Growing up, I was a Disney fan, and that hasn’t faded over the years. From snow white andCinderella, Aladdin and the Seven Dwarfs till TangledI have seen them all. Although love was always at the center of these stories, what quietly attracted me was the food – gorgeous tables laden with dishes that looked as magical as fairy tales. So when I was told that I could actually experience the food from one of Disney’s iconic movies, the Princess and the FrogThe 10 year old child jumped with joy.
Payoja is arranging food. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Movie-to-menu, a concept that started in the West is now gaining a foothold in India. You may have seen several reels of diners paired with their food RatatouilleBut at Chennai’s The Corner Company, Alwarpet – a venue run by Sindhu Ganesh, with a menu curated by pastry chef Payoja Sharma, choosing a different film felt like a deliberate step away from the expected. “what made the Princess and the Frog What was particularly compelling about this concept was how deeply rooted its story was in food. The protagonist’s journey is shaped not only by his culinary ambitions but also by the love and values he inherited from his father. “That emotional connection to food has a deep impact on me,” says Payoja.
Set in 1920s New Orleans, the Princess and the Frog Tiana is an ambitious young chef who dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she meets Prince Naveen, who has been transformed into a frog, and a kiss meant to break the spell pulls her into an advanced world.
As Tiana stirred the pot of gumbo on the screen, the same dish arrived at our table. The New Orleans-style classic – built on a base of vegetables, bell peppers and celery – was warm, hearty and deeply comforting. Coming in second was Big Daddy’s Beignet – traditionally a sweet, deep-fried pastry, but given a savory twist here, drizzled with hot sauce and finished with powdered cheese instead of sugar. Beignets are best enjoyed hot and fresh from the fryer, and being served cold here felt like a miss.
Seating is kept to a minimum, capped at around 20 guests, making the experience more intimate. While the dishes keep arriving, the audience also has ample time to sit back and enjoy the movie. “At first, when I watched the movie, I took note of all the recipes I saw on screen. Then I tried to recreate them at home, and the next challenge was to figure out how they could come together as a five-course meal,” says Payoja.
When Crocodile Louie saw frogs on the screen, our Cajun-style crispy babycorns arrived on the table, re-imagined as frog legs. The main one was named Tiana’s Swamp Sustain, a vegetarian form of jambalaya, inspired by the scene where Tiana, along with Prince Naveen, cook a meal together using whatever they can find in the swamp.
With the movie ending with a sweet reunion, our dessert arrived, ‘Hoppily Ever After’, a dense chocolate cake with pistachio mousse and strawberries.
I left the venue with a full stomach and happy heart, reminded that magic exists at all ages.
Pyoza will play the movie for the next movie-to-menu Ratatouille On April 26 at The Corner Company, Alwarpet.
