Rasa by Ashoka

From chicken tikka chaat to paan ice cream, Rasa by Ashoka, is all about experimental North Indian fare

The fine-dining outlet was beautifully decorated with brass utensils while the corner walls had hand paintings of emperor Ashoka, his armour, and combat knives

Published on:

10 Jun 2022, 6:15 am

There are only a handful of places in the areas of Khairtabad and Lakdikapul to satiate a craving for North Indian food. Joining these spaces is Rasa by Ashoka, which serves a range of kebabs, curries, and desserts. We took a trip to Lakdikapul to try their signature dishes and what immediately caught our attention was their interiors. The fine-dining outlet had copper-coloured seating and was beautifully decorated with brass utensils. The corner walls had hand paintings of emperor Ashoka, his armour, and combat knives — all reminiscent of the king’s empire.

Tikka chance

The first dish to arrive was the Raja Mirchi Murgh Yoghurt. The soup, made with spicy yoghurt, lacked the heat we expected. But, what made up for that was the addition of tandoori chicken chunks to the dish. We’ve never tasted a tandoori chicken-based soup and were quite impressed with this twist.

For appetisers, we sampled their Chicken Tikka Chunks with Garlic Butter Naan. Around six tiny and soft butter garlic naan bites came topped with spicy chicken tikka chaat. Further topped with onions, green chillies, and light seasoning, this one was a winner. We paired the chaat with the dips served — coconut, beetroot, and mint. We also tasted the Zafrani Jhinga, shrimp cooked in a flavourful saffron-based sauce. The slight crunch of the grilled shrimp, with a hint of sweetness made for a delectable snack.

Zafrani Jhinga

We tried the Potali Kebabs next and loved them. These meat pockets filled with chicken keema were filling, and the addition of herbs and spices elevated the starter.

Potali Kebabs

Biryani binge

For the main course, we picked the Mutton Dum Biryani — the succulent pieces of mutton, paired with aromatic rice were flavourful to the hilt. What we loved about the biryani was that it did not have overpowering spices and was easy on our stomachs. Also, served with tomato raita and salan.

Mutton biryani

Finally, we tried the Paan Ice Cream for dessert. The ice cream was refreshing and was generously loaded with fennel seeds and cherry pieces, adding the right amount of crunch to the dessert.