Enter Peninsular kitchen and you feel as if you have entered a coastal area with boats, anchors, waves, seabirds etc everywhere. The theme is continued in the menu as well (a big thumbsup to the designer). I personally love the places where thought is put in the decor and the theme is continued in all the design collateral’s as well. The menu spoke about-all the Indian coastal states food covered and how the logo of Peninsular Kitchen was conceptualized (something sweet to read while you wait for food- A BIG BIG thumbsup to the menu design & content from my end).
Menu at Peninsular Kitchen
Throughout the afternoon we were cruising through different taste palates and cooking techniques of Indian coastal states. Though the dishes are similar in most the states but the preparation style differs from state to state. Ask the chef/server how exactly is the dish prepared or which state it belongs to and you’ll appreciate the flavors more. For eg. I personally did not enjoy the Rasam served to me but when I got to know it was prepared Andhra style whereas I am used to Karnataka flavors, I appreciated it more & tried to enjoy the new flavors & cooking style. I tried alot of dishes but I am going to speak about the ones which are absolute must haves and should not be missed.
1. Tossed Mini Idli (V)- Idlis tossed in gunpowder, how special could it be? Ask my hard-core non-vegetarian brother who left his chicken to go take a second help of these idlis (:p). Fluffy rice batter idlis in gunpowder, absolutely delicious, you need to try it to believe it!
Tossed mini idlis
2. Maddur Vadai (V)- It is a staple in coastal region, though preparation might differ from state to state but it is something which is consumed everyday with tea. The preparation of this one was from the state of Karnataka and I quiet enjoyed the rice-flour snack.
Maddur Vadai
3. Butter Pepper Garlic Mushroom (V)- This dish had flavors from Kerala, the garlic with the Mushrooms in the butter sauce was an absolute bliss. I am quiet fond of mushrooms, so I am always a little partial towards it, so would recommend a trial of this!
4. Khatt-a-licious (to drink)- We quiet enjoyed this drink, he was just stuck to this one! Dark rum with Kala Katta and trust me a gooooood amount of dark rum was used in this drink, so drink only if you can handle strong drinks. (:p)
5. Coconut Mojito (to drink)- This was an absolute crowd-pleaser. I could see one of these on all the tables. Imagine when the freshness of Mojito meet the goodness of Coconut, it is an actual match made in heaven. Fresh slices of coconut with mint leaves, served with crushed ice- in the summer heat, it is actually a delight.
Coconut Mojito
6. Paan Burst (to drink)- This was MY FAVORITE drink of the afternoon. I absolutely loved it and would recommend everyone to try. Its a vodka based drink with fresh Paan flavors and the combination of two tastes so so sooo good. A must have, my recommendations!
7. Chicken Chettinad (NV)- Both the dry and gravy versions of this dish was enjoyed by the foodies on the table and is a must have here!
8. Slow Fried Mutton (NV)- This dish came in starters and was prepared Hyderabadi style. It had all the right flavors and was really juicy & succulent. My brother couldn’t stop praising this dish, so again a must have here!
9. Stir Fried Prawns (NV)- This is a rare dish from the region of North Kerala and a dish by which the staff swears by. Again a recommended dish!
All in all loved cruising around the Indian coastal food, would be coming back soon to try some more of coastal awesomeness.
