Coast to Coast

On a weekday,getting into Zambar,the new South Indian food restaurant,proved to be quite a task.

On a weekday,getting into Zambar,the new South Indian food restaurant,proved to be quite a task. After 10 minutes of waiting with other shoppers near the busy food court,we finally got a small table on the fringes of the cosy restaurant,whose interiors resemble a Kerala houseboat.

Our table for two,in this 98-cover restaurant,was a tight squeeze. The menus were promptly shoved into our hands by polite but eager waiters,who evidently wanted you to get on with it on a busy weekday. After going through the different cuisine segmentsAndhra,Karnataka,Kerala and Tamil Naduwe settled for a non-vegetarian platter (Rs 415) for starters. It had tasting portions of Chicken 65,Tamil mutton roast,Bedakai tulsi chicken and Mutton coconut fry. A bite into the latter and it seemed we were in for a good time the fried coconut,the crunch of the curry leaves and the succulent mutton piece all came together in a perfect melange. The Tamil mutton roast was delicious too,though it didnt hit the high note of the Kerala mutton fry. The Bedakai tulsi chicken infused the tulsi with the spicy flavouring of the bedakai chilli,an interesting dish that leaves your mouth with a minty aftertaste. The Chicken 65 though was a let-down with its overdose of colour and bland taste.

By this time orders for appams were flying fast from several tables and the manager of the restaurant was making stops at every table ensuring everything went off smoothly. The Appam andmalabhar parotta at Rs 80 per piece were fluffy,and lived up to the reputation of being the most ordered dish on the menu. Our tiny table hit a rocky patch,when our order of King fish tawa fry (Rs 595) landed. The fish smelt slightly stale. There is a lot of coconut,curry leaves and South Indian spices like tellicherry pepper and bedakai chilli at work in the kitchen,but for the fish,the bright red masala was smeared lightly on one part and heavy on the other. The dish could have done with more time on the tawa. The waiter serving us chopped up two parts of a slice of fish,dunked respective piece on our plates and vanished with the onions and lime that come with the dish. The main course also tumbled on to our table really quick: the Chicken chettinad (Rs 395) and the Viruthunagar mutton kozhambu (Rs 395) were good but not thrilling.

There are two money savers on the menu: the vegetarian thali (Rs 425) that comes with a paneer appetiser,sambhar,vegetable curry,seasonal dry vegetable,khurma,rasam,curd,dessert,ponni rice,malabar parotta,poppadum,salad and pickle; and its non-vegetarian counterpart (Rs 595) with chicken appetiser,mutton kolazambu,chicken curry,poriyal,khurma,rasam,curd,dessert,ponni rice,malabar parotta,poppadum,salad and pickle.

The dessert list has moong dal payasam (Rs 195),sakarai pongal (Rs 165) and coconut and jaggery pudding (Rs195) and there is also some great wake-you-up-and-shake-you filter coffee (Rs 75). This restaurant has a charming ambience,the food will be appreciated by those who dont eat the fare regularly,but for connoisseurs of South Indian cuisine,this place may not rock your boat.

Meal for two: Rs 2500 (including tax)
Address: 3rd floor,food court,Ambience Mall,
National Highway 8,Gurgaon,Haryana.
Contact: 9311520729

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