Yet again, it’s that time of the year when long spells of rain and a nip in the air have started making us Bengalurians crave for warm and comforting meals. Taking cue, Asian cuisine restaurant Chowman has launched their new menu, featuring 13 exciting dishes. We dropped by their Indiranagar outlet to find out more and here’s how it went.
Soon after we arrived, we were greeted with two mocktails — Sea Breeze and Sparkling Blueberry. The former is a visual treat — a sea green hued drink. But the latter, a syrupy treat made with frozen blueberries, was more refreshing. Given the weather, the drinks also made us crave more for a hot meal and we moved on to the starters.
The first dishes to arrive at our tables were Exotic Veg in Oyster Sauce (assorted exotic vegetables, stir-fried and coated in oyster sauce) and Four Treasured Mushroom (stir-fried button and shiitake mushrooms, flavoured with a blend of aromatic spices and savoury sauce). The latter, a creamy and garlicky dish, was a good option for a vegetarian diner especially since Chinese cuisine in India does not provide a lot of choices for them. But we liked the former option more as the mild flavour of the oyster sauce and freshness of crunchy veggies made it a simple-yet-wholesome dish. We washed these down with two more mocktails — Thai Lemonade and Summer Fresh.
Wok Tossed Prawn in XO Sauce and Lamb with Basil and Chilli were served next. Crustacean lovers like us were overjoyed sampling the sweet-and-spicy, succulent pieces of prawns. However, the lamb was a pleasant surprise, with aromatic basil leaves, fiery red chillies and a lasting note of fresh mint, creating a perfect blend of spice and tang.
After an extensive course of starters, we chose to keep the mains simple. We ordered Thai Chilli Prawn and Lamb Rendang Curry (lamb slow-cooked in coconut milk, topped with curry leaves). We paired it up with a plate of Vegetable Fried Rice. The juicy prawns cooked in the tangy sauce left a tantalising trail on our taste buds. The tender lamb pieces cooked in the creamy and spicy gravy was surprisingly light on the tummy and could even convert diners who prefer otherwise into red meat lovers.
We ended our dinner with the classic dessert of the restaurant — Darshan with Vanilla Ice Cream — at the warm insistence of our hosts. We highly recommend you try the new menu at this city-favourite, especially if subtlety is your thing.
INR 300 onwards. Available across outlets.
Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa