New York-based chef Hari Nayak, who has restaurants in the Middle East and the Big Apple, was in town last week at Alchemy — the modern Indian restaurant at Chancery Pavilion. Alchemy was launched a year ago with an eclectic menu that was curated by the chef. On the occasion of its first anniversary, Hari has once again put together a new menu featuring his experimental dishes that use local produce.
Smokin’ hot
We dropped by for a preview of the new menu last week and started our meal with an assortment of interesting small plates. The Fish Kebab had succulent, smoked slices of fish, marinated in a mix of yellow chilli and kaffir lime, and this was served with kashundi mayo. The citrusy kaffir lime flavour in this dish was the highlight and the kashundi mayo added another dimension to it. From the vegetarian offerings, we sampled the Channa Chop — chickpea tikki topped with chickpea pâté and chickpea crisps. Although we loved the different textures of this dish, the tikki was a bit dry. Perhaps, a chutney or a dip on the side would have helped.
The next dish, Cherrywood Smoked Garlic Chicken was a hit. Cherrywood always works well with poultry, and this dish was no exception. Even though the garlic was prominent, the mild smokiness worked in favour of the dish. We tried Duck Samosas next and this was delicious. The pulled duck filling had all the traditional South Indian spices, the outer pastry was crisp and light, and the honey creme dip made for a great pairing.
Going nuts
From the mains, we first sampled the Paneer Pinwheel — garlic, spinach and pine nuts stuffed in paneer rolls served with corn makhani. This offbeat combination created drama on our palate with their different textures and flavours. The Chettiar Chicken was served in a banana leaf with turmeric string hoppers. The chicken, marinated in stone flower (kalpasi) sauce, was exquisite. After sampling such a diverse spread, we were really looking forward to dessert and it surpassed our expectations.
Nuts Over Coconut is a combination of coconut espuma, coconut sorbet and coconut crisps. The light and airy espuma that’s topped with coconut crisps, hides the flavourful and creamy coconut sorbet. Every element of this dessert did justice to the only main ingredient — coconut. We finished the dessert within moments of it being served. With such promising dishes, chef Hari’s new menu at Alchemy is certainly a must try.
Rs 2,500++ for two. At Residency Road
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@aishatax