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Indian food is comfort food. At all times. Now imagine sitting in enclosures that are helpfully called Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and you are sure to be transported to sweet nostalgia. Peppermill's Festival City outlet is for those who not only love Indian food but like their ambience to be resplendent as well. If the brightly lit dining area is magnificent, the outdoor seating - with direct view to the fountain show - offers a more serene experience! Having gone to the restaurant one fine Thursday evening, we chose the latter.
In Indian cuisine, starters tend to be a meal unto themselves. Yet, it is strongly recommended you try the ones at Peppermill - chances are you will find yourself exploring the street food of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata all at once. The chaat platter alone is quite a mouthful with a selection of samosas, gol gappas, aloo tikkis and dahi chaat. Lest it be lost in translation, every single offering is a popular snack in Indian cuisine. The Indian chaat commands a fandom of its own and the chef has been careful not to compromise on the authenticity of the flavours. Taste aside, the presentation - with the neatly arranged chaats on a vertical tray - wins brownie points.
As meat lovers, my companion and I found ourselves take an equal liking to the non-vegetarian starters that comprised the Awadhi Murgh Seekh, Kalimpong Chicken and Grilled Prawn. If you love your seekhs, the Awadhi Murgh may just lead you to the path of gorge-fest, but this is where you must practise restraint! Not a significant departure from the original, my taste buds took a particular liking to the perfectly cooked, perfectly tender meat (once a chef gets his mutton right, you can pretty much be sure that the rest of the meal will be delightful, or so goes a lore among the carnivores). This stood confirmed as soon as I dug into the next starter - Kalimpong chicken shuijao, chicken dumplings served with chilli and celery sauce, a speciality in India's Northeast region. With its perfectly tempered spices, the preparation was the clear winner in the starters' category. The prawn, on the other hand, may just taste a tad bland, especially if you are used to the richness of the Indian spices, as I am.
There is a good chance you may find yourself feeling a little too full for the main course. But giving up at this point is a bad idea. Take a break; if seated outside, soak in the gorgeous views, as we did, and return with a new zeal. For the mains, we ordered Railway Mutton Curry and Pondicherry Seafood Curry along with an assortment of breads. The former is a preparation that dates back to the colonial rule when it was made on a huge pot cooked atop open fire. The Peppermill version does not throw major surprises, and is a decent option if you love your mutton. The Pondicherry seafood curry, on the other hand, may as well be on top of your checklist. The sheer variety of seafood in the dish - a combination of pan-fried shrimps, fish fillet cooked in coconut milk and some traditional spices from Madras - makes it a one-pot wonder.
Though the dessert menu is not particularly exhaustive, the Peppermill Sweet Shop makes up for it. It literally has everything that you would expect from a sweet shop - deliciously tender ras malai, hot gulab jamuns served with orange milkcake crumble and the supple coconut and black pepper panacotta with strawberry granita. Possessed with a sweet tooth, the offerings in the dessert platter had me feel sated for a while.
With its richness of flavours, variety of dishes and sleek presentation, the food at Peppermill is as much a treat for your belly as it is for your senses.
Go fishing
If you love your seafood, the Pondicherry Seafood Curry has lots to offer to your taste buds. As mentioned earlier, the preparation comprises shrimps, fish fillet, squids, but cooking it in raw mango and coconut milk lends it a sweet and sour flavour, which is mostly synonymous with Southern cuisine. The seafood is fresh and though we tried the curry with an assortment of naans, it is a preparation best savoured with rice.
VERDICT
What we liked: The ambience, the emphasis on presentation. They also get their chaats and the curries right!
What we didn't like: The inside seating area can seem a little too elaborate
Cost for two: Dh220 approx
Contact: Peppermill, Festival City, Dubai, Tel: 04-2881587, 054-3058216
anamika@khaleejtimes.com
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