Every time Ashwath walks into his own restaurant, he practically relives his cherished childhood memories. Although it is now a popular restaurant that also serves select beverages, Asvah 24 was once a seaside mansion that belonged to the young owner's family.
The pool he used to swim in is still there, and the thick pillars, long pathways, and huge rooms are present too. Although a lot of work has gone into turning the mansion into a restaurant (like the library that is now used to store wine and a reading room adjacent to it offering a private space to enjoy a tipple), it is not particularly visible to the eye, for, as Ashwath explains, he had to work around the beautiful Iranian architecture to create the rustic restaurant that would offer diners an experience that offers more than the fresh breeze from the sea, which is just a few metres away.
While we continued to marvel at the beautiful architecture, chef Harish Rao came to the table with the first dish from the newly introduced Indianish (that's how it is called) menu, the Corn galouti. A beautiful plate featuring vegetarian tikki, but the accompanying hummus was made of, wait for it, popcorn!
While we began to dig in, eagerly tasting the dish with the popcorn hummus and chilli oil with roasted corn salsa, Harish Rao told us that the name Indianish was given to the menu since he believes Indian food is very diverse and also because each dish has been given a twist.
Although the chef is very creative, Ashwath has been also very much involved in the process of creating the menu, and it shows in the way each dish and category has been named. The terms Indian vegetarian and envy (for NV, as in non-vegetarian), showcase the fact that he is well-travelled, and menu reflects his passion for food and travel.
Next was the Lamb kebab, though this time it came with a different hummus. Harish Rao asks us to taste it and tell him what it is, and we could make out instantly that he had made hummus with the very famous Marina pattani sundal! The kebabs were soft, and when paired with the sundal hummus, they were a joy to eat.
Other dishes like Mutton on a mushroom, featuring a deep-fried mushroom base and delicious kheema on top, and the crunchy Rava fried prawns, offered with raw mango chutney, made us want to forget our diet goals and simply bask in the joy of eating delicious food.
So we did, and boy were we happy. The two dishes that came next were the unimaginatively named Fish curry and Gongura mutton curry. The Fish curry was a dish to die for. Featuring a grilled barramundi, sautéed beans, and a masala onion salad, the curry, especially when had with jasmine or herbed rice, satisfied our palate like no other. The way the fish steak was cooked and the touch of extra spice in the curry showed skill and the desire to do something more than a simple fish curry.
The Gongura Mutton Curry had meat that was soft, and the highlights were the egg floss on top and chilli garlic oil. More rice was added to our plates as a result, and the curry was not as spicy as the name would lead one to believe. Instead, we loved the flavours elevated by that chilli garlic oil.
Along with the new menu, there are 13 new egg-free ice creams that are available at the restaurant. The Aamsutra we tried was perfect for the weather, and be it the mango mascarpone mousseline, the vanilla ganache, or the raspberry jelly, each component gelled well together to create a blast in the mouth.
For people who love Indian food but want something different, we reckon the new menu at Asvah 24 will satisfy their needs and more. We were certainly satiated and plan to go there once again soon.
INR 2,500++ for two persons. Open for lunch and dinner. At Neelangarai.
