While looking over the menu, we could see the chef buzzing around at the kitchen entrance snapping pictures of some plate presentations. Suddenly we were staring at a lobster amongst meticulously arranged vegetables, baby potatoes and mushrooms. The chef wanted to show us the Roasted Lobster with ginger and we dutifully appreciated with platter. But his enthusiasm was more captivating. The lobster parade didn’t end with our table. The chef’s specialty, Colossal Blossom (Rs.90), was our first choice. The blossom is an onion carved, breaded and deep-fried. It goes with the tangy horse radish sauce. Boston clam chowder (Rs.90) was more interesting. With chunks of potato, bits of clam and carrots and a generous helping of cream, it was tasty soup.

The Red Snapper Oriental (Rs.170) was about crumb fried fish fillets served with gingery oyster sauce and sauted vegetables. The portions are generous in true American style. It was the sauce that lifted the dish from the ordinary fish and chips level. According to monsieur Gorbon, frying is more common in the Southern States than in California, where cuisine is comparatively light and is mostly fusion based. The highlight of the evening was the sauted chicken breast with tarragon sauce (Rs.170). It was delicate and done to perfection. The subtle lemon flavour of the herb was not over-whelmed by the wine-based sauce. Another lovely dish was the grilled vegetable platter (Rs. 145) with bell peppers, onion, aubergine, okra and pasta with cream sauce. One could make a meal of this alone!