People go to restaurants to spend some memorable moments with friends and family while enjoying good food by the Chefs. Chefs are like superstars. People go to a particular restaurant because it has the services of a chef who has a reputation for preparing unique dishes. Chef Sujoy Gupta is one such super star. Leading the team newly opened TH@51 at London, he prepares global dishes which draw inspiration from flavours from around the world, exploring the unexplored to create a food and drink experience that excites all the senses. Taj group of hotels is known for its culinary masterpiece, globally. Sujoy Gupta, Executive Chef at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, a luxury five-star hotel in central London has carved out a new menu at all-time favourite restaurant TH@51. He described complete information on his new menu with Mewati Sitaram. So, dive into the captivating world of exclusive gastronomy and elevate your culinary prowess with this comprehensive and diverse selection of delectable recipes.
- Taj London has introduced a new menu; can you please elaborate, and why was the new menu needed?
TH@51, is a prevalent restaurant known for its culinary extraordinaire, located at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences. It has been one of the favourite dining destinations for Londoners and travellers from across the globe, ever since its launch. We opened we opened TH@51 in February 2022. After a very successful first year of operation, we felt it was time to celebrate our first-year anniversary by further experimenting with our menu and adding some additional specials to complement some of the very popular dishes that our guests love. It draws inspiration from flavours around the world, reflecting London’s myriad culinary influences, keeping on those lines we have added amazing chaats and a section of classic dishes.
Designing a new menu is indeed a tough task, after doing extensive R&D, we shortlist dishes to be added to the new menu. Our newly introduced menu is truly unique, an amalgamation of flavours from varied cuisines to create dishes that are recognisable in their differences. Taking centre stage are the new mouth-watering ‘Chaat Sketches’; a selection of dishes featuring savoury fried dough paired with vibrant and intriguing toppings, hailing originally from India. The marriage of aromatic spices and sweet and tangy chutneys, atop a pleasingly crunchy vessel, make for a moreish explosion of flavour. Ideal for sharing or as a starter, the signature Burrata and Kale Chaat with mint and tamarind chutney, onion, tomato salsa and crispy sev, will appear alongside dishes such as Lentil sprouts avocado & pomegranate chaat, Samosa Chaat and Aloo Tikki Chaat. Other new additions such as Jerk Spiced Lamb Cannelloni with apple purée and cherry tomato confit as well as Baked Aubergine, butternut squash edamame sambal, parmesan, and pomegranate, drawing from Jamaica, Italy and Sri Lanka.
- Do you serve specific summer specials at TH@51?
To give a novel experience to our guests in the summer months TH@51 opens out to the stunning outdoor courtyard; the perfect spot for alfresco dining and drinking in the heart of London. The stunning oasis is set away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with a relaxing fountain, dressed in delightful foliage and flowers, sat at the focal point of the space. An array of delicious plates adorns the menu, featuring summer salads, robata grill options and ‘between the breads’ choices. Also, available on the menu are a selection of refreshing flavoured Gin & Tonics as well as a plethora of wine, beers, and expertly shaken cocktails. Besides, throughout the year, TH@51 plays host to a plethora of seasonal activities; from interactive festive afternoon tea to amazing Diwali menus and curated cocktails and themed parties, the calendar of events is ever changing and packed with exciting happenings.
- Does the new menu have wine pairing with veg & non-Veg dishes, please elaborate?
The cocktail menu at TH@51 is very well balanced with veg and non-veg dishes and a very extensive wine list which complements the dishes; however, the most interesting beverage offering is in the cocktail menu which celebrates our planet’s diverse and often fragile ecosystems. The drinks are split into different sections, each representing the earth’s macro biomes, from the great deserts and lush forests to the vast oceans and snow-tipped mountains. A sense of balance encompasses the menu, with each cocktail having its different but equal counterpart.
Breath of Fresh Air, for example, encapsulates the essence of the Alps where Ginepraio is enhanced with aromatic flavours of pine, gentian, juniper and Swiss herbs topped up with refreshing elderflower cider. Its other half, Camouflage, with its honey, coffee, and nutty notes evokes the earthy ruggedness of the Himalayas and consists of Belvedere vodka, coffee, cashew & lentils milk, green tea, honey, and barfi cream. Elsewhere on the bar menu, the desert is reflected in Shay al-wahah, where North African flavours of mint, date honey and homemade fermented lemon teleport guests to a spice market on the edge of the Sahara and El Camino, named after the infamous desert path which joins the US and Mexico, features tequila smoked in-house with mesquite, with thirst quenching grapefruit, pineapple tapache and indigenous Mexican ingredients, tamarillo and agave.
By using ingredients found in each delicate ecosystem, the TH@51 bar team adapt and create flavours from key products to illustrate the story behind each drink. In-house experimentations including fat washing, cold infusions and decoction take place in the cocktail lab, a small area designated specifically for mise-en-place, where components such as seasonal wine is fermented and used across the drinks list. The cocktails pair beautifully with substantial bar bites completing the bar experience. During the evenings at the weekend TH@51 transforms itself into a night-time hotspot with live music, perfect for a night out with friends or a star-studded evening with glamorous locals.
- Have you retained all-time favorite dishes from the previous menu?
Some of the dishes are very popular amongst global travellers and we ensure that it remains on the menu. All-time favourites such as the signature dish Paneer Wellington baked puff pastry, spiced tikka masala, garlic, baby spinach, mascarpone makhani and the signature Burrata and Kale Chaat with mint and tamarind chutney, onion, tomato salsa and crispy sev have been retained as well as many other favourite dishes.
- Do you have anything to offer to young visitors?
The Taj hotels are known for offering a plethora of joy and culinary excellence. Here at TH@51, during the evenings at the weekend, it transforms itself into a night-time hotspot with live music, perfect for a night out with friends or a star-studded evening with glamorous locals. Through the year, we are host to seasonal activities. From interactive festive afternoon tea to amazing Diwali menus and curated cocktails and themed parties, the calendar of events is ever changing and packed with exciting happenings.
- Does TH@51 have lion’s share in London, for serving authentic Indian delicacies?
The Taj hotels are known to make authentic dishes from across the globe. To be precise, the menu at TH@51 is an amalgamation of two flavours from dishes from around the world but yes, the Indian inspired flavours are matched with other global platform flavours. To name a few prominent veg and non veg dishes includes The Chats sketches, the Camembert & Truffle Kulcha, Tikka Bocconcini Bruschetta, Paneer Wellington, Duck Leg Frost and Caraway Malai Chicken.
- Does the new menu really give a feeling of Tajness? This goes without saying, Tajness is the essence of everything any Taj employee will do, whether it is the care and attention taken to produce the menus to the way in which the food is cooked and presented and the way it gets served to each of our guests, Tajness is in all we do.
- Can you elaborate about Th@51?
Bringing the outside in, Th@51 designed by internationally renowned architecture and interior design practice Conran & Partners. It carries a light airy feel throughout with a stunning glass conservatory, elegant wood cladding and a soft colour palette. An open kitchen with a theatrical grill and chef’s table takes centre stage, while the striking bar area features intimate booth seating. An amalgamation of flavours from varied cuisines to create dishes that are recognisable in their differences the menu is truly unique.
- Your last assignment was at Taj Bengal; how do you feel about working at Taj Buckingham?
Taj hotels are institutions in itself which have a more than a century old legacy of hospitality. It makes you travel through culinary journeys from all across the globe and I am fortunate to be a part of it. I nowadays lead the excellent team of chefs as Executive Head Chef at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences and St James’ Court – A Taj Hotel. Since arriving in 2022 in time for the launch of TH@51 and the London Chambers, the Taj Hotels private club, prior to that I spent eight years at the kitchen’s helm of both the Taj Bengal Kolkata and Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace.
Becoming the executive chef in 2015 at the Umaid Bhawan Palace followed by Taj Bengal and now as the Executive Chef at St James’ Court – A Taj Hotel and Taj 51 Buckingham gate, Suites and Residences in London all have been very interesting posts, one could say each had its own challenges as well as learnings of their own in terms of the operational handling and the different advantages and disadvantages regarding produce or available talent in the different geographies. Specifically, in the London Hotels, I have the immense opportunity to learn different modes of operation and some of the thought processes are different. The exposure in the global food capital with variation of cuisines, concepts, themes are endless and great learnings.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
