We’ve all been there—well, almost all of us. We’ve felt down and craved for something comforting, and Indian food popped to mind. “I want a citrusy, herby amuse bouche because I’m feeling depressed!” said no one ever. Typically, when we want to be satiated, we think of soups, sauces, something thick and rich and heavy and filling: all of these, I associate with Indian cuisine.
My love for Indian food started in India itself. The Land of Mystery is the first-ever country I’ve visited outside the Philippines, so it holds a special place in my heart. And like anyone who is experiencing authentic food for the first time, I could not eat it. Everything was super spicy—like ten times what you find in Manila. That Kerala beef fry? Oh my goodness. Just thinking about it sends me running for a whole crate of milk.
But when you decide to toughen up; when you open your eyes (and taste buds); when you try to understand why they do things, why they eat these things, it can get really fascinating and soon you will find yourself obsessed. Such is the case for me and I’ve never looked at biryani the same way again.
A few years back, my friend Heidi introduced me to the chef of Crimson Boracay—chef Rajesh Kumar Chouhan, who, as you may have guessed, hails from Jarkhand, India. We tried his food. My first thought was, why is the food not spicy? The weird thing was, as I keep repeating this in my head, my hand also keeps reaching for more prawn biryani (with cilantro pesto—fuck), and dumping everything absentmindedly into my mouth. “I wish this was spicy,” I kept telling my brother, who was, like me, on his fortieth mouthful. I took a bite of the tandoori. “This is also not spicy,” then drains the delicious cumin raita down my esophagus.
I realized that it was not the heat I loved about Indian food.
It’s the complexity in it. The layers of flavor. The surprise pops in between mouthfuls. And chef Raj is amazing at it.
Indian food is vibrant and in-your-face, and it’s pretty challenging to be at this level in a hotel setting. However, chef Raj flawlessly bridges the gap between “approachable Indian” and “authentic Indian”. He welcomes everybody—including those afraid of spice—into this beautiful, flavorful chaos, without omitting an important ingredient and sacrificing authenticity. Chef Raj approaches his food in such a way that even those who don’t like or are just starting to explore Indian cuisine would learn to appreciate it—and those who love it wouldn’t really miss anything.
I was happy to be back here after 2 years.
Indian dishes are hardly elegant and “Instagram-worthy”—and like other ethnic cuisines, ugly delicious instead—but chef Raj has magic that transforms what would otherwise look plain into things you want to devour, snap photos of, and devour again. Those gloops of red, brown, and green? That rice dish that always seems to be haphazardly piled onto a gray platter? There are none of those here.
Take a look at the Prawn Biryani for instance. It looks grand, fresh, and enticing. Those with low heat tolerance might hesitate to dig in, but since it’s so beautiful, they would take a bite—or two. Or a plateful. The prawns are plump and luscious, the rice perfectly cooked and spiced, and the herbs add a brightness to each bite. I think I gained two kilos after this.
We were squealing with delight after a bite of the Vegetarian Samosa, which was filled with potatoes, chickpea, green chili, and spices. I don’t know how it’s possible to be this enthralled at a piece of pastry but yes, it is. The mint chutney was just the perfect accompaniment. Anybody who has ever tried a legit, delicious samosa knows that India deserves more recognition when it comes to pastries and baked goods. I mean, hello? Samosa! Papad! Naan! Paratha! Puri! Bhature! Chapati! Shove them all in my mouth, please!
There’s a trio of tandoori—chicken, salmon, and shrimp—that would delight a party with different preferences. It was my first time to try this with salmon and I became an instant fan. Everything was slightly charred and smoky, thanks to the clay oven on site! I believe you can order just one type of meat and it’s served with naan, a side salad, kachumber, and chutney!
For those who want to throw in some non-Indian dishes to their feast, Azure’s other offerings are just as stellar. Make sure you try the Aklan oysters, which can be served fresh (with yuzu mignonette) or baked (cheese and garlic). I also like the fish tacos and arugula salad with beets, cherry tomatoes, oranges, edamame, and guava dressing. Oh, and the Matcha Lava Cake is to die for.
Trudge up to Crimson Resort Boracay to see what I mean. 😊
~*~
If you like my posts and would love regular updates on travel photos, food finds, restaurant reviews, dance articles, and drunken tales, follow Pepe Samson on Facebook!
0 comments :
Post a Comment
Let me know what you think!