Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities lit up Jamnagar for a few days and kept everyone's social media feeds super busy. The three-day bash from March 1 to March 3, reportedly worth Rs 1,000 crore which was held at Ambani's 750-acre property, Reliance Greens, preceded the actual wedding, which will be held on July 12. From Bill Gates and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Ivanka Trump and the creme de la creme of Bollywood, the pre-wedding events made headlines for days.
From March 2 to March 3, the guests were treated to a ‘Walk on the Wildside,’ followed by a journey to ‘Mela Rouge,’ and on the third day, they were led to embark on ‘Tusker Trails and Hashtakshar.’
It was reported earlier than a total of 2,500 dishes would be served during the festivities; chefs from all over the world and some beloved homegrown brands were also featured on the menu. Slurrp finally has a look at the elaborate, full-length menu for the March 2 festivities and it’s just as grand as you’d expect. The menu is sectioned into cuisines and types, with certain sectioned dedicated to world cuisine, curated by celebrity chefs like Ritu Dalmia, Loic Portalier, Selin Kiazim, Nud Dudhia and more.
The beverage kiosk had a good balance of trendy sips and some traditional beverages. The Kombucha Bar featured flavoured kombuchas like lemon grass and peach while a bubble tea menu had options like strawberry, passionfruit and watermelon. The kiosk also had Bikaner Chattri Gola along with the beloved Chuski Pepsi in many flavours.
Thailand’s popular ice cream brand IceDEA famed for their animal-shaped and nature-inspired ice creams, were featured on the menu and served Mangosteen, Mango Sticky Rice along with dalmatian-shaped cookie & cream ice cream and corgi-shaped volcanic ovaltine ice cream. The beverage-on-the-go-section had some smart options like Mocktail Parade, Floral Mist, The Milagros and Grapefruit Thyme Martini.
A Taste Of Home
Traditional desi flavours and homegrown brands got prominence on the Ambani pre-wedding menu on March 2. Popular cafe brand Araku set up a subs & fries station and a sandwich bar serving Squash with Chili Butter and Heirloom Tomatoes & Garlic Butter. Araku also served some of their signature brews at the event. The sandwich bar at NMACC also set up a sandwich bar and offered Signature Cheese & Chutney Sandwich, Mumbai Special Chutney Sandwich and Grilled Jalapeno & Cheese Melt Sandwich.
The menu also saw segment dedicated to Mumbai’s Khau Gully and featured Wada Pao, Lehsun with Mint & Tamarind Chutney, Potato & Sweet Pea Samosa with Mint Chutney, Masala Khichiya, Kutchi Dabeli and Kolkata-style Jhalmuri. The iconic Mumbai brand Tibbs Frankie, which is best known for its rolls offered picks like Veg Schezwan Frankie, Tawa Paneer Frankie and Veg Chipotle Frankie.
Surat’s casual dining brand Bhai Bhai Omelette Center set up a Surti egg counter, serving up their popular Masala Omelet, Green Garlic Egg Bhurjee, Egg Lahori and Egg Laziz. Celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia curated a line-up featuring American classics like hot dogs, soft shell lobster tacos etc. The award-winning restaurant Avartana was a part of the menu and offered signatures like Lavender Aloe Vera, Raw Banana Cracker, Bitter Gourd Cruiser. The Avartana team also curated a dinner menu featuring modern numbers such as Chickpea Millet, Colocasia Malabari, Sun Dried Tomato Tapioca and Jackfruit Rice.
World Stars
Celebrated French chef Loic Portalier who’s the head chef at Singapore’s Claudine Restaurant prepared a signature Europea menu, which was one of the major highlights of the event. Some of the irresistible appetisers from the menu are Mushroom & Black Truffle Tartelette, Robata Nasu, Beetroot Velouté, Dashi Custard and Smoked Salmon Tacos. Some French delicacies like Courgette Farçi and Foie Gras Ravioli were also featured.
Chef Tukta Puripanya who’s also known as The Master of Thai Food was part of the pre-wedding celebrations and served some authentic Thai preparations such as Crispy Papaya Salad, Saku Pakmoh, Keiw Waan Wrap, Miang Kham, Phad Thai Noodles etc.
British chef of Turkish Cypriot heritage, Selin Kiazim who owns London’s Oklava was one of the winners of the BBC Two television series Great British Menu, curated a Turkish menu for the pre-wedding celebrations. The line-up had Cardamom Glazed Celeriac, Onion Kebap, Green Lentil Köfte, Beetroot + Sour Cherry Ezme, Chicken Filo Manti and a lot more.
Award-winning pastry chef Anna Polyviou who has made a mark with her captivating desserts at the Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel recreated one of her signature desserts for the Ambani pre-event celebrations. The chef herself was present at the venue and served up ‘Anna’s Mess’ which is a deconstructed take on the classic Eton Mess, featuring layers of crunchy meringue, silky whipped cream, fresh berries, and various surprise elements.
The pre-wedding event also had plenty of plant-based options for vegan guests. As per a recent post by plant-forward chef Surabhi Sehgal, who served the guests at the event, there was a focus on plant-based ingredients in the kitchen.
"Thank you Jamnagar for the memories, experiences and learnings of a lifetime! Grateful and blessed!! Will be taking back a plethora of memories and some wonderful new friendships," she wrote in the caption.
True Gujarati Flavours
It’s not surprising that Ambanis highlighted the Gujarati culinary legacy during the event. Vadodara-based caterers Jay Excellency were in charge of setting up an elaborate kiosk at the venue. Besides popular farsaan options like Lachko Kesar Brass, Strawberry Basundi , Kesar Badam Puri, Guvar Ni Sukhdi, Wagharela Vegetable and Pan Fry Veg Hariyali Handvo, there were plenty og big plates as well. The Gujarati menu also featured Gujarati Vara Ni Daal, Sat Anaj Ni Khichdi, Lila Lasun Na Papad, Chokha Na Papad, Lili Draksh Nu Athanu, Jamfal Nu Athanu, Gunda Nu Athanu and a lot more.
The Dazzling After-Party Menu
The after-party menu focused on fun, trendy set-ups which were also Instagram-worthy. Ritu Dalmia served a line of fondue options such as Roasted Paprika, Mushroom And Truffle, which were served alongside Bread Croutons, Roasted Baby Potato, Mushroom
Gherkins, Burnt Garlic, Chili Oil etc. Middle Eastern brand Maroosh was present to serve shawarma rolls. The after-party also saw a Maggi bar, a slider bar and a ‘spiked’ station which served fun numbers like Spaghetti with Vodka Sauce and Tequila Spiked Classic Chili Rellenos Soft Tortillas