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A taste of east
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Tchi serves Far Eastern cuisine as it should be served
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PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
PERFECT COMBO At Tchi, food befits the kind of ambience it is served in
With Bangalore's expat community growing larger by the day, the emphasis on authenticity and detail in cuisine has also grown significantly. Thus, the customer is never satisfied by a mere smattering of foreign-sounding names and slightly unusual tastes, looking hard instead for cuisines that taste exactly like they are supposed to. And so you have Tchi, which not only promises Far Eastern cuisine, but Far Eastern as it should be served.
Almost the first thing you notice as soon as you enter Tchi is the premium it places on creating the right atmosphere for fine dining. Housed in a converted bungalow, the restaurant is almost completely decorated in the Oriental style, with bamboo screens over every window, a small but intricately designed Oriental fountain in the front and even parts with traditional Japanese seating. Moreover, the restaurant is divided into numerous comfortably spaced seating areas so that one never needs to feel claustrophobic.
Right ambience
What's great about Tchi, though, is that its food befits the kind of ambience it is served in. "We import all of our ingredients and sauces from select places in Hong Kong, Taiwan and so on. We don't serve anything that's off the shelf," says Jude Vinoo, Managing Partner. And it shows, in the form of a range of subtle, sophisticated tastes created especially for the discriminating tongue. Thus, not only does the restaurant offer an expansive list of unusual recipes, but also does interesting interpretations of regular dishes.
The spring roll, for instance, steers clear of the usual doughy, sparse territory it normally occupies. Instead, it is juicy and flavourful and works wonderful magic when had with the restaurant's specially made potent multi-spice sauce (warning: use sparingly). The wontons, particularly the steamed variety, are similarly refreshing and go down nice and easy. Interestingly, the restaurant even prepares its own wonton dough, which serves to explain the unique taste. Among the other starters, the chicken satay is a nice surprise, managing to be well cooked and yet not too dry, and is nicely garnished by the subtle peanut sauce it is served with. And for the vegetarians, the fried young corn with spicy ginger sauce does the trick.
The main course too continues in the same vein, with the restrained, measured taste of the Buddha's Delight being the highlight of the vegetarian menu. For those who like their spices full on, the fried vegetables in clay pot make a good choice, especially when mixed with the wafting flavour of the aromatic steamed rice.
Non-vegetarians could try out the classic combo of subtle, smooth chicken in clay pot with pad Thai or stir fried rice stick noodles. If you're looking for something more interesting, you could try out the duck menu with options like Singaporean style stewed duck, cooked in five spices with shitake mushrooms, or roast duck vegetable rolls with lemon soy dipping sauce. There's also a sizeable seafood menu with some great lobster and crab treats, besides varied beef and pork offerings.
The dessert menu is somewhat sparse, but the Far East isn't really famous for its desserts. However, there are a couple of options such as date pancakes with ice cream, rice flour crepes with peanut filling and so on.
Tchi is located on Edward Road, just off Queen's Road, and can be contacted on 41473131.
Ambience: Oriental
Service: Good
Speciality: Taiwanese cuisine
Wallet factor: Rs. 600 onwards per couple
RAKESH MEHAR
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Metro Plus
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Hyderabad
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