Jewels on the menu

Most special menus across the city tend to focus on the meats or the vegetables, or perhaps seasonal fruits. But trust the Imperial to take the path oft not taken by announcing a week of a special rice based menu at The Spice Route. 

For seven days this August (19-25 August), the restaurant would be hosting culinary treasures featuring Jewel of Asia- Rice. Rice is a staple in most South Asian cuisines, often taking the back seat to the main dishes, but there isn’t a single meal that can be labeled ideally complete without a generous helping of rice. 

In the words of Chef Veena Arora, Chef De Cuisine The Spice Route, ‘Rediscovering one of the classics with creativity is what my menu offers. Rice, a staple diet in South East Asia is consumed in many succulent forms with vegetables, meat or sea food on side, based on regional preferences.’ 

Guests get to pick from Com Hoang Bao which is a Vietnamese rice, Nasi Kuning - Malaysian yellow rice, cooked in coconut milk, stock, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, Khao Klukh Krapi - stir fried rice with Thai shrimp paste, served with sweetened shrimp, Kozhi Kodan Biriyani - Kerala style chicken biryani and the Chef’s Special - wok fried rice with red or green different curry pastes, bamboo shoots, peas and cherry aubergines, garnished with crispy basil. 

To go with the dishes, Chef Arora served up Khaeng Kheow Waan Chae (vegetables in Thai green curry) and Hed Phad Met Mamuang (button mushrooms and cashew nuts in Thai stir fried sauce). 

While the Chef’s Special is an absolute must try from this menu, the Nasi Kuning should not be missed either. The fragrant dishes are even better with a twist of lime, as the chef recommends, and related side dishes of meat, fish or vegetables can be picked to go with the rice. 

While the Kerala biriyani can be eaten with a simple raita, the Nasi Kuning goes splendidly with the Thai green curry. Get something recommended or take your pick - you won’t regret it.  All the dishes are cooked either with Jasmine Rice (sticky rice) or Basmati for the biriyani. 

Meal for two without alcohol come to Rs 6000 (without taxes and alcohol). Book a date and head over - and yes, make sure you have no other plans post that lunch or dinner, for this one date is going to fill you up to the hilt and then some more. A good nice nap is what should come next. 

Either way - no one regrets a great meal.