Food review: Feast in a box this Diwali

Eating out might not be within everyone’s comfort zone right now, but with cloud restaurants making their way back into the spotlight, there hasn’t been a better time to check out the options.

On a recent Friday afternoon we fell prey to the call of Indybox and decided to go all out to get rid of our cabin fever. It was refreshing to go through a menu that’s condensed and yet manages to cater to every palate out there. With a fixed price for each section, navigating the compact menu and zeroing in on what we fancied proved to be the easy part. Not so easy was going through the box load of food that turned up on our doorstep.

The Chacha Racha Shrimp, we had opted for starters, came in the form of four appealingly spiced curled up plump pieces, and each bite only affirmed their freshness. The Miso Fish with its chunky buttery texture with a hint of sweetness was all you could imagine it to be. The Truffle Galouti, a mini slider, turned out to be a mouthful of musky earthy flavours with a melt in your mouth texture best enjoyed by those who have an acquired taste for it. At this point the only drawback we could notice was that the food containers – a sturdy cardboard type rather than the tacky plastic ones – had seeped in the oil in the case of the gravy dish. But a mouthful of the Irani Berry Chicken Pulao generously studded with cashews and raisins transported our palate on an aromatic journey we never wanted to return from. The Thai Kulcha thankfully came palm sized though every mouthful was a burst of richness with which we mopped up the Kale Paneer Palak. Thankfully our sweet tooth had taken a backseat during the ordering process, which was well and good since the dishes here are quite rich and heavy to satiate even one with a voracious appetite.

Indybox is one of those rare restaurants which seem to cater to the vegetarians as much as the carnivores and with an offbeat offering for those who might be looking for new ways to tempt their palate.

With the festival of lights around the corner, Indybox might be a good option for those who want to stay home for a cosy meal that doesn’t cost the earth and looks like designer tosh when plated up.

Best for: A luxurious meal for a select cozy get together where the food looks as stylish as it tastes

Best Pick: The Miso Masala Butterfish which true to its name was melt-in-your-mouth.

Meal for two: Average of Dhs150 including 3 starters, a main course and a side.

• Food and Dining