#20SaalBaad with SWISS

Switzerland se purana rishta hai apna.

Na naabhi tak gaya nahi hu par Yash Chopra sahab ki movies bahut dekhi haiPar us se zyada gehra rishta hai because I worked for a Swiss lifestyle brand, Swiss Military for 2 years in their marketing division.

mister tikku at swiss junction
mister tikku

I remember that while I was there, we launched a month-long campaign where shoppers of our Swiss Junction Stores could win an all-paid trip to Switzerland courtesy, Swiss International Airlines, Swiss Tourism, and Swiss Tours.

swiss international airline
event

And probably that’s the reason that when a few days back when I received a call from Guneet jee inviting me to an event by Swiss International Airlines (now called SWISS, short and sweet, just SWISS) on 26th April at Whisky Samba, I said “Yes” without checking my diary and without even asking for the occasion.

whiskysamba
bar

The invitation in itself was enticing for one name rekindled sweet memories whereas the other my taste buds. Whisky Samba is a place where I can to go any time for any damn reason.

I reached there at the scheduled time of 7 pm… soaked in the lovely setup, met a few friends, clicked a few pics and immersed myself in the sundar mahaul.

It was a Wine Dinner to celebrate Fête des Vignerons, which is a 200-year-old wine growers’ festival, held once in 20 years in Vevey, Switzerland. Yes, you read that right, once in 20 years!

whiskysamba
Fête des Vignerons

The more I read about the festival, the more interested I became. And to share some more details on Fête des Vignerons, we were joined by our hostsMr George EttiyilSenior Director Sales, South Asia, and Ms Sangeeta Sharma, Senior Manager, Sales Products & Programs, South Asia. Mr George held the audience with his knowledge, vision for the brand and, of course, anecdotes about the festival. He talked about many things and answered many questions, all this with a wide and warm smile on his face.

He also told us how the festival is now attended not only by people from Europe but from across the world with many Indians too. The mahaul for the entire month shall be of wine, food, music, games, dance, happiness and brotherhood (sisterhood, too!).

SWISS has a contest going on wherein you can log on to www.flyswiss.co.in and by participating in the contest, you can win 2 SWISS Business Class tickets, 2 passes to Fête des Vignerons and a 2-night stay in Switzerland, courtesy Switzerland Tourism.  To tell you all, I have played it with the umeed that’s me, and, if not me, then I want it to be You, the reader of my blog. Karo, karo jee, play karo 🙂

Ab aayi baari khaane ki… after all, when one has to go a place like Whisky Samba, one ensures to have a lighter lunch than usual 😉

Chef Vikramjit Roy Bhai had ensured a spread that was especially curated for the event and a look at the menu made way for multiple waterfalls in my mouth.

Amuse bouche of Kasundi Glazed Green Aspragus, Swiss Cheese Mornay Sauce with Zopf. Ab let me tell you, Zopf maine abhi Google kiya.Wahaan toh I just told Chef ki loved the hard bread… ha ha ha ha. (Zopf or Züpfe is a type of Swiss, Austrian or Bavarian bread made from white flour, milk, eggs, butter, and yeast).

mister tikku
Mister Tikku with Samiya Shakir

During the entire length of the event, the gracious hosts at Whisky Samba – Ashish Dev Kapoor Bhai, Joy Bhai and Samiya jee made sure ki mahaul khushnuma rahe and came to each one of us individually (shayad isliye hi I don’t think twice when I have to go to Whisky Samba, Wine Rack or Wine Company).

The food kept flowing, pehle Prawns with Pickled Green Chilli Emulsion Bunder Barley Soup and then Crusty Niblets which were Swiss-style chicken breast stuffed with spinach mountain blue cheese in Pahadi-inspired sauce.

We all know about Swiss Cheese and Swiss Chocolates, but not many know of Swiss Wines and that they are not very easily available in India.Plan karte hai jaldi jaane ki and wahaan ki wine saath mein laane ki 😉

Baat-cheet chalti rahi, music bajta raha and wine flow hoti rahiArre, did I forget to tell you wines on the menu that day? Yeh lo jee, P. Ferraud & Fits Chablis 2017 (Burgundy, France), P. Ferraud & Fils Chateaneuf-du-Pape 2016 (Rhone Valley, France), Bel Colle Barolo DOCG2013 (Piedmont, Italy).

Achanak hi main baat karte karte ruk gayaaisa aksar hota hai when I smell the aromas of a great biryani with desi ghee ya fir pure saffron. Samajh aa gaya ki main course is about to be served and within minutes we had Organic Saffron Risotto with Grilled Bengali Style Australian Lamb Chops.Khushboo uski hi thi and khushboo aur swaad ka sangam perfect tha 🙂

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Mister Tikku with Shalini Kochhar

One more highlight of this event was meeting Shalini Kochhar Jee. Can easily say that she is a lady with a heart of gold 🙂

Ab to ghar ki yaad aane lagi thi and I just got up to leave and tabhi the dessert landed on my table. The Tarte of Caramelized Walnuts and Fresh Mango Ice Cream with Smoked Mango Sauce both were perfect. For the first time ever, I tried dessert mein smokey flavor and accha laga.

mister tikku
Mr tikku with shalini kocchar

Chalo jee, ab maine meetha kha liya and ghar jaakar meethe meethe sapne dekhta hu Switzerland jaane ke and aap do participate in contest. koi na koi to jeetega, why not you jee 🙂 🙂

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Gurpreet Singh Tikku

Meet Mister Tikku – a food influencer, hardcore entertainer, and smile spreader extraordinaire! With a passion for all things delicious, Mister Tikku has spent years exploring the world of food and sharing his experiences with his followers. With his infectious personality and knack for finding the best bites around, Mister Tikku has gained a loyal following on social media and has established himself as one of the most trusted voices in the food & beverage industry. @MisterTikku