Tipped

An extravagant, elegant lunch

February 17, 2008

I went to Amaya for lunch one day, pretty much as a fluke, and I was absolutely delighted. It's a large restaurant, with a nice warm bar by the door, lots of natural light and cooking happening on the far walls. There is also an extensive specialty drink list, both alcoholic and non--I’ll have to go back to try some out--and everything on the menu looked so good, I ended up getting a veritable veggie feast.

My meal started with a slightly spicy green mango and papaya salad, which I really enjoyed. Once I was done with the salad, though, it seemed like the dishes just kept coming out! There was some paneer tikka, which is always one of my favorites, and a great fig and vegetable patty and some sweet potatoes with sauce. There was also some broccoli with a yogurt sauce, which was my least favorite dish — the broccoli was a bit overcooked and it was a much larger quantity than any of the other dishes, which was just incongruous and unappetizing to look at. There were some stuffed little chilies that I really liked, which were surprisingly sweet, no hot, and there was a veggie roll of some sort.

The dishes were all served with a side of chutneys--one rhubarb and one tomato, which were both really delicious, and a peanutty spice powder and a rose and lavender powder, which was wonderful. All the dishes were presented really beautifully as well, on plates of various shapes in white ceramic and glass.

Overall, a very extravagant lunch, but a fantastic, relaxing experience. It was nice to feel welcomed and taken care of as a single diner. I can't wait to go back for dinner and to bring friends along to share.

Tags: indian food, vegetarian options, fine dining, set menu, modern indian, good service, dining alone, lunch, business lunch

Fancy, Too Fancy?

October 29, 2007

Amaya is clearly not Indian food as the average Indian knows it. The food, which is prepared with care and elegantly presented does not resemble anything that I ate during my months in India, although the flavors do delight. Almost all of the dishes are quite small, meant to be shared amongst the diners at a table. The food is largely influenced by Northern Indian cuisine, with an emphasis on the tandoor (clay pot oven), but there are also kebabs and plenty of veg dishes to be had as well.
If you want a bit more heft for your quid, I would recommend getting a biryani, which is a rice dish and is the most generously portioned dish that we had in my group. There is also a quite satisfactory wine list, with many choices by the glass. I did encounter a bit of trouble with this, however, when I ordered a Muscadet by the glass. The bottle was brought over to the table, but was mostly empty. As my group was the first of the day, I inquired when the bottle had been open. I was assured that it had been opened that morning, but when I asked who they served the wine to this morning, considering I was one of the very first customers, I never quite got an answer. Still, he was willing to open a fresh bottle for me, which I requested. In the end, the wine was quite good, but you do need to be careful with wines by the glass that they haven't been left over from the night before.
This being Belgravia, obviously the meal didn't come cheap. Still, it is an elegant setting for a classy meal if you can pay the price. Just don't expect to find food like this in the stalls on Nariman Point.

Tags: Indian, small dishes, fancy

Chic automosphere

August 09, 2007

This family style restaurant offers an extensive menu and is Michelin starred, most of the food was delicious and the lamb melted in your mouth, but I have to say that the food was a little too salty for my taste. The cocktails were out of this world though and the service was top notch. You did feel that at any minute Brad Pitt and George Clooney were going to walk in the door. So much so, they won't even let you use flash in the restaurant - must be a way of eliminating the paparazzi.

Tags: Indian, Michelin, star, cocktails, meat, curry, paparazzi