Zega has been frequented by several food lovers in the city for their excellent PanAsian delicacies for years. The restaurant has newly launched Meal in a Bowl, offering quick and filling dishes to working professionals during weekdays. We took the elevator up to the restaurant that was bustling with activity on a lively Friday afternoon. Seating ourselves in a quiet corner, we admired the pretty table setting before placing our orders.
Having discovered that diners had vegetarian and meat based options to choose from, we picked the Penang Noodle Bowl first, made with Laksa curry noodles, grilled chicken marinated in Asian herbs with a side of soft boiled eggs. The noodle bowl was brought in quickly after placing the order, and was a comforting sight to sore eyes. The noodles sat pretty under a garnish of microgreens, finely chopped peanuts and chilli oil. The salty chicken balanced the flavours well with the gravy and the soft boiled eggs gave the dish a filling climax.
Next, we tried the Thai Krappaw Bowl served with steaming hot jasmine rice, ground chicken flavoured with bird eye chilli and basil. The wholesome dish was topped with a fried egg and a fresh cucumber salad on the side. The wok-fried chicken had a delightful smokiness and depth that went well with the soft jasmine rice. Julienned cucumber bits cut through the spice while the eggs fried to a crisp added a crunchy texture to morsels of rice.
All the vegetarian bowls were made with the same elements, replacing the meat with tofu, mushrooms and mock meats. We tried the Sichuan Fiery Spicy Rice Bowl next, plated beautifully with seaweed fried rice, sliced mock meat in a chilli garlic sauce, sautéed hot vegetables and a fresh salad. The gravy was an excellent accompaniment to the rice while the mock meat was tender and equally flavourful.
From the busy bar counter that dished out cocktails and mocktails, we were served a VVL or a VodkaVanilla-Lemon cocktail to cool off during the meal. Garnished with zesty orange peels, the drink was what we needed to kick-start the weekend on a late Friday afternoon. “ We find several working professionals around Gachibowli stepping in for a quick lunch at Zega during weekdays. Since time during lunch hours is limited, we conceptualised Meal in a Bowl, so patrons do not have to spend time choosing various dishes for their meal. Various key elements of a wholesome meal like a salad, protein and carbs are all included in a single dish,” says Chef Benjamin Lalmangaiha, Chef De Cuisine. We ended our Meal in a Bowl with a portion of home-made Tender Coconut Ice cream. The ice cream had a pleasant lightness and a well-balanced flavour profile just like all the other dishes on the menu.
Rs 847 upwards.
12.30 pm to 3.30 pm.
Monday — Friday. At Gachibowli.
Mail ID: indulge@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @indulgexpres