A Luscious Food Experience at the Nook

With a team built with Chefs that have been globally trained and experienced, Aloft Hotel is on the verge of having one of the best services when it comes to food.

 

With a team built with Chefs that have been globally trained and experienced, Aloft Hotel is on the verge of having one of the best services when it comes to food. Starting from the widespread, diverse and captivating options in their menu, the quality of reflecting art through food and serving the best-quality food has always been one of the highlighting features of Aloft. As I explored to know more of what the nook has to offer, the Executive Chef, Shailendra Singh and the Executive Sous Chef, Rajeev Shrestha, sat down with me, shared their words, experiences and guided me throughout my time there. 

    I spotted the architecturally rich building of the Hotel between the busy streets of Thamel, and I was already astounded by the tempting environment it held. As I entered, the unique interiors of the place were stunning at first, and then it felt like an absolute escape from the outside world, giving me the chills of a different time-space somehow. The entirely marbled walls of the hallway unusually fascinated me as the whole place seemed like a new kind of artistic wonder with the warm reflections of the yellow light. Looking at the solely new environment, I was pretty nervous at first, but I was greeted and welcomed with such politeness from the very beginning by the staff there which gave me the comforting feeling of home. Going up the elevator, I couldn’t help but think about everything else the place had to offer as the entrance itself had completely exceeded my expectations.  

Reaching the lobby, I was baffled by the contrasting yet aesthetically pleasing feeling it imitated. The warm lighting and perfectly colour coordinated furniture complimented the details of the beautifully carved walls with little bits and pieces of artistic features and souvenirs in every edge and corner of the open area. I was warmly guided to the designated dining area where the chefs and their entire team were waiting. The dining area was designed and decorated in a kind of modern and elegant aesthetic, the kind that makes you want to just sit there and admire the detailed effort it must’ve taken to make. What I appreciated most about the place was the open kitchen at the end of the large dining hall which was probably the most essential feature of the place as it gave this different kind of life to it and the food displayed in the neat pantry gave a pop of brighter colours in the warm-toned setting. Executive Chef, Shailendra Singh, sat down with me and shared his thoughts and experiences, making the entire experience even more interesting, fascinating and enjoyable for me. 

A Bisque to Remember

The Executive Sous Chef, Rajeev Shrestha, came along to sit down as well, giving a brief idea about what I was going to eat and how it was prepared. Starting out with the soup, as it was served, the unusual yet tempting look of it made me wonder at first.

The texture of the soup was thick, just the way I like it, and I could already assume that it would taste appealing to me as I spotted the Shrimp in the middle of the soup bowl. As per Chef Rajeev, it is called ‘Prawn Bisque,’ which is a type of rich French Bisque soup with a sophisticated flavour and is unlike any regular soup.

From the first sip, I knew that it was something I had never tasted before. The uniquely alluring flavour of the soup spread through my tongue when I admired the deliciously savoury taste of it in between the spongy texture of the perfectly cooked shrimp. You don’t get to eat something like this every day or anywhere, that was just how specially prepared it was. I am still surprised by the equally pleasing after-taste it left in my mouth.

 

A Trifecta

Soon enough, the second dish, ‘Tri-colour Tortellini’ was served as the starter. I could see how the food here was prepared with these small yet aspiring hints of art. On the plate, there were three different coloured mo:mo-like dumplings placed over beetroot paste, topped with a spinach dressing.

Chef exclaimed how this was an Italian Tortellini, which was made from a type of homemade pasta. He said how, inspired by the trend today, they improvised these specific dishes with the contrasting colours brought from ingredients like beetroot and spinach.

Each dumpling was stuffed with a variety of ingredients. As I went ahead to take a bite, I was surprised by the taste of it. The texture was just perfect for my preferences, and I absolutely loved the overall taste, with the cover and the unique taste of the stuffing with an enticing flavour of beetroot that came along with it.

 

A Sous Vide Experience

The third dish, called Sous Vide Trout Roulade, was another wonder the place hit me with. I could see the hardworking hands of experience put into preparing these kinds of dishes. Chef Rajeev explained how this type of cooking is known as Soviet cooking and it takes about 12 hours to prepare this particular dish in general.

The fish was perfectly placed in the middle, already tempting me from the inside. As I tasted it, I was already convinced that I loved it. The uncommon texture it had gave it this new quality that perfectly blended in the absolute exquisite flavour of it.

We finished it with a side dish called Potato Terrine. Trust me when I say this, but being a freak for potatoes that I am, never in my life have I tasted a better-flavoured dish made of potatoes. The different flavours with the different layers of potatoes fit perfectly with each other, complimenting the contrasting tastes.

I’ll be honest, I was slightly disappointed when I finished eating them because I could definitely see myself gobbling up an entire plate of it.

 

A Fruitful Touch

Just when I thought the dishes couldn’t get any better, dessert was served. Strawberry Panna Cotta, as they called it. I couldn’t help but admire the unique yet appealing fresh look of it from the outside with, again, a major hint of artistic feature.

I remembered being recommended by a bunch of friends that the dessert here was the absolute best and rare out of all. So my curiosity grew and I quickly sliced a tiny piece of it for myself. My excitement level exceeded as I noticed the slices of strawberries stuffed inside the pink, strawberry flavoured cream on the sides.

With no surprise now, I loved the taste of it. Being a strawberry lover, it was, by far, my favourite dish to eat here, especially because of the organic touch of it. Soon enough I had finished most of it by myself, as with every bite, my admiration only grew. I took a breath with awe after I was finished.

 

So if you’re a foodie like me, and love to explore places with fascinating and unique foods, this is the place for you. Not only does it give you a satisfying experience through its food and services, but it also lets you leave with a new, spontaneous food adventure with the wide-spread unique dishes in its culturally rich menu with a list of different cuisines.