Food
Appetizers
Buffalo wings
Followed by the mustang aloo, this dish was a slight let down. With tongue still buzzing from the timur of the previous dish, the wings seemed a little too bland. If you aren’t too keen on spices you should order this. However, as we continued digging in to the dish, it grew on us and even the slight sweetness of the hot sauce wasn’t as disappointing as the first bite. If you want to order both the appetizers, this scribe would recommend having the wings before moving on to the mustang aloo. The green onion that accompanies this dish works well when swirled around in the hot sauce.
Mustang aloo
The mustang aloo is fried with butter, garlic, parsley and chili powder but the start of the dish is the Sichuan pepper (timur). The timur rub elevates the regular crispy fried potatoes to a completely different level and leaves you wanting more. They offer a side of salt, timur, and chili powder as well which shows that they respect everyone’s palette and take their customer’s needs seriously. The green onion isn’t just there for decoration. Put the timur rub on the onion and bite into it. This gives a burst of fresh flavors to the fried potatoes. One of the best ways to see how much the restaurant cares about its patrons is by checking to see how fresh the side condiments are. The cucumber, radish, and carrots accompanying the dish were freshly cut and very juicy as well.
For moist grilled pork skewers, turn to country-style ribs
Main course
Chef special pork chop
The pork chop is well cooked and juicy but if you let it rest too much, it will become dry. The chop placed on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with grilled apples is covered with mustard sauce. Chef Dipesh Kumar Shrestha really knows how to play with the flavors as the sweetness of the grilled apple perfectly balances the zingy taste of the mustard sauce. It creates a beautiful symphony of flavors. The dish is decorated with balsamic vinegar on the side that complements it well.
Chicken Florentine
The Florentine is made by rolling chicken keema, cheese, and local as well as continental herbs on a slice of chicken breast. Cutting open the meat to reveal the layer of stuffing inside is a delight on its own. The dish is accompanied by rice that has been fired in a garlic butter sauce. The rice and the tomato sauce as well as the pesto sauce steals the show and is arguably better than the chicken itself. The best part of the dish is that the garnishes (whole tomato, balsamic vinegar, basil leaf and dill leaf) all work together to create an explosion of flavors. It is clear to see that they know what flavor works together and use it to their advantage. The side vegetables, although perfectly crunchy, could have been left in the steamer for just a minute or two longer. The cauliflower and the broccoli still had a slightly raw taste to them. Having said that, the vegetables were perfectly seasoned and helped turn the dish into a wholesome meal.
Dessert
Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake
They say that people devour food with their eyes before they actually eat it. The presentation is so perfect that your mouth waters the minute you set your eyes on it. The cheesecake is chilly, soft, and melts in your mouth whereas the biscuit base is buttery and flaky. The fork glides right through even the biscuit bits without meeting any resistance that makes it easier to go back for more. Don’t be surprised if you end up ordering another one after having finished one. Once might not be enough for this dessert.
Ambience
The restaurant has a running theme across all their floors. The ground floor, with garden seating, represents water and earth elements. The garden with the trees and the wooden tables and brown earthy tones represent the earth whereas the blue bar-counter represents water. The first floor has red tones and has a wall with an orange light to depict sunrise, for the fire element. “Although it is in the process of being built, the upper floor will be open to represent the air element,” says Pakhin. The music sets the mood perfectly as it is loud enough for the lyrics to be understood but soft enough that you don’t have to shout to be heard. It’s a delight for people in select fandoms for there are Game of Thrones cushions everywhere, a quote by Albus Dumbledore in the coffee shop and Marvel and DC hero’s logo frames hanging everywhere. They even have the painting from the theme song of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ hanging in the garden seating area.
Service
The service is fast with a wait-time of 10 to 15 minutes. The waiters are never too far away and your glasses get filled without you having to signal them constantly. They also know their menu well and are able to tell you exactly what goes in your dish. One of the most important things for the young generation is the WiFi speed and the scribe made sure to check it. With 2.6 mbps internet, you can also come here to grab a coffee and do your work. They have a small collection of books in the coffee shop and if you bring a book you have already read, you can exchange it for one they have, which is a unique idea they are excited to expand on.
As amazing as the food was, the drinks however were slightly disappointing. The blended mint lemonade was refreshing and in theory seemed perfect for a hot summer’s day. But the taste of mint was so strong that it became slightly too overpowering.
The mango smoothie had no artificial flavorings. The slightly unripe mango used cut through the heaviness of the smoothie to give the drink a refreshing taste. The presentation of the drink, with a sliced mango over the glass, was a great touch as it allowed us to bite into the goodness of the fruit as well.
The choco mint frappe combines chocolate, mint and coffee, and the three flavors work really well together. The slightly mint aftertaste along with it being cold and refreshing makes it the perfect drink for scorching summer days.
