live.

· Fire-torches for mood lighting within the restaurant and in the water body.

· Landscaped gardens in keeping with South East Asian traditions by Mr Michael White.

· Solid teak flooring with exotic South-East-Asian inspired floor tiles as accents.

· A water hyacinth pool surrounding the dining experience.

· Designer Chairs made from Water hyacinths.

· Specially designed furniture reflective of the regional style with water-hyacinth fibre chairs, leather ottomans, dark silk furnishing, and natural stone tables.

· Commissioned tableware in Vietnamese blue and white by well-known design house

· Artifacts and hanging lanterns sourced from Vietnam.

· Bose speakers and portable audio- system for performances.

· Cascading natural stone waterfall, with an additional party area by the water body.

Fact File

Restaurant Name: Blue Ginger

Hotel Name: Taj West End, Bangalore

Timings:

Ø Lunch - 12.30 – 15:00 Hrs (14:45 last order)

Ø Dinner - 19:30 – 00.00 Hrs (23:45 last order)

Date of Opening: 20^th February 2004

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Covers in Restaurant: 102 covers

Crockery: Minh Longi (Vietnam)

Glassware: Schott zwiesel & Amber (Water Goblets) Germany.

Cutlery: Oneida (India)

Upholstery: Kian (Vietnam)

Blue Ginger Staffing Hierarchy:

Restaurant Manager/Assistant Restaurant Manager (1)

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Supervisors [Captains] (3) - Hostesses (1)

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Associates [Stewards] (6)

Best Dishes at Blue Ginger.

Appetizers :

Fresh Rice Paper Roll with Shrimp and Chicken

Fresh Rice Paper Roll with Tofu and Vegetables

Shrimp Paste on Sugar cane Stick.

Butter Garlic Soft Shell Crab

Squids in Tamarind Sauce.

Grilled Mushrooms.

Vegetables with sesame Lemongrass and chilly.

Soups

Rice Noodle Soup with Vegetables/Tenderloin/Pork/ Chicken.(PHO)

Asparagus Crab Meat Soup.

Prawn Lemongrass soup.

Corn and Chicken Soup.

Salads

Raw Mango Salad

Raw Papaya Salad.

Lotus Stem and Cucumber Salad.

Main Course

Stir Fried Greens Garlic

Grilled Egg Plant with Basil/Scallion Sauce.

Grilled Lobster with sate sauce.

Stir fried Prawns with Tamarind sauce

Stewed Lamb Shanks

Stir fried Chicken with Lemongrass and chilly.

Rice/ Noodles

Steamed Sticky rice with Chicken/Vegetables.

Steamed Rice with Vegetables/ Chicken topping.

Pan fried Noodles with Vegetables/chicken.

Glass Noodles with vegetables/Crab Meat.

Dessert

Coconut Caramel Custard

Coffee and Chocolate Mousse.

Mung Bean Ice cream.

Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese cuisine has been coming into its own in the world food scope with its reputation as a diverse, healthy, light and aromatic cuisine. Emphasis on fresh ingredients - vegetables, herbs, wheat and legumes, meat and seafood, minimal use of oil, and a blend and contrast of textures and flavors has earned Vietnamese food its reputation. No meal is complete without fresh vegetables and herbs, and a key platter on every table consists of cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper, and sprigs of basil, coriander, mint and related herbs found abundantly in South-East Asian markets.

History and geography has shaped Vietnam’s cuisine like any other. Its long, slender shape follows the coast from the southern delta to the mountainous north. Geographically, it consists of two great fertile river deltas separated by a belt of mountains. The Vietnamese describe their country as two great rice baskets hung on either end of a carrying pole! Surrounding Hanoi in the north is the Red River Delta, providing rice for North Vietnam; while the fertile Mekong Delta centered by

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon produces rice, vegetables and fruit for itself and Vietnam’s central region.

In the South, dishes reflect Indian influences; foods tend to include more chilies, herbs and spices – a result of their year- long availability and the region’s location on the crossroads of trade. It also has an abundance of seafood which is reflected in the cuisine. The North has fewer herbs and less favorable growing conditions, and hearty stews and soups are comforting in the harsher climate. The classic Pho bo beef soup is a native of this area. Due to its proximity to the Chinese border, it reflects more Chinese influence with its reliance on stir-frying and soy sauce. Central Vietnam, centered around the ancient imperial city of Hue, displays a sophisticated and complex royal cuisine with specialties like pork sausages and fancy rice cakes.

Vietnamese food is a historical blend that incorporates the food and styles of cooking of its former rulers. From the Chinese, they have learnt the use of chopsticks, wok and stir- fries, from Mongolia; it has incorporated beef, and from the French, developed a love of bread, butter and coffee. At Blue Ginger, for example, curries would be served with French baguettes, as they are in Vietnam, reflecting the French influence on dietary patterns. However, despite its colonized past, Vietnam retains its own distinct character. Essentially there are five sauces to flavor food – fish sauce (nouc mam), bean sauce, spicy lemon-grass sauce, Soya-lime sauce and ginger-lime sauce, with occasional additions like plum sauce. However, most sauces are served separately, instead of smothering the main ingredients allowing diners to control the flavors individually on the table. Other flavoring agents are ginger, lemon-grass and garlic.

Our Vietnamese chefs, Mr Quon from Central Vietnam and Mr Dong from Northern Vietnam have been specially trained by Blue Ginger in the State run Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, Vietnam. They, together with the talented musicians will bring Vietnam alive right in the heart of Bangalore!