What would happen if Doraemon was to land in Kolkata during summer? He would head straight to Aajisai at Quest Mall and indulge in the a-la-carte Mango Special Menu; just as Indulge headed over for a pre-festival sneak peek. The 50-seater restaurant was the only one to make Japanese and Thai cuisine accessible to all as a fine diner in a mall and holds its hospitality coupled with innovation to date.
Keeping up with the traditions a jasmine tea greeted us first. Though the tea refreshed our senses, a mango tea in sync with the theme would be welcome. Up next was the lemon and fizzy Mango mojito, which one can sip and bite, including the edible straw. Next was the Mango cocktail with a vodka base, complete with a sprinkle of Japanese togarashi chilli spice mix on the rims. “The menu is a mixed style of cooking with ingredients from Thai, Japanese, and Indian cuisines,” comments Chef Gopal Roy.
For starters came the Raw mango salad. Juliennes of raw mango and carrots mixed with a sweet chili dressing balanced the flavours perfectly. Pro-tip, consume the salad quickly so that the tartness does not seep through and make the dish taste overly sour. Notably the star of the curated menu, the vegetarian Mango sushi came in both raw and ripe mango flavours. Pockets of rice, avocado, cheese, nori, and mangoes when paired with kimchi-style ginger or a dash of wasabi, explode in the mouth, giving it a taste that would totally have us return for it. The cold Mango salad with bacon blended the smoky meat with the sweetness of the mangoes giving the right punch to the dish.
Next on the plate was Mango salsa on stir-fried chicken. The tangy mango and bell-pepper salsa gave all the flavour to the plain stir-fried chicken. A dash of soya sauce to add subtle saltiness could have enhanced the taste a notch higher. The penultimate item was the Mango sticky rice served with coconut sauce. Although the rice could have been a tad bit stickier, the creamy coconut does the trick and it gains brownie points in flavour. To crown it all, the light, airy, spongy, mildly sweet Mango cheesecake dessert stole our hearts. The Mango special menu is a perfect global fusion tribute to the fruit keeping in mind the Indian palate. Aajisai serves an uncommon array of food through the curated menu with perfectly balanced flavours. Manager Arijit Chowdhury comments, “We wanted to introduce mango into our style of cuisine at Aajisai. This time we have curated a course-wise meal with both raw and ripe mangoes. Our Mango sushi and Mango sticky rice are the highlights of the menu.”
Indulge also recommends when in Aajisai, do not forget to experience the Teppanyaki where the chef live-cooks your meal and serves it upfront.
Price for 2: Rs 1800+
Pictures by Anindya Saha