Thaindian News

By Vaishali Bhambri
New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) After a “Presidential Platter” and a “Chelsea Platter”, the ITC Maurya Sheraton’s famous Bukhara restaurant here has decided to complete the Clinton family by adding a special “Hillary Platter” to its menu.

Hillary Clinton had expressed a keen desire to have a dish named after her at the Bukhara, just like her husband former US president Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea.

On Sunday, she went for a private dinner to the restaurant accompanied by seven US officials.

To start with, she ordered a variety of fresh fruit juices. This was followed by a lavish dinner of items chosen by her from a special menu prepared by the hotel’s senior executive chef Manisha Bhasin.

The delicacies that Clinton chose were paneer tikka, tandoori aloo, murgh malai kabab, sikandari raan, tandoori jhinga, seekh kabab, dal bukhara, mixed raita and naan followed by kulfi and rasmalai for dessert.

After the dinner, Clinton was asked to tick a few items from the special menu and sign it so that the list could then be named the “Hillary Platter”.

“She ticked all the 11 items on the special menu and said she liked them all,” a staff member told IANS.

Clinton, who came to the hotel around 8.30 p.m. Sunday, entered the Bukhara restaurant via a corridor that was cordoned off from the regular guests for security reasons.

But soon guests staying at the hotel got to know about her visit and came to the main lobby to get a glimpse of the leader. She was greeted by the hotel general manager D. Kavarana and was escorted to the restaurant that is famous as the Clinton family’s favourite.

Even as the crowd watched, US security officials fanned out to cordon her way and took her inside the registrant, tucked away next to the lobby.

Hotel staff said at the time other guests were also having dinner at the restaurant and no one was asked to vacate although hotel authorities had made separate arrangements for them.

“Clad in a turquoise blue quilted jacket with a black top and black trousers, Clinton came across as a very warm and friendly person,” said a staff member of the ITC Maurya.

So after she signed the menu card, the Clinton family’s platter were completed on the menu of the restaurant.

The three had visited India and stayed at the hotel in 2000, when Bill Clinton was president, and had dined at the Bukhara.

The “Presidential Platter”, costing Rs.4,700, comprises non-vegetarian food that Bill Clinton had ordered and the “Chelsea Platter”, priced at Rs.4,200, has vegetarian dishes that she had preferred.

The two sets of dishes continue to be served and are a hit with diners.

During her visit to Bukhara, Clinton was offered a colourful apron designed by veteran artist M.F. Husain.

“The apron is a souvenir of the Bukhara Restaurant and is offered to the signatories and celebrities that visit the restaurant,” the staff member said.

After spending an hour savouring the food, Clinton left the restaurant around 9.30 p.m.