Larry's China
[Sadly, Mr. Khushwant Singh left Planet Earth on March 20,
2014. He was 99 yrs].
Khushwant Singh’s
Chinese Link
#WITHOUT MALICE by Ravi V. Chhabra
The upscale locality Sujan Singh Park in New Delhi is famous for many reasons. But most of all, it prides itself for housing its treasured and most well-read resident, the living doyen of journalism Khushwant Singh. I am not sure if Khushwant Singh, who is fond of all things exotic, is a foodie or not.
The #fnbworld has learnt that he adores the succulent Chinese-style sesame tiger prawns - a signature dish by the veteran sous-chef GD Joshi at the#Vivanta by Taj-Ambassador Hotel (Taj Group of hotels) that's across the road to Khushwant Singh’s residency. #Larry’s China is the place he had been frequenting to relish these jumbo prawns since a decade or more.
Mr. Singh has been
relishing the special offering from the deep sea
for over a decade. At the same eating place, he
has been visiting it at sharp eight in the
evenings. Of late, he orders the delicacy for
home.
“Earlier, Khushwant Singhji used to visit us regularly to savour these special tiger prawns, each weighing almost 400 grams”, says Chef Joshi at Larry’s China, the Chinese specialty restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel. “It’s been a while that Mr. Singh came by, I guess at 95 years, he prefers to be home. But we take the packing order over phone and his favorite Chinese dish is home-delivered. It is our privileged pleasure to get a chance to serve him piping hot sesame tiger prawns”.
Sous-Chef GD Joshi hails
from Bageshwar in Uttarakhand and now resides in
Delhi. It was compelling to speak with him about
his long association with the Taj Mahal
Group of hotels.
#fnbworld spoke in detail with
sous-chef GD Joshi about his experiences at the
Ambassador Hotel, Sujan Singh Park, where he has
been working for the last 22-years!
Photo
credit: Mayank Austin
Soofi's blog
The fnbworld
team devoured a few dishes handcrafted by
Chef Joshi.
The fnbworld has a few recommendations: Sesame Tiger Prawns, Kung Pao Chicken – it comes with thick gravy and is garnished with finely chopped capsicum and chiselled green chilies.
Indeed, with pieces of non-crispy
boneless chicken it is definitely above
average and worth a repeat, the lamb in oyster
chilli sauce has a distinct flavor that lingers on
for a while after you’re done with the main
course, the Singapore rice noodles make a
refreshing change, while the burnt ginger garlic
fried rice is a must for the compulsive
rice-eaters. Price for a
plate of Sesame Tiger
Prawns at Larry's China:
Rs 1,200 (good for two persons).
Excerpts from the
interview:
fnbworld: Where did you have formal
training?
I had my
training with the Golden Dragon restaurant at the
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai in the seventies.
I then worked as a chef at the House of Ming, the
Chinese specialty restaurant at the Taj Mahal
Mansingh hotel, New Delhi.
fnbworld: Who is your most committed
client?
Chef
Joshi: It is indeed, Khushwant Singhji
who lives right across the road. His favourite
dish is also my signature recipe, the
Sesame Tiger Prawns.
fnbworld: What makes it so special
and adorable for Khushwant Singh?
Chef Joshi: We use
imported sauces and Chinese wine for marinating
the prawns. These are grilled at a particular
temperature to ensure the same taste and feel each
time.
fnbworld: A Chef you
are indebted to?
Chef Joshi: I joined the Taj
Mansingh Hotel in New Delhi in 1978 as a commis
chef. I worked and had my training there for
15-years. I did not go to any formal hotel
management institutes. I began with Italian
cuisine but moved over to Chinese food. I am
grateful to the Taj Mahal Group for imparting me
training under the superb Chef Michael
Pong from China.
fnbworld: Since when have you been
at the Larry’s China
restaurant?
I
was a part of the core team that inaugurated
Larry’s China in 1997…
fnbworld: When did Mr. Khushwant
Singh order the sesame king prawns
last?
Chef
Joshi: We regularly get packing orders
from him and now it is at least once a month that
he orders the sesame tiger prawns for home
delivery. The packed order must be delivered
at sharp 8pm at his place. He is a stickler for
time. We always look forward to the packing orders
from our finest diner.
Note: For #Khushwant Singh's resume hit at the hyper link below:
INSIDE
Advertorial

Get Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest news, popular news and exclusive updates.