The Hindu Business Line : Pune hotels rejig menu; eggs go off recipes

THE hotel and restaurant industry here has been quick to respond to the bird-flu crisis, prempting loss of business with some quick thinking and rejigging the menu, among other things.

At the Taj group's five-star Blue Diamond, for instance, duck has disappeared from the menu (since it is a migratory bird, chances of it being a potential carrier of the flu are high) and the hotel's front line staff are advising guests to opt for both sides fried egg instead of their morning staple of sunny side up or soft boiled eggs. The hotel's food and beverage outlets have stopped using raw eggs in some of the recipes including desserts and the hotel has procured a stock of eggless mayonaisse to substitute for traditional raw egg-based mayonaisse. The hotel has also stopped serving cold cuts and meats till the situation becomes clear, Mr Vijay Kumar, Executive Chef, said.

"Our chicken and egg suppliers are reputed companies but even so, once the stock arrives here, we take great care to disinfect the raw material before using it in our kitchen,'' Mr Kumar said.

He said on Sunday the hotel received less orders for egg and chicken dishes but the situation has since improved as guests are now well informed that cooked chicken and eggs are safe to consume. "We held a training session for our front line staff today so that they are aware of the facts of the disease so that they can handle guest queries," says Mr Kumar.At the upscale Mainland China, the chefs have rallied around offering more lamb, mutton and seafood recipes on the menu since yesterday says the Manager, Mr Nripendra Chauhan, who added there has been no significant change in consumption pattern. "People who come here to eat our popular chicken dishes are still eating it but check with us if it is safe," says Mr Chauhan. "We tell them our disinfectation process and hygiene standards are very high and there is no chance of contamination at any point. Even our staff has been told to wear gloves so that they are not exposed and we ensure that only thoroughly cooked chicken dishes are served," he said.

At the city's popular South East Asian restaurant Malaka Spice, restaurateur Mr Praful Chandawarkar says that there has been no change in the consumer preferences despite reports of bird flu. "People are very well informed now and know that well cooked chicken is safe to eat, but in anticipation of a shift away from chicken and egg, we have put a new sea food menu in place from today and are also offering an extra large vegetable and mutton section," he said.