Epicurean (adj): Fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits, especially in eating and drinking.

Would the philosopher Epicurus have approved? He did enjoy a good meal but it is reported that he often ate simply – and there’s nothing simple about the Epicurean dinner at Tao. This fusion restaurant of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel serves up the culinary equivalent of a marathon – a long, decadent, odyssey in food with 24 dishes. It takes a gastronome of rare dedication to sample all seven starters, three soups, seven main courses and seven desserts without faltering and clutching their full stomachs in despair. Luckily, we’ve come hungry.

The menu, printed on a long piece of folded paper is an appetizer in itself – each single-line description tempts the palate, pairing delicious produce with a range of cooking techniques.

Pacing yourself is critical but it helps that the portions are small. We sit there for close to three hours, sampling delicacy after delicacy. We are served seared Tasmanian salmon with crispy prosciutto on braised fennel with lemongrass emulsion, thyme braised ballotine of duck on pumpkin mash and balsamic and onion confit for our starters, followed by a tart, cold gazpacho of watermelon with cherry and a clear and flavourful oxtail consommé with marrow custard and pearl vegetables.

Unbelievably, 10 dishes in and we’ve yet to get to the main courses, but as they are served, the food tempts us to abandon any dietary scruples we might have had.

Starting with a Thai spiced breast of chicken with lemongrass emulsion, we sample dishes like the Jerk spiced baby lamb roulade with sweet potato mash and caramelised mango, chilli coriander scented lobster tail on tofu and corn cannelloni and baby fillet of modha wrapped in banana leaf with Malaccan fried noodles.

A few minutes to savour the meal and then it’s on to dessert. Hazelnut cream millefeuille with passion pepper mousse, black cherry with white wine gelee, coconut rum ice cream on chocolate chip slice and orange mascarpone with stewed strawberries are some of the delicacies on display.

The flavours are an interesting combination of East and West – though some dishes work better than others. For instance, the passion fruit dressing does tend to overpower the oysters but the dark chocolate sauce adds a sweet, rich undertone to a perfectly grilled fillet of mignon. When you are done, you could be forgiven for feeling like you would never eat again, but should you come back next month, an all-new menu will be rolled out to tempt you.

Chef Asanka Wijekoon and Manager Milroy Thambiraja explain that the restaurant rotates five menus, switching every four weeks. The spice palette samples countries like Thailand, China, Japan and Indonesia, says Chef Wijekoon adding that his focus is on creating new and appealing fusion flavours. Though the menu comprises a mixture of red meat, poultry and seafood, it can be customised to individual preferences. An all vegetarian Epicurean menu is also available.

Epicurean dinner at Tao is on every Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m. Call 011- 2497485 for reservations. Rs. 2,200 per head.

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