Treat yourself to rustic, Asiatic flavours at this kitchen

CHENNAI: As Chennai witnesses an increase in the number of pan-Asian restaurants, Chennaiites’ curiosity to try different cuisines with authentic flavours has been on the rise as well.

Asia Kitchen welcomes us with a piece of soothing music in the background and gives us the vibe of stepping into a restaurant located in China or Japan. The calmness prevailing inside the diner is extremely contradicting to the bustle outside it. Their ambience stands out with subtle and aesthetic interiors and spacious environment.

“This is the first Asia Kitchen outlet in the city. We serve Thai, Japanese and Chinese, among others. We have specialised chefs for each of these cuisines we serve,” says Abhishek, manager at the Asia Kitchen. He also adds that the menu is carefully curated by picking novel dishes from each cuisine.

Abhishek states that Chennaiites are open to exploring different delicacies and the restaurant has put their best foot forward to maintain the original flavours. Japanese cuisine is handled by chef Vijay Kumar, Bhibusan Rai cooks Thai cuisine and Chinese is prepared by chef Raju Srestha. The kitchen strikes a balance between the variety of veg and non-veg dishes.

For the starters, the sweet and spicy crispy lotus stem tops the list. The crispiness of the lotus stem is complemented by the Chinese flavours. The satay gai is a bite of scrumptious chicken in the skewers, paired with their in-house sauce. The blue peas and spicy asparagus dumpling is a distinctive savour, with soft veggies filling and chewy outer covering. Coconut milk-flavoured rice and the spicy chicken panang curry are appetising. The meat in the curry is succulent. The main course includes phad thai chicken in the noodles section.

Among all the savours relished here, Asia Kitchen’s desserts are a must-try. One word that best describes their hot chocolate roll with vanilla ice cream is “exquisite”.

—Delve deep into the distinguishing palates of Asia at the Asia Kitchen by Mainland China placed at the Somerset in Raja Annamalai Puram.