There is something deeply primal yet poetic about cooking by fire. It’s a return to origins, a celebration of earth and element—and during the recent fireside dining experience at The Oberoi, Bengaluru, fire was not merely a tool. It was a language.
Between September 10th and 14th, 2025, beneath the star-studded ceiling of The Polo Club’s elegant veranda, visitors were treated to a transcendent culinary pop-up in association with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Part of the continuing O&MO Alliance—a collaboration between two hospitality titans on a global scale—this dining experience was as much a coming together of brands as it was an intersection of ideologies. And the epicentre of it all was Chef Jack Jarrott, here from the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi, where he leads the theme-revered fire-inspired restaurant Sand & Koal.
Chef Jack, a protégé of Gordon Ramsay and a Michelin-recognised name in Dubai’s culinary circles, brought with him more than technique—he brought an energy. There was something almost theatrical in how the flames licked the edges of meat cuts, how smoke curled from crustaceans as he worked live over open embers. But for all its spectacle, this was a dinner grounded in storytelling, and every course whispered its own tale.
The meal began with a rich roasted sweet corn soup—certainly comforting, and yet warmed by a creamy emulsion and the merest hint of paprika oil. It was a signal for the refraction that followed: traditional flavours seen in a light of elegance and flame. Starters made their appearance gradually, wave upon wave of flavour. The chermoula-coated roasted bottle gourd using Gondhoraj lemon surprised just as much as it refreshed, with its crispy texture divine juxtaposed against the sharpness of the lime. The caramelised white asparagus with arugula and smoked duck breast introduced an European touch, full of brown butter and umami courtesy of the turkey bacon crumbles.
But the real showstopper was the Japanese Tuna Toro Carpaccio. Served atop a bed of crustless sourdough, every paper-thin piece of toro was a master class in balance—rich, delicate, and enlivened by a citrus dressing that sliced through the fattiness with aplomb. It was not just a standout; it was a dish that brought conversation to a halt mid-sentence. The sort of dish that has you close your eyes after the first bite and quietly thank the chef.
As the flames intensified, so did the flavours. The confit Australian lamb shoulder, topped with a honey glaze that was sticky and rich, and supported on a bed of yam purée, fell apart with every bite of forking—comfort food rebooted in a luxury avatar. The grilled Canadian lobster, served out of the blue with garam masala lentils and rich lobster bisque, suggested that borders do not exist when flavours are in alignment. Also, the Alaskan king crab leg was rich and buttery, paired with a crustacean hollandaise that stroked the tongue like silk.
Creativity did not dip when it came to salads either. The flamed fenugreek salad was a considered tribute to local ingredients with lemon-jaggery dressing with toasted seeds and crispy bread, while grilled Japanese octopus salad introduced smoky tenderness to the table, with coal-roasted potatoes and feta crumble completing the dish’s Mediterranean inclinations.
The mains provided a closing act of unadulterated excess. Ember-roasted baby chicken, smeared with spiced mustard and lemon marinade, was presented alongside crispy yams and toasted rice, imbuing flavour profiles of crunch, spice, and dirt. Grilled New Zealand lamb chops were the meat lover’s utopia—charred to perfection and paired with caramelised onion purée and roasted pumpkin. The flame-grilled snapper fillet was notable for its restraint, served with wilted spinach and elevated by a rich citrus and caviar beurre blanc. Vegetarians were not left out either; the black garlic purée’d barbecue sweet potato, accompanied by a grilled mushroom, was an atmospheric, smoky meal that could easily hold its own against its meaty counterparts.
The desserts were also the spirit of the flame. The light, tart roasted mulberry pavlova brought a welcome freshness to the end of a rich meal. A roasted coffee and smoked chocolate flan introduced a note of depth and darkness, balancing chocolate mousse with fire-roasted coffee cream over flaky pastry. But the closest to nostalgic finish was the Emirate saffron milk cake—a delicate sponge infused with scented saffron-flavoured milk, a tip of the hat to the Arabic heritage of the visiting food group.
The atmosphere, naturally, just made it all the more enchanting. The Polo Club at The Oberoi has long been a sophisticated refuge in the midst of the city, but on such nights, smouldering with fire and the gentle crinkle of leaves, it was something else altogether. A place where meal became story, flame became sculpture, and each morsel a shared conspiracy between chef and restaurant-goer.
This wasn’t just a culinary event—it was a celebration of cross-cultural craftsmanship, of ancient methods reinterpreted for the modern gourmand. The Oberoi, Bengaluru, in partnership with Mandarin Oriental, has reminded us that fire is more than a cooking technique—it is a storyteller. And under Chef Jack Jarrott’s guidance, it told one of the most beautiful stories we’ve had the pleasure of tasting this year.
Experience it yourself-
- 10th to 14th September 2025
- From 7:00 PM onwards
- Reservations: +91 80 2558 5858
- restaurants.bengaluru@oberoihotels.com
Written by – Samanvitha Rao
