Restaurant review: Holy Basil (Pan Asian)
Restaurant review: Holy Basil (Pan Asian)
Pan Asian, especially Thai food lovers, have more reason to rejoice, with the entry of this very pleasant fine-dining destination.
Decor
You will love the ample natural lighting, (coming in from the atrium lobby), and the feel of space, at Holy Basil, with its no-walls, high-ceilinged, hushed and no-hurry, ambience. A few tasteful Oriental artifacts (pottery, a Buddha bust and some porcelain crockery) in a nook, bamboo plants, a live teppanyaki-sushi raised counter, with a Chinese art-worked wooden beam, and a live kitchen near the entrance, blend seamlessly into the space, making it an uber cool place to dine.
Food
On the menu is mostly Thai, (Ms Wimon, the expat Thai chef has a magic wand!), Chinese and Japanese, and a few Oriental faves, like Malaysian curry laksa, Vietnamese Cha Ca, and a couple of Korean dishes.
I start off with a Tom Yum Koong Spicy Prawn soup, and Wimon's magic wand is at work. The soup is perfect, spiked with the right amount of galangal, lemongrass, red chillies and kaffir lime leaves, and the prawns are also al dente.
A platter of Veg Sushi Moriwase (uramaki, cucumber, takuwan, carrot, nigri or seaweed) and Non Veg Sushi Moriwase (salmon, tuna, crab stick and nigri) follows, accompanied by wasabi-pickled ginger-soya dip, succeeded by Vegetable and Ebi (Prawn) Tempura.
For main courses, there is Sticky Rice and Thai Green Curry with Vegetables, and both are perfectly done. Some Yakimeshi (Japanese Fried Rice) and Shake Teppanyaki, which is salmon stir-fried with some cherry tomato, asparagus and mushroom, follow and its perfect!
Personally, Oriental desserts of the fried darsaan with ice cream, date pancakes genre don't take my fancy, so I try the dessert platter, sent in by the gifted executive chef Swaminandan, with a bit of apprehension. But, I'm in for a surprise, as the Chilled Honey Dew Sago is a revelation, fresh and light on the palate, and ditto for Water Chestnuts in Coconut Milk.
Holy Basil: Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Road No 6, Banjara Hills
Meal for two: `2,500
Timings: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm; 7.30pm to 11 pm
Rating
Food: 4.00
Service: 4.00
Decor: 4.00
Must try: Tomyum Soups, Prawn Tempura, Honey Dew Sago
Decor
You will love the ample natural lighting, (coming in from the atrium lobby), and the feel of space, at Holy Basil, with its no-walls, high-ceilinged, hushed and no-hurry, ambience. A few tasteful Oriental artifacts (pottery, a Buddha bust and some porcelain crockery) in a nook, bamboo plants, a live teppanyaki-sushi raised counter, with a Chinese art-worked wooden beam, and a live kitchen near the entrance, blend seamlessly into the space, making it an uber cool place to dine.
Food
On the menu is mostly Thai, (Ms Wimon, the expat Thai chef has a magic wand!), Chinese and Japanese, and a few Oriental faves, like Malaysian curry laksa, Vietnamese Cha Ca, and a couple of Korean dishes.
I start off with a Tom Yum Koong Spicy Prawn soup, and Wimon's magic wand is at work. The soup is perfect, spiked with the right amount of galangal, lemongrass, red chillies and kaffir lime leaves, and the prawns are also al dente.
A platter of Veg Sushi Moriwase (uramaki, cucumber, takuwan, carrot, nigri or seaweed) and Non Veg Sushi Moriwase (salmon, tuna, crab stick and nigri) follows, accompanied by wasabi-pickled ginger-soya dip, succeeded by Vegetable and Ebi (Prawn) Tempura.
For main courses, there is Sticky Rice and Thai Green Curry with Vegetables, and both are perfectly done. Some Yakimeshi (Japanese Fried Rice) and Shake Teppanyaki, which is salmon stir-fried with some cherry tomato, asparagus and mushroom, follow and its perfect!
Personally, Oriental desserts of the fried darsaan with ice cream, date pancakes genre don't take my fancy, so I try the dessert platter, sent in by the gifted executive chef Swaminandan, with a bit of apprehension. But, I'm in for a surprise, as the Chilled Honey Dew Sago is a revelation, fresh and light on the palate, and ditto for Water Chestnuts in Coconut Milk.
Holy Basil: Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Road No 6, Banjara Hills
Meal for two: `2,500
Timings: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm; 7.30pm to 11 pm
Rating
Food: 4.00
Service: 4.00
Decor: 4.00
Must try: Tomyum Soups, Prawn Tempura, Honey Dew Sago
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