Just wanted to share with everyone about the Tex Mex cookout at Hotel Lalit Ashok, and the fun we had there.
I've seen the colorful Lalit Ashok food trucks plying the roads of Bangalore, but I've never actually stopped by to try the food.
So, when I got an invite to come to the Lalit Ashok and try their Tex Mex food by Chef Chris Trapani one weekend, I was pretty happy to stop by.
Snubnose piled along as she wanted to reconnect with her buddy Burney - the Chief Happiness Officer of Lalit Ashok.
The event was held on the beautiful lawns of the hotel, the ambiance was perfectly peaceful. Snubnose spent the time playing with Burney - he's the resident Saint Bernard, and even taking him for a walk. I relaxed with some sparkling wine, and chilled waiting for Chef Trapani to start the event.
A bit about Chef Trapani
Chef Chris Trapani is based in Austin, Texas, and is known as the Urban Cowboy Chef, with a food truck and catering business. Chris Trapani is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and lived there for almost 30 years before moving to Austin a few years ago.
The Lalit Ashok brought him to India to promote his signature Tex-Mex dishes. He was here not only to serve us some delicious grub but also to share his experience by conducting workshops on running a catering business for members of the transgender community.
Chef Trapani himself is a transgender just about to transition, and he talked quite freely about his experiences to the media. He was accompanied by his sister who spoke to me a bit about her ambitions, and how she came to work with her brother in his business.
He believes in being a role model for the rights of the LBGTQIA community, and does his best to improve their situation.pre
So, although this was technically a food event, it was a lot more than that. There was a pretty crowd of transgenders who were all eagerly waiting to interact with him. Chef was extremely accessible and talked to everyone around openly and really provided a very welcoming and warm atmosphere at the event.
About the food
The food in general was good. The menu for us consisted mostly of small eats that we ate freshly made by Chef Trapani himself or his assistants in the food truck.
Here are some photos.
I liked the tacos the best. They were delicious with the right amount of sweet-spicy flavor.
At the demo, Chris whipped up two of his most popular dishes - the Panzanella (a kind of corn bread salad with a very unique taste) and his signature Fried Chicken with sauce (which Snubnose loved).
Chef is a big fan of fusion food, and every dish he presented reflected that. I found everything I tasted was quite unique-tasting. An example is this puff-like dish stuffed with cheese, which hit my taste buds absolutely spot on.
Overall experience
Overall, it was a great experience. The Hotel Lalit Ashok always believes in an inclusive environment, and to them, these are not just words. They really stand by their words, and it was a real delight to learn that. This is a hotel with a heart.
