A few weekends back, right after the International Coffee Day, Tata Coffee Grand hosted an experiential tour to Coorg, where the Tata Coffee Plantations are located. This journey promised to showcase the grandeur of Tata’s coffee plantations and discover the intrinsic process of coffee production from the brand. The itinerary comprised of a trip to Coorg, Madikeri (yay!), a Coffee Degustation menu lunch at Taj Madikeri, Resorts & Spa, followed by a stay at the Tata Coffee Plantation, in one of the heritage bungalows.

Our trip to Madikeri was smooth, enjoying the light drizzles and the fabulous roads. We reached Taj Madekeri, right on schedule. And the property was a welcoming sight like no other. Perched at about 4000 feet above sea level, surrounded by rain forests is this Taj property. The reception has a breathtaking view of the mountains, unhindered and unfettered. I could almost reach out to touch the clouds. Our lunch was in an beautiful cottage nestled deep within the greens. The sun cleared the fog around for a little bit before the sky was engulfed by the looming dark clouds, and the down came the rains. For those who think rains spoil all the fun – this region has some of the most spectacular experiences around rain. But that’s a discussion for another time 🙂

The meal came pre-plated in individual portions.  Starting with the amuse bouche that was a bubble of mango and Tata Coffee Grand. Next one came in a jar, a lovely appetizer – this was one of the most impressionable presentations. Robusta Coffee flower smoked with Baby beet and Kabocha pumpkin. The bite sized dish had subtle flavors of the vegetable, with a prominent coffee aroma and a smokey finish. Yes, this was quite something! The heirloom tomatoes came next, topped with goat cheese salad with honey, Tata Coffee Grand espresso and Kopi caviar. And then was the mushroom cappuccino, a soup coffee that really didn’t taste as good as I thought it would.

I think the best dish was definitely the coffee and chili rubbed juicy New Zealand Lamb Chops with jalapeno butter. Grilled red cabbage and green pepper jus on the side balanced the dish very well. I was absolutely sated after this. Finally dessert was Chocolate raspberry tart & white coffee ice cream – and Chef also gave us a live demonstration of the dessert. A wonderful lunch in this amazing place.

The second part of the experiential would continue on another blog post. Mental note to self, definitely visit Taj Madikeri, Resorts and Spa – the property has 4 restaurants, including a spa restaurant, an infinity pool and overwhelming lush greenery all around. Have a great festival week y’all!

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