My stay at Mercure Hotel was all memorable because of the stay, food, service and warm staff. Being a foodie, I always am inclined towards food first! Can't help. Haha! 'Celebration', Mercure's all-day dining, the multi-cuisine restaurant offers its patrons a wide range of options around the globe. Located on the ground floor, it can be seen from the entrance of the hotel. The restaurant overlooks the wonderful and serene mountain views. The Live kitchen and Alfresco/outdoor seating add an experience during the meal. Outdoors are more pleasant in the evenings or during monsoons. Also, they have separate kids' play area wherein juniors can play and parents can dine hassle free.
The dining area is designed in a way to not only give warmth to the guests but also introduce them to the international cuisines along with the local delicacies. I had two meals there and trust me, both the experiences were better than the other. Starting with the dinner, the buffet was lined up with a pretty extensive range of mixed cuisines. Executive Chef Susanta Mitra had plans for us to try his signatures.
The menu served to us at the glance was...
- Tomato Dhaniya Shorba
- Jeera Paneer Tikka
- Vegetable Sunehri Tikka
- Methi Malai Paneer Masala
- Marrow Kofta with Chana Dal Sauce
- Aamchuri Kurkuri Bhindi
- Afghani Style Kadhai Subz
- Dal Makhanwala
- Kesar Pulao
- Chef Susanta's Summer Blossom
Polite and humble chef-curated our meal in four courses, starting with the Tomato Dhaniya Shorba, which is the Punjabi version of most popular tomato soup. The presentation was decent. Served in the big white bowl the shorba was balanced in flavours - mildly spiced and tangy. The garlic bread to accompany was delicious as ever. It was crunchy and flavourful. A must have.
Starters were too presented beautifully. We tried Jeera Paneer Tikka, a nicely marinated cottage cheese preparation grilled to perfection. Paneer was soft and fresh. A filling dish. Highly Recommended!
Vegetable Sunehri Tikka, heart shaped cutlet coated with aloo bhujiya was gooey inside and crunchy outside. The taste was good but tad oily, though was balanced by the fresh salad.
Another cottage cheese dish, Methi Malai Paneer Masala, was a deadly combination of methi (fenugreek) and paneer. It was delicious, creamy and mildly spiced. The melt in mouth texture of cottage cheese was heavenly. Highly Recommended!
One of the appetisers was the Amchuri Kurkuri Bhindi. Crispy fried okras, smeared with gram flour and spices is a quick and delicious dish. It is addictive and a mouthwatering flavourful pact for all the bhindi lovers. Recommended!
Marrow Kofta with Chana Dal Sauce was our one of the main course dishes. Potatoes and veggies fried dumplings had slightly crunchy texture and the spices were balanced too. Koftas are placed on the bed of chana dal sauce/curry. The sauce had a lovely aroma and had absorbed all flavours of the spices. Pretty looking dish. Recommended!
The Afghani styled Kadhai Subz was a perfect marriage of spices and mixed vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, beans, tomatoes and peas in a flavourful curry base. Slightly on the sweeter side, the gravy was lip-smacking. The appearance, taste and mouth-feel were just like mixed veg.
Dal Makhanwala or Dal Makhani, creamy and rich lentil is very much popular in North India. The slow cooked dish is one of my favourite preparations. Nothing to say about the amazing taste. Went well with the Lachcha Paranthas and Kesar Pulao. Pulao was prepared with the dash of saffron to impart the bright yellow colors. Dry fruits add to its richness and irresistible taste.
Our evening concluded with the Chef Susanta's Summer Blossom. A true eye catching dessert was prepared with seasonal favourites and topped with sugar spun. The ingredients like watermelon, cucumber, mangoes were intelligently chosen to beat the heat and the dessert is incomplete without the chocolate so it had small chunks of brownies and decorated with sugar spun to give a fancy look. Loved the presentation.
Overall, it was the highly satisfying meal at such an affordable rate. The lunch buffet is Rs.800+ and the Dinner Buffet is Rs.900+ and the timings are 12:30-3 pm and 7-11 pm respectively.
Next day, the breakfast buffet was all set and the morning started with the warm welcome by the ever smiling staff. The buffet range was the amalgamation of various cuisines. It had muffins, cakes, croissants which could be toasted and paired with jam or butter.
The vibrant live kitchen had options of south Indian dishes like Dosa, Uttapam, or English cuisine like Eggs, Pancakes, Meat. It is served hot and fresh on order. The spread also had Indian varieties like Vermicelli Upma, Idli-Sambhar, Paranthas and more. Also, the separate counter had cereals, coffee, tea, fruits and what not. You are literally spoilt for the choices they have to offer.
The leisure morning breakfast can be eaten outdoor amidst nature but with the summer mornings so hot, I preferred to sit and enjoy my meal indoors. Transparent glass walls were making it easy to give a view of mountains while sitting inside also. I so loved the feel, I was wishing to sit there forever! So, guys of you are in Lavasa, do not forget to try the place, especially for the scrumptious meal.
Thank you so much, Chef Susanta, Pamela, Nanda, Vikrant, Rajnish, Saheb Rana and the team for the heart-warming hospitality. See me soon! You guys rock!
Enjoy few more photos...:)
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