Yummy Magazine Vol 13 - Taste Of India | Page 35

RESTAURANT REVIEW to find an old favourite produced to perfection, any Indian-inspired craving can be easily satisfied at Diamond Plaza’s food court – the only problem being is where to begin. The DP food experience is loud, fast, busy, sizzling hot thanks to the newly installed glass enclosure, and a whole lot of foodie fun – dining here can sometimes be overwhelming. Walking into DP’s food court, your presence will certainly setoff frenzy among waiters who are masters of push marketing with the space transforming into a hawkers market. No less than ten men, each representing an eatery, descend upon your table. The reason? Convince you to order from their menu. The aggressive marketing strategy usually results in you feeling like you’re desperately trying to find air at the bottom of a rugby scrum. The waiters’ tactics range from shoving the menu in your face, act as the polite mediator who urges his peers to give you some space but meanwhile creates an opportunity for himself to slip you his menu, The fun begins with the large crispy crepe arriving too big for its serving platter like usual. Golden brown and wafer thin, shreds of cheese melted in between the gently folded layers. anxiously repeating ‘My tikka is the best!’ or passively watching in the periphery until you get annoyed and shoo everyone away only to find him patiently waiting for you to ask for his menu. We began with one of my favourites: Cheese Dosa from Bombay Chowpaty. The fun begins with the large crispy crepe arriving too big for its serving platter like usual. Golden brown and wafer thin, shreds of cheese melted in between the gently folded layers. The Beef Mishkaki from Bismillah BBQ arrived incredibly tender and seductively sliding-off of its skewers. Succulent, moist but too salty for my palate – the beef paired well with plain salad. Their Butter Chicken, which resembled more of diced chicken stew, lacked the richness and velvety texture from a slowcooked recipe. The half Chicken Poussin from American Delights had a beautiful char grilled-look but was undercooked and pink at the bone. The lack of flavour beyond the bird’s exterior made the dish easily forgettable. The saving grace of my recent DP experience was the old favourite: Quality Café’s Maru Bhajias. Sold only by weight, this specialty stall attracts a constant flow of customers eagerly ready to dive into their paper bags of crispy deep-fried potato slices dredged in seasoned flour. The DP food