Food holds a place in the lives of us all, which is irreplaceable. And, particularly for us who live in Kuwait, a weekend is often translated as an opportunity to unravel and experiment at the new eateries or relish the new varieties added on the menus of our favorite hang-outs.
The novel starters introduced by Avanti Palace Restaurant at Salmiya (read our earlier article on the restaurant: http://www.indiansinkuwait.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=9963&SECTION=10) lured us into a yet another visit at their eatery.
The place, well-decorated and inviting as always, was brimming with foodies, young and the very young alike. The welcome was warm; and a table shown graciously and we were all seated comfortably.
We began our culinary sojourn with Vegetable Manchow soup for the vegetarians and Corn Chicken soup and Chicken Manchow soup for the rest of us. The soups-- all of them were delicious and steaming hot. One significant criterion of whether food is really relished by the diners, was amply fulfilled, as we saw all the three children with us merrily finishing the entire bowl with no fuss at all!!! If children did not have to be told and fussed over for finishing the soup, we knew without tasting them, that they were surely yummy!
The task of choosing from the menu was not at all difficult, as planned we had to straightaway dig into the novelties introduced this year... The restaurant has introduced seven new starters for the connoisseurs of taste and delicacies. We ordered about four of them:
Tiranga kabab (vegetarian)
Pathayar Prawns
Avanti's Maharaja Chicken
Soya Chilly Chicken
The place was brimming with chatter and laughter at the tables, mostly all of which were occupied. And then the delicious starters arrived.
The Tiranga Kabab was wonderfully presented, and the dash of pepper and spices along with the minced vegetables, tasted well. Avanti's Maharaja Chicken was mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. We were tempted to fill ourselves with the starters only. Pathayar Prawns was excellent and yummy. We had Soya Chilly Chicken with rotis --a great combination. Soya Chilly Chicken was medium spicy, graced with soya sauce and chunky chicken pieces. On the whole, the starters were lip-smacking, delicious and were wonderfully presented.
The service, all throughout, was impeccable and polite.
For the main course, some of us who had dined here earlier knew what they had to order, without a look at the menu, and that was Chicken Patiala. Some of us had had it once before, and the taste still lingered. We ordered that with Butter Nan, while the vegetarians amongst us ordered Dal Fry, Aloo Gobi and Steamed Rice. As we busily immersed ourselves into our food, we were politely asked twice, if all was well and according to our taste. And, yes it was! The Chicken Patiala had the same taste, aroma and flavour which we had relished on one previous occasion. Aloo-Gobi was well-made, with the right balance of spices and of course, the bucket of Dal vanished in no time, as we all savoured it heartily.
And then, the warm and soft and sweet gulab jamuns arrived, and though we could barely eat, after all the liberties we had taken in pampering our taste buds, we managed to eat one each and thus, left with a very sweet lingering taste.