I picked
up a dear friend, my namesake Kainaz, and her darling daughter Kloee for lunch
on a Thursday afternoon. In known circles my friend Kainaz is a ‘rock star’ who
creates the most awesome Chocolate Brownies, Quiches, Cookies and Cup-cakes.
Our friendship is merely six months old but sometimes souls are simply destined
to connect beautifully (touch wood) and so it was for us. This was going to be
our last meeting before she heads out to UK, to settle with her husband, Rolan.
Our pre-planned destination for lunch was Malaka Spice.
As
usual, having skipped breakfast I was hungry enough to eat a horse. When we
reached the restaurant we quickly ordered drinks and starters. For drinks we
ordered an Orange Juice, Virgin Mojito and Cold Coffee. Our starters were
Chicken Frittura, Firecracker Prawns and Murtabak.
Chicken
Frittura was batter fried chicken pieces served with a tangy Mango Sambal dip.
The chicken was fried just right where it remained juicy and tender and that
Mango Sambal was tangy, spicy and delicious!
The Firecracker Prawns, marinated
in Thai spice paste and coriander, encased in a thin wrapper (with crisp
noodles peeping out from one end) were fried to crisp perfection and were
delectable! They were a delight to the eyes because of the way it was presented
on the platter and were even more pleasurable when bit into.
The Murtabak (we
chose mutton mince instead of chicken mince), was well spiced mutton mince
wrapped in thin crepes and pan fried. They were absolutely yummy! I could not
find the slightest fault with any of the starters. Without a doubt, I give each
and every starter a well deserved 10/10.
For the
mains we wanted to order Indian Crayfish in Black Bean Sauce and Singapore
Chilli Prawns. Disappointingly, the Indian Crayfish was not available, so we
opted for Prawns in Coconut Cream instead. We ordered Jhala Rotis as
accompaniment to the curries.
When
set at our table, at first glance, both curries were very similar in appearance
but when we tasted them, they both had their own distinct flavour and were not
alike at all. The Singapore Chilli
Prawns were mind-blowing and they weren’t kidding when they named it Singapore
‘Chilli’ Prawns. I absolutely love
spicy food and these prawns tossed in spicy Singapore Sambal made my taste buds
do a lively jig.
The Prawns in Coconut Cream, were just as delicious but,
comparatively, more delicate in flavor. The prawns for both dishes were cooked
‘exactly right’ and the Bawi in me rejoiced at each and every bite.
As for that extraordinary Jhala Roti, it
partnered both the curries to perfection! Jhala means net, netted or web. I
will not say any more about the Jhala Roti as I would like you to feast your
eyes on this beautiful creation and experience its taste (and uniqueness) for
yourself. Each and every dish served was beautiful in terms of flavour and
texture. It’s only right, then, that I give them full marks. :)
Our
choices for dessert were Royal Chocolate Mousse and Banana Toffee with Ice
cream. The Royal Chocolate Mousse was the only disappointment of the day. I ate
a spoonful and took another one to confirm what I felt on my palate. The mousse
was grainy, instead of being smooth. My friend, Kainaz, is a chef and she
concurred. The mousse was rich, decadent and, taste-wise, I could find no fault
with it but that grainy texture took away the smooth pleasure that my tongue
was waiting to experience when I took that first spoonful.
I don’t like fruits;
except mangoes and bananas, which I love. (Those who follow my work know
that well!) Hence, the choice of Banana Toffee with Ice cream which was sweet
ripe bananas fritters tossed in caramel and served with ice cream. It is a
classic dessert and the hot-cold combination blew me away. It was an incredible
finale to a fabulous luncheon!
At the
cost of sounding repetitive, we were, truly, very disappointed to have missed
out on Indian Crayfish in Black Bean sauce. :( I hope, with all my heart, that Malaka Spice has Indian Crayfish in stock when I visit next.
As for
the rest of the experience through the entire afternoon:
Team
Malaka Spice, kudos! The service, the ambiance and the food were excellent! I
look forward to visiting you guys next month; to bid another friend good-bye as
she is moving away after getting married and then again, to celebrate mum’s
birthday as she and dad plan to come into town next month. Amen to that! ;)
Ambiance:
4/5 (had to battle a fly or two)
Food:
4.5/5
Service:
5/5
Address:
Lane 5, Opp Oxford Properties, North-Main road, Koregaon Park, Pune
Tel:
020 26151088
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