Hyderabad is known for new outlets opening almost every month and this week on our radar was Minyu, a South East Asian restaurant tucked away in the quaint lanes of Madhapur, serving both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The restaurant invited us for a tasting of delectable delicacies from China, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
As we enter, we are enticed by the zen-like décor of the restaurant with alluring red lanterns and soft-ambient lighting. Another striking feature of the aesthetics were the saturated tones of red, black and gold on the sleek lacquered wood furnishings and walls.
As we settle in, we glance at the menu and find that we are spoilt for choice with dishes like Cantonese Lamb, Wonton Soup, Phuket Fish, Crispy Lotus Stem, Kung Pao Chicken, momos, noodles and more! We start with the appetisers and order the highly recommended Shanghai Prawns. To our surprise, they were the most scrumptious prawns we have ever dug into! The crispy prawns were fried with finely chopped ginger, garlic and onions and tossed with sweet chilli sauce. It gave them a delicious sweet and salty flavour.
After the wholesome start, we head to the main course that had Chilli Basil Noodles. The thin noodles were made in oyster sauce that gave them a rich flavour. What added to the taste was that it was mixed with Chinese cabbage, carrots, chicken chunks and an omelette that made it a fulfilling meal. Next up, we tried the Bhutan Chicken. The platter was loaded with deep-fried chunks of chicken that were juicy from the inside and crispy from outside. The chicken was sautéed in ginger garlic paste and appropriately peppered with herbs and spices that gave it a low spicy flavour. The dish’s rich flavours melted into our mouth as it was tossed with oodles of butter.
What perfectly complemented the saucy flavour of this dish were the steamed chicken momos that came alongside in a traditional bamboo basket. We appreciated the taste that lay in the juiciness of the fillings comprising of fresh keema chicken and spring onions. The momos were soft as they were greased with a blend of ginger juice and ghee which is rare to see in an Indo-Asian dish but the mixture made them more flavoursome.
After finishing the main course we head to the desserts section. We got our hands on their Chinese speciality— Minyu Triple Delight. It was an interesting combination of vanilla ice cream, chocolate brownie, fried ice cream and the traditional Chinese crispy snack Darsaan made of deep-fried flat noodles. Altogether, we relished the sweet notes and could not think of a better way to sign off.
Rs. 1,200 for two. At Madhapur.
Twitter: @RanaPriyamvada