Ahoy Asia

There is nothing special about Ahoy! Asia’s location in the trendy GK- II market. It overlooks an always-packed parking area and the view is hardly appetising. But if you have tasted the food once, the restaurant could be uprooted and relocated to the most obscure, unpopular, filthy part of the town and you would still go hunting for it. The surprise lies in Ahoy’s novel offerings that never compromise on authenticity. This bright and cheery ambience is a lesson for usually dark and doused- in- red Asian eateries. Barely two months old, A! A has already struck the right note with genuine lovers of Asian cuisine, who can been seen filling their bellies with Okonomyaki, a pancake with a Japanese twist, or Chuanr, smokey lamb skewers served with surprisingly fresh yoghurt dip. For lunch, marvel at the wonders of Nasi Dadang, a Malaysian and Southern Thai dish of rice steamed in coconut milk served with fish curry, hardboiled eggs and pickle. If you have had a hard day, you may find an irreplaceable friend in the Tokyo Ice Tea. The sweet and sour lime soda does little to dilute the heady mixture of gin, vodka, rum, tequila and triple sec. The surprise of the affair is Xingjiang cuisine, characterised by bursts of the West Asian spices, a reflection of the region’s heavy influence from bordering Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Desserts like banana spring rolls with ice cream and mango sago too are inspired. When you step out of A! A, you feel you are leaving behind an old friend. Average meal for two Rs 1,500 At 3rd Floor, Elante Mall, Chandigarh Tel 6622457 by Kavyanjali Kaushik