Spectra – Restaurant The Leela Kempinski , Gurgaon, Ambience Island, NH 8
Date: 20th Dec 2014

The Leela, at the entrance to Gurgaon via NH8, draws attention. Fused with the Ambience Mall, it can double up as a dining option after some heavy duty shopping. Their signature restaurant Spectra has a buffet during lunch hours from Monday to Saturday.

We had made prior reservations and had an excellent table kept aside for us adjacent to the glass wall that overlooks the highway.

The spread was huge. Starting from the exotic clams, oysters and other sea food to our very own north Indian fare, the various cuisines included Japanese , Italian , American, Chinese, South east Asian, desserts and confectionary.  We picked and chose the items that we liked. While all that we tried were extremely tasty, the following items merit special mention:

1.      The sushi in non-vegetarian as well vegetarian forms were a great starter. In combination with wasabi and soy sauce, these opened up our taste buds. Additionally there were these boiled shrimp or fish skewers dipped in sauces and served in shot glasses. Alongside, there were cold soups made of vegetable puree that helped in balancing the sushis.

2.      The fish in lemon butter sauce is not an uncommon preparation. However the sauce was a great balance between the strong smell of butter and the tanginess of lemon. The flavour of this dish made it very appetizing.

3.      The desserts spread was more inclined towards western fare such as cheesecakes, pastries tarts etc. The strawberry macaroons looked very dressed up. A layer of cream in between the macaroons made it crunchy but soft. The white chocolate jam roll log cake and the cheesecakes melted in the mouth and added to our pre Christmas delight.

4.      The buffet had beverages such as soft drinks as well as fresh fruit juices. Among orange, pineapple and watermelon, the latter was very effective in rinsing our taste buds after each course.

5.      Coffees at times are not up to the mark at 5 star hotels. However, here, this too was consistent with the fine standard of the remaining buffet.

Among the remaining items, that we tried the burgers could do with some improvement.

The ambiance was unassuming but the restaurant was very spacious. Post our meal, we sat there for quite a while soaking in the winter sun.
At about 2300/- per head it is indeed high budget. But given the wide variety, great quality and super hospitality, this could well be the occasional splurge.