My earliest memory of eating out is at Daitchi. A quaint little restaurant in South Extension which has remained untouched to a degree with the changes taking around it. The restaurant which served authentic Chinese along with a smattering of their neighbouring countries. It had been uncovered by my dad during his days of residency at AIIMS and he still swears by the level of authenticity they have maintained. This was in the days when Chinese food had made an entry into the North Indian market breaking down the monopoly of the resident cuisine and it quickly got bastardized. Before Delhi could develop a palate for it, it had been fried, lapped up in paneer and slapped right back on our faces. Although most of Delhi started a love affair with the food, you need to understand where my father came from. His undergrad studies had been at the NRS Medical College, Kolkata where the food of Chinatown ruled roost. So naturally his gravitation towards Daitchi meant that me and my sister always cut our teeth on the authentic stuff first. He still gets the 10% discount availed by the doctors at AIIMS. But a new hospital meant shifting out from our South Delhi residence to across Yamuna. This is where the food hits it’s bastardized best. Everything from Italian to Pan Asian has been raped brutally to create a product fit for the market. But one place holds steadfast amongst all this turmoil. That is Rare Eastern Dining(R.E.D.) at Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida where Chinese masterchef Raymond Sim has been churning out some authentic Pan Asian fare for more than a decade.
The restaurant retains the typical low lighted charm of Asian restaurants. But the masterpiece here is the food itself. Chef Sim, a native of Singapore has picked up dishes which incorporate the spicy elements of street food of Asia and creates his renditions here. The most essential part being that he does not use Indian spices to make the food palatable to the Indian palate. Instead, he trusts his instincts and creates food that has stood the test of time. Two of his starters will leave a mark on your palate. The succulent pork ribs glazed with an Expresso sauce which combines a cloy sweetness from the pork with the bitterness of the coffee. The second one being the Oat crumbed prawns. The Oats incorporated with flavours of sweet and chili along with it’s flaky texture is perfectly complimented by the fresh juiciness from the prawns.
The mains are a decadent affair too with stir fried prawns in a slightly sweet yet with a lot of heat chili garlic sauce. The Chicken in Yellow Bean Sauce also invokes beautiful sensations on the palate. Combined with a noodles or rice of your choice and you got a meal that will fully satisfy your gustatory senses. Sign off with Vanilla Ice Cream filled spring rolls.
So next time you stand cursing in the Atta Market of Noida about the lack of good food, check into R.E.D and let Chef Sim take you on an extravagant culinary journey.
