Spicing up the evening

FOR a venue named after a little bird, The Warbler has certainly spread its wings and soared high over the years, culminating in an energetic 21st anniversary celebration.

Located in Ramee Baisan Hotel, Hoora, the British-style venue is tucked away in an unassuming part of town, just off Exhibition Avenue. When you step foot through the doors you’re transported into an environment that screams fun.

The establishment’s décor is akin to nothing else I’ve seen on the island. Thanks to the life-sized Blues Brothers and pirate statues juxtaposed with cobbled streets and an old English theme, it’s easy to lose yourself in the atmosphere.

For the recent celebratory bash the decoration was even more elaborate. Balloons and ribbons dominated the entire venue alongside ‘happy anniversary’ banners which created a wonderfully festive mood.

As the evening went on, guests spread out across the venue, making use of every inch of space while dancing away to resident international band, Soundphoria. 

In between sets, a DJ had guests on the dance floor with an eclectic mix of tunes to keep the party going.

As enticing as the décor and entertainment is, the reason this restaurant-cum-nightspot is so popular is the fare on offer under the scrutiny of Executive Chef Harabilasha Panigrahi who specialises in Indian, Tex Mex and Mediterranean cuisine.

I met him last year during the inaugural Warbler brunch where his gastronomic delights left me drooling at the mouth and he and his team were on fine form for the party.

It was a delight to watch the team work via the live kitchen, which is an add-on feature in which you can see the chef preparing the meals in front of your eyes.

There was an extensive buffet, which was as eclectic as the venue’s clientele. It included a selection of soups and salads, slow roast, mashed potatoes, butter chicken, vegetable ratatouille, creamy mushroom pasta and roast beef, to name but a few.

I started off with the Tomato and Basil Soup which was tangy, thick and mouth-watering.

For my main course I made full use of the buffet set-up and piled my plate with  a little bit of everything for fear of missing out on one of Chef Harabilasha’s fantastic creations.

The mash was divine, fluffy and rich like good mash ought to be. It complimented the tender roast beef perfectly and you could be forgiven for thinking it was prepared by your own mother.

I’m not a fan of mushroom, it’s the texture not the taste, but I still sampled the mushroom pasta and I’m glad I did … rich, creamy and delicious.

No meal is complete without a good dessert and this is the area in which Chef Harabilasha shines brightest. While there were an abundance of cakes, mousses and trifles all of which were lovely (yes, I tried them all), the crowning jewel of the night was the Gulab Jamun.

It’s the little touches that make a good restaurant great and the fact that Chef Harabilasha remembered how fond I am of this Indian masterpiece was a testament to his attention to detail. Furthermore, by sending one to the table just for me, cemented him as my favourite chef on the island… it was exquisite.

I was so full by the end of the night that I didn’t even have space for anniversary cake, which incidentally is one of my favourite types of cake, right behind birthday and Christmas.

Biplab Das, food and beverage manager, said: “More than 100 guests including head honchos of all major press houses patronised the event, making it a memorable one. I would like to thank all the members of my staff for their tremendous effort for making each moment of the night a moment of truth.

“Special thanks to our general manager Mr Rana for organising such a big event and our Executive Chef Harabilasha Panigrahi for spicing up the evening with a fantastic gala buffet dinner and, above all, our group general manager Mr Shantaram for his motivation and guidance.”

 Besides the food and the band, the Warbler also boasts an electrifying atmosphere when you talk about watching any sports live on big screens.

The venue shows all the major and minor leagues of all the different games like football – English Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carling Cup, Europa League, Spanish La-Liga, Scottish League, Coppa Italia – Formula One, NFL, rugby, international cricket , IPL and more.

Over the years, Warbler’s popular dishes has been retained with the addition of new continental and Filipino dishes in the new menu. The venue boasts special ‘happy hours’ with a 20 per cent discount on food and beverages from noon to 8pm.