IT GOES without saying that Passage Thru India restaurants offer the rite of passage to the enjoyment of Indian food.
The menu is as diverse as the Indian sub-continent, with more than 150 items to tease, enthral and satiate the palate. As a plus point, the journey is not based on a culinary adventure alone.
Passage Thru India in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, is a thematic restaurant offering insights into the different regions of India. Established 13 years ago, it passionately promotes the rich culture and art alongside food.
Boutique restaurant: The Passage Thru India Restaurant in Medan Damansara is different from its predecessor in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
The latest addition to the family-run franchise is the restaurant in Medan Damansara. It is built on a boutique concept bordering on fine dining, minus the razzmatazz of the pioneer restaurant in Jalan Tun Razak.
Manager Siva Selva, who is also the founder’s son, said they had waited four years for the prime location and finally opened for business nine months ago.
“It is well worth the wait because Medan Damansara offers the right demographics for our customer base, largely comprising diners from the middle class and above plus expatriates,” said Siva.
His father’s love for Indian artefacts resonates throughout the restaurant – the walls are decorated with Pichwai paintings in ornate frames and Rajasthan dolls perched on high shelves. Copper pots and beautifully-coloured parasols add to the charm.
“These finger paintings were also done by him because he was in the creative line for 30 years, but I haven’t inherited this skill,” Siva laughingly pointed out.
He is, however, adept in the kitchen.
The restaurant does not offer banana leaf meals but it has the Executive Set Lunch, priced from RM18++ to RM22++.
Breads galore: The Cocktail Basket with six types of naan.
The range of house specials for the review lived up to Passage Thru India’s tagline of “A Passage to Good Food”.
The Cocktail Basket of six mini-naan breads – consisting of Garlic Naan, Kashmiri Naan, Mint Naan, Butter Naan, Black Sesame Naan and White Sesame Naan – allowed us to savour the range of dips, chutneys and curries.
The breads are usually relished with Mint Chutney, Sweet Potato and Tomato Chutney and Spicy Tomato Chutney. Once we were done with the taste test, we moved on to the curries.
Exceptional among the lot was the PTI Masala Prawns, featuring succulent tiger prawns cooked with 18 variety of spices and masala. It was mildly spicy.
Siva also brought out the Murgh Tikka Butter that he said had overtaken the English dish of Fish and Chips in terms of popularity. The dish was a cornucopia of ingredients so it was hard to pin-point which captured our attention the most.
The Mutton Rogan Ghost, cooked in an almost similar manner, was also delicious. The Tandoori Chicken was familiar but the marinade was of a different grade and quality.
It was evident that a lot of time and effort had gone into preparing each dish.
In enlightening us on the Kashgar Kebab, Siva said the Persian-influenced dish called for the chicken to be marinated and sautéed before it was coated with breadcrumbs and a layer of egg and put into the clay oven for further cooking.
“The Navratna Kurma features nine types of nuts, vegetables and fruits cooked with kurma paste,” he added.
The offer of Indian desserts of Kulfi (ice cream with saffron and almonds) and Gulab Jamun (deep-fried flour balls in rose syrup) was happily accepted. The sugar overload was heavenly.
While sipping Indian Cappuccino made from coffee beans imported from Tamil Nadu, Siva divulged that Passage Thru India had recently won the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards as one of the top 10 restaurants in Asia.
A fitting accolade.
PASSAGE THRU INDIA
No. 9, Jalan Setiapuspa, Medan Damansara, KL (Tel: 03-2094 4360).
Business Hours: Daily, lunch (11.30am to 2.45pm) and dinner (6.30pm to 10.45pm).
No comments:
Post a Comment