NAMASTE!
Thursday, 15 December 2005 | By Mike | Category: Asian, Glorious Food, Indian
Finally, after a second visit, I get to blog about Zaika, the latest and best North Indian resto here in Brunei.
The first time a friend and I dined at this place, I didn’t bring my camera at all, therefore, I was left to scribble food notes on the restaurant’s business cards as the food came along and as we ate them. The Pinoy waiter who served us even asked: “Ser, mukhang magtatayo yata kayo ng restoran nyo, ah?” . . .
To that, I could only answer with laughter and my friend, with his biggest grin ever . . . If only this Pinoy waiter knows, what we do in the name of food blogging . . . tee hee . . .
Two weeks ago, I was there again with inaanak Joji and hubby Tune, and Bev, an old friend and former colleague of ours whom I have not seen for ages . . . about a year or so?
Bev found out my blog in a quite unusual fashion, two days prior to the dinner. How?
Recently, I designed a Christmas card for a friend and printed on the back cover was my site with my namesake, for design credits. Bev’s friend who recieved one apparently was raving about it and told her it was designed by one mikemina.com. Expecting some chic design site, she almost fell off her chair and couldn’t stop laughing when the page opened! What she saw instead, was my Pancit Guisado entry for LP4 hence her comment has undergone heavy editing, so as not to offend others with that private joke of ours . . . Tee hee . . .
Bev, a Bruneian-Chinese who has Pinoy roots [grandma’s a quarter Filipino] is very much a food-lover [not a food blogger though] and an avid reader of Lori’s Dessert Comes First. Surprised but happy to know about my new-found hobby, Bev suggested that we meet up for dinner and Zaika was the unanimous first choice.
We had the same waiter who served during my first visit and this time commented: “Uy Ser, may iba naman kayong kasama ngayon . . . he he he!”
Anyway, here are some authentic North Indian dishes we feasted on that night . . .
Sundried Tomato Kulcha.
The red wine I brought along was just perfect for those crispy Tandoori bread starters, studded with delicious sundried tomatoes.
Tandoori Salad.
A Zaika original, made with Tandoori grilled apple, pineapple, guava, tomato, capsicum and onions. This is a unique dish and I have it on my recommended and must-eat list in this resto. I could have gobbled up another serving that night but had to behave myself a bit . . . tee hee . . .
Malmali Seekh Kebab.
These are really yummy! Skewers of minced lamb kebabs served with chopped fresh vegetables and hand-made mint chutney [not shown]. Was too greedy I had four!
Chicken Koliwala.
Tender chicken slices wrapped and deep-fried with mint and spinach, served with yoghurt sauce. This was also a perfect match for the Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani we had.
Lamb Biryani, Murgh Makhni, Naan.
My favourites . . . Lamb Biryani using Basmati rice with Hyderabad-spiced lamb, slowly cooked in a sealed earthenware pot.
Murgh Makhni is boneless Tandoori Chicken with mild aromatic cream sauce. Do not underestimate the size of those two small copper pots holding the Biryani and Murgh Makhni, they managed to feed the four of us!
Another interesting dish we had, whose name I forgot and to take a photo of as well, is Spinach Curry with hand-made cottage cheese balls. I had to scrape all the remaining sauce off my plate with those yummy Tandoor-cooked Kashmiri Naans, sprinkled with minced organic garlic.
Inside Zaika’s “private” dining room . . . chic with timber flooring, sleek leather-upholstered dining chairs, spice-coloured silk and linen table cloths, and Moorish lanterns set against an Indian-Moorish-inspired background. The main dining area outside has a similar décor with the addition of authentic Indian accessories and artworks.
I just love North Indian food! This brings back memories of my years in Bahrain when my Indian colleagues would invite me over to watch them cook, then eat with them while watching the latest Bollywood filem . . . er, i meant “film” . . . Tee hee . . . Will definitely be back for more soon . . .
Namaste!
Hahaha! Kuhang-kuha mo yung ‘filem’. ;)
Food looks great. Actually I’m quite interested in Indian food so I never fail to taste test any food my Indian colleagues offer. I’m beginning to appreciate the heat of the spices and the different combinations thereof. Thanks for the post which reminded me to cook my long delayed biryani. :)
sarap naman…two days ago, i went to the only Indian Restaurant here in Valencia, and the Murgh Makhni is hideous….i want to go back to Silicon Valley where there are lots of Indian restaurants…lunch buffet is cheap and the chicken makhni is really good…reading your posts and looking at your pics make me want to drive 375 miles just to have a good indian meal…
Waaaaahhh!!! I want some of that lamb biryani!!! Grabe!
Hmmm… saan kaya ako hahanap ng lamb dito.
Ako rin, saan ba merong Indian resto rito sa atin sa Pinas?
Kakagutom talaga.
Hey!
For some reason, I’ve only just managed to find time to read your blog and ironically, had Zaika for dinner tonight and thought of you. :D Yes, the food was as lovely as it has always been. That’s why I think this place is worthy of being called a “restaurant”. It’s consistent. Very few places here have that. Service is always excellent. Every single cent is worth spending.
Just noticed you don’t have a Thai section here. Hehehe. I just thought I’d share with you something really easy I’ve learned to make and can’t get enough of! It’s the Prawn Glass noodle Salad. *slurp*
Here goes:
(for a serving of 6 persons)
500gms of fresh prawns
2 handfuls of glass noodles (tang hoon - sold in packets in supermarkets)
6 stems of coriander (cilantro), slice into 1 inch lengths
3 limes, extract juice
3 bird’s eye chillies, sliced thinly
1 medium Bombay onion or 3 shallots, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoon fish sauce
Method:
1. Boil prawns in water until cooked. Strain. Peel and set aside. Leave to cool.
2. Soak glass noodles (tang hoon) in hot water. Set aside for a few minutes until soft. Strain. Leave to cool.
3. Add the remaining ingredients with prawns and glass noodles. Mix well and chill in refridgerator for at least 2 hours then serve.
VOILA!!!!!!
Enjoy!