In a meal, we normally conjure carbs as a necessary yet boring evil. But when a chef elevates the simple grain to an experience par excellence, you know that a lot of thought has gone into curating the menu. At Oko, the newly-opened pan-Asian restaurant at The LaLit, the sticky fried rice was certainly the star of the meal which scored high on all sensorial counts — visual, olfactorial and gustational. The same can be said about the restaurant.

The U-shaped dining place is on the 28th floor, which, thanks to glass all around, offers a 360-degree view of what can be called the heart of the capital. So before stepping in, get ready to be enamoured by the twinkling lights of Connaught Place which seem to give the impression of stars below ones’ feet. The skyline forms the perfect backdrop and its fun to try and spot some of the iconic structures.

There are live Teppanyaki counters but it is not restricted to cuisine from Japan but also has full menus from China, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam. What makes it interesting is that the hotel’s ideology of inclusivity is reflected in a healthy mix of  a team of women and trans individuals.

The interiors are plush. The lighting subtle yet just enough for a meal. The carefully chosen artefacts, the different furniture arrangements which are classy as well as comfortable and the big granite table tops that act as tables add to the restaurant’s ambience and lead to a growing anticipation that one is in for a memorable time. And the place does not disappoint.

We started off with Som Tam, the Thai raw papaya salad which was stellar. With a perfect balance of flavours — sweet, sour, salty as well as the bite where the finely grated papaya is soft and the peanut added the crunch, this set the tone of the meal.

This was followed by dim sums — a vegetarian and a chicken mince one. With a delicate cover and crunchy vegetables inside, it was the one minus the meat which scored. The server told us that it is Broccoli almond dumpling, which is the speciality of the house but that was unfortunately unavailable at the time.

What works for Oko is that it takes the commonplace dishes and elevates it to something more sublime. And that is what exactly happened with the potato wedges, another of the starters. A thin coating which was crisp gave way to a softer interior when one bit into the spud. And then there was the unique combination of spices that are prepared in house which makes the dish, a comfort food that has the quality of gourmet dining. The herbs that are used in the dish like all the others at the hotel are sourced from their own farm as they abide by the policy of “we serve what we grow”.

The starters made us foretold that there was more good food in store and we were not disappointed. We went with Wok fried assorted funghi, Chicken smoke red pepper sauce  which has barbeque style bell pepper and onion accompanied by Sticky fried rice and Pad Thai Noodles.

What really worked for Wok fried assorted fungi was not just the flavours but also the choice of mushrooms used. Each of the mushrooms added a distinct texture and a flavour that gave the dish a taste which was as unique and appealing as the name.

The Chicken smoke red pepper sauce got its taste from the barbeque sauce which gave it a marked smoky flavour that was appealing. Slightly sweet, the dish could be had accompanied by rice, noodles or just on its own.

The Pad Thai or flat noodles with its assorted mix of vegetables was the perfect accompaniment to both the dishes but it was the Sticky fried rice to which paeans can be written. While most of the ingredients are sourced locally, some, including the Jasmine rice that goes into the making of this dish comes from Thailand. But let me explain why the dish has to be written about alone. To begin with, coming from the Hindi heartland, my heart beats for Basmati where the true worth of any biryani is measured in each grain of rice being khila hua. So when the server recommended, a dish where the rice sticks together in clumps like a khichdi, it is certainly not my kind of gourmet food, (okay I concede that paella and risotto is comfort food which is also gourmet), I was sceptical. But when the rice came in, I got a whiff of a slightly nutty and a distinctly smoky aroma. A bite, and I had no qualms about pronouncing that this was certainly the star dish of the evening. The flavours were balanced, not too strong nor too mild, the vegetables retained a slight crunch which is somewhat hard to achieve when you are dealing with ones which are chopped really fine. It had a slight smoky flavour which enhanced the taste of both the accompanying dishes. A plate of this solo, minus any side dish can make for a satiating meal all by itself.

For dessert we had Tum Tim Krob which is a Thai delicacy made of tender coconut cream with water chestnuts topped with crushed ice, but this being winter, we gave the last a miss. This liquid is drunk rather than eaten and is mildly sweet which can be an acquired taste for some. Though, I admit, I think they have a winner on hands.

Writer: Saimi Sattar

Courtesy: The Pioneer

In a meal, we normally conjure carbs as a necessary yet boring evil. But when a chef elevates the simple grain to an experience par excellence, you know that a lot of thought has gone into curating the menu. At Oko, the newly-opened pan-Asian restaurant at The LaLit, the sticky fried rice was certainly the star of the meal which scored high on all sensorial counts — visual, olfactorial and gustational. The same can be said about the restaurant.

The U-shaped dining place is on the 28th floor, which, thanks to glass all around, offers a 360-degree view of what can be called the heart of the capital. So before stepping in, get ready to be enamoured by the twinkling lights of Connaught Place which seem to give the impression of stars below ones’ feet. The skyline forms the perfect backdrop and its fun to try and spot some of the iconic structures.

There are live Teppanyaki counters but it is not restricted to cuisine from Japan but also has full menus from China, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam. What makes it interesting is that the hotel’s ideology of inclusivity is reflected in a healthy mix of  a team of women and trans individuals.

The interiors are plush. The lighting subtle yet just enough for a meal. The carefully chosen artefacts, the different furniture arrangements which are classy as well as comfortable and the big granite table tops that act as tables add to the restaurant’s ambience and lead to a growing anticipation that one is in for a memorable time. And the place does not disappoint.

We started off with Som Tam, the Thai raw papaya salad which was stellar. With a perfect balance of flavours — sweet, sour, salty as well as the bite where the finely grated papaya is soft and the peanut added the crunch, this set the tone of the meal.

This was followed by dim sums — a vegetarian and a chicken mince one. With a delicate cover and crunchy vegetables inside, it was the one minus the meat which scored. The server told us that it is Broccoli almond dumpling, which is the speciality of the house but that was unfortunately unavailable at the time.

What works for Oko is that it takes the commonplace dishes and elevates it to something more sublime. And that is what exactly happened with the potato wedges, another of the starters. A thin coating which was crisp gave way to a softer interior when one bit into the spud. And then there was the unique combination of spices that are prepared in house which makes the dish, a comfort food that has the quality of gourmet dining. The herbs that are used in the dish like all the others at the hotel are sourced from their own farm as they abide by the policy of “we serve what we grow”.

The starters made us foretold that there was more good food in store and we were not disappointed. We went with Wok fried assorted funghi, Chicken smoke red pepper sauce  which has barbeque style bell pepper and onion accompanied by Sticky fried rice and Pad Thai Noodles.

What really worked for Wok fried assorted fungi was not just the flavours but also the choice of mushrooms used. Each of the mushrooms added a distinct texture and a flavour that gave the dish a taste which was as unique and appealing as the name.

The Chicken smoke red pepper sauce got its taste from the barbeque sauce which gave it a marked smoky flavour that was appealing. Slightly sweet, the dish could be had accompanied by rice, noodles or just on its own.

The Pad Thai or flat noodles with its assorted mix of vegetables was the perfect accompaniment to both the dishes but it was the Sticky fried rice to which paeans can be written. While most of the ingredients are sourced locally, some, including the Jasmine rice that goes into the making of this dish comes from Thailand. But let me explain why the dish has to be written about alone. To begin with, coming from the Hindi heartland, my heart beats for Basmati where the true worth of any biryani is measured in each grain of rice being khila hua. So when the server recommended, a dish where the rice sticks together in clumps like a khichdi, it is certainly not my kind of gourmet food, (okay I concede that paella and risotto is comfort food which is also gourmet), I was sceptical. But when the rice came in, I got a whiff of a slightly nutty and a distinctly smoky aroma. A bite, and I had no qualms about pronouncing that this was certainly the star dish of the evening. The flavours were balanced, not too strong nor too mild, the vegetables retained a slight crunch which is somewhat hard to achieve when you are dealing with ones which are chopped really fine. It had a slight smoky flavour which enhanced the taste of both the accompanying dishes. A plate of this solo, minus any side dish can make for a satiating meal all by itself.

For dessert we had Tum Tim Krob which is a Thai delicacy made of tender coconut cream with water chestnuts topped with crushed ice, but this being winter, we gave the last a miss. This liquid is drunk rather than eaten and is mildly sweet which can be an acquired taste for some. Though, I admit, I think they have a winner on hands.

Writer: Saimi Sattar

Courtesy: The Pioneer