Chef in The Lobby

Chef Jed Archdeacon sips on his warm cup of Espresso as he goes through his recent concoctions one by one. He digs deep into the essence of each dish with immense zeal and zest. His passion for food overwhelming his weary eyes from sleepless nights spent on revamping Cascade's menu, incorporating the beauty of 'spa cuisine' into every detail of his food.

"You eat with the eyes. I want my diners to salivate at the sight of their dish, which is why I pay particular attention to the presentation," Jed emphasises, gesturing at the photograph of the newly added salad as it stands as the embodiment of an organised mess. Every freshly sprouted lettuce, avocado, potato, broccoli has been deconstructed and put together with purpose so that you can eat the first form of life with a zing of flavours.

Urban farming is practiced in Amari as most of the herbs and vegetables are organically grown in the balcony of Amaya, maintaining the natural status of the food. Cascade encourages healthy eating, preserving all the nutrients of each of the ingredients as the tastes blend in with finesse.

Chef Jed orders a mushroom soup for starter, followed with mozzarella cheese pizza, tofu burger and Cascade's hot-selling chicken club sandwich as he continues enthusiastically, "I want to recreate comfort lobby food. I want to teleport people into a modern 2018 Sydney Bistro with every bite of the lamb burger."

Born in Australia, the super chef rose to the ranks of Executive Chef at an unprecedented age of 29. He spent 16 years of his life overseas, working in high-end luxury hotels all across the world; from the Maldives to China, he has accomplished it all, carving his mark at the highest levels.

Indulged in conversation with Amari's very own Ratatouille, we notice the attendant walk into the warmly lit bistro, steam curling out of the soup tureen and the ceramic bowl mapped with parsley as mushrooms stand like sentinels close to the edges. With the first spoon, you can already taste the earthiness of the mushroom which is followed by a subtle cool sweetness of mint.

What followed next was a thin-based pizza-- tomato sauce layered underneath with molten Buffalo Mozzarella. Let your ears feast to the symphony of every crunch of the base. The creaminess of the cheese dominates your taste buds with sudden burst of the tangy tomato sauce and the texture of the smoked dough. Chef Jed successfully recreates the very essence of Southern Italy with his appetising pizza.

The charcoal bread tofu burger had all its ingredients symmetrically constructed to savour with the eyes. The thinly sliced gari mixed with wakami rests on the bed of lettuce as its radiant pink texture contrasts brilliantly with the lightly cooked tofu and charcoal bread. As you squash the mammoth of a burger and take a messy bite (just the way it's meant to be) into it, you expose the succulent inside of the tofu with warm molten cheese slowly trickling over its white core. With every bite, the gari cleanses your taste buds, while the charcoal freshens your blood.

Finally, the much-anticipated chicken club sandwich arrives at the table. The thick rustic edges of the oval bread cooked to the right amount is piled in a unique, spiral manner, exposing the meaty chunk of chicken enveloped by creamy layers of what they call the cheese of cheese, Buffalo Mozzarella. "The stick bisecting the sandwich is to assist you to get a good grip and tear it into half," explained Chef Jed.

Slathering it with their thick sauce take a mouthful and experience an explosion of flavours. The tanginess of the tomato, followed by the moist, juicy lettuce and creamy cheese blasted by the spiciness of the succulent chicken cooked with such finesse that Shakespeare will fall short of praises!

Cascade offers quality gourmet food with a blend of nutrition and flavour. In the matter of 6 weeks, Chef Jed has narrowed down his menu from 100+ savouries to merely 30, focusing on quality over quantity. Diners now come in with a purpose, knowing exactly what they want instead of drowning in a never-ending list of food.

"I want to create such an environment that people only come here for the food. I don't want people waiting in the lobby to order just for the sake of it but because they want to," says Chef Jed.

Cascade adds a touch of sophistication to their new menu without compromising taste or nutrition. It ensures that price is balanced with quality and ample quantity to fill your rumbling stomach; giving its diners a 360 degree experience of their food where they get to enjoy and feel their dish with all five senses.

Enjoy "restauranting" with Cascade's new menu 2018 style where health meets flavour.

For more information, please call 880255059620 or 01777719319, or email- reservations.dhaka@amari.com

Photo courtesy: Amari, Dhaka