Spices. That’s what stays in the memory after dining at the Spice Room, the new restaurant at Hotel Yak Yeti. Lots of spices. It’s not simply the fiery punch of raw spicy food but a complex blend of vibrant spices prepared masterfully to tingle your taste buds. It is the wall at the entrance with colourful hues of yellow, orange and red which portrays the theme of Spice Room. In reminiscence of the rich heritage of its predecessor Sunrise Restaurant, the intricate wooden carvings on the ceiling have been retained.
Indian fine dining hasn’t made it big in Kathmandu’s culinary scene, with this recent opening of Spice Room, Kathmanduities can look forward to an elegant, hearty, jolly and magical gastronomic experience. As you settle yourself in the plush leather chair of Spice Room, looking out through the large, expansive window towards the hotel’s lush verdant garden, prepare yourself for an all-inclusive fine dining experience.
Bringing culture and nostalgia in food, Executive Chef Arindam Bahel presents traditional Indian cuisine with contemporary twist. Arindam has put together a fabulous menu of Indian cuisine. Utilising his experience of over 18 years, the a la carte menu at Spice Room is an elaborate one with up to 85 dishes.
Murgh Tikka “Mirza Hasnu”
This dish as the name suggests comes from the tandoor (clay oven) of Lucknowi Royal named after the Nizam of Lucknow in those days. A mouthwatering chicken thigh tikka recipe that takes 10 minutes to cook but does take a minimum of two and a half hours to marinate. It is well worth the marinating time explained to us the Executive Sous Chef Sanjay Rana.
Bite size chicken thighs marinated in house blend spices, yogurt and ground cashew nuts, this succulent and spicy appetiser is sure to be the crowd favourite. Served with healthy portion of greens, the dish looked as excellent as it tasted. With mint chutney and hung yogurt to dip the tikka into, this plate of tikka emptied faster than planned.
Lal Shikampuri
A must-try vegetarian appetizer, this beetroot tikki (cutlet) has a surprising filling of rich hung yogurt. With vibrant green salad and bright yellow edible flowers placed right beside the deep red coloured tikki, Lal Shikampuri was appealing to the eyes. The soft pillowy cutlet was mild to taste yet rich because of the hung yogurt filling.
Steamed Basmati Rice
Plain Steamed Basmati Rice is one of the staples of Indian Cuisine. The fragrant, nutty-tasting long grained Basmati rice is the perfect vessel to carry the taste of various curries.
Dal Makhani
As told by Executive Sous Chef Sanjay Rana, Dal Makhani is a dish that can be used to judge any Indian restaurant. There’s only one word to describe this make or break dish at Spice Room: marvelous. To get the rich creamy and buttery Dal Makhani, the black lentil is cooked with butter, tomatoes, cream and spices and simmered on low heat overnight. Excellent on its own as well as with the rice, I’d come back for this Dal Makhani again.
Mutton Shahi Korma
Creamy, spiced Mutton Shahi Korma is the stuff dreams are made of. Mutton Shahi Korma Curry is one of those magical dishes that one should not miss out in any Indian restaurant. It is a delicious gravy dish that is usually made of spices, nuts, yogurt, seeds, coconut, vegetables and bone in mutton pieces.
An Indian meal isn’t complete without some sweet dish at the end. The desserts we tasted were;
Trio of Kulfi
Homemade fresh fruit parfaits of guava and mango served along with traditional Pista Kulfi. This rich creamy and milky dessert has to be eaten in a specific order to get the perfect taste. First try the guava Kulfi then the mango kulfi and finally the best for last Pista Kulfi. The Pista Kulfi is made with freezing pistachio infused homemade clotted cream. A dish I’d order every time, even in winter because it’s that good.
Kesari Rasmalai
Another must order sweet delight at Spice Room is Kesari Rasmalai. This soft poached cheese dumpling in saffron flavoured milk is a heavenly dessert. The flavour that bursts into your mouth as you bite into the pillowy juicy poached cheese that soaks up the sweet and saffron infused milk in an experience that you’ll never get over.
Lychee Chilli Mousee
Lychee mousee spcied up with chilli and cinnamon infused syrup. Served on a fragrant and flavourful vanilla milk with a few drops of berry sauce to give this rich dish a sight tang. The infused chilli and cinnamon syrup doesn’t overpower the dish but boosts the fruity flavours and gives a spicy hit at the back of the throat, making one crave for another fruity milky bite.
You’ll love the colourful, Indian inspired dishes at Spice Room which truly taste as good as they look. And also the cheery service, which knows when to be there and when to stay away. Spice Room at Hotel Yak & Yeti is the place to get an Indian fine dining experience.
FESTIVAL: Pind Da Swad -The Punjabi Cuisine
DATE: February 19 to February 29, 2020
VENUE: Spice Room
TIMING: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Buffet Lunch
: 06:30 pm to 10:00 pm Special Menu
PRICE : 1800/- +taxes for Lunch buffet
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