Pictures of dragons and lamp shades bearing Chinese inscriptions greet you as you enter Pepper Bells, the multi-cuisine restaurant of Svarga Residency. The restaurant is bathed in the red glow from the hanging lanterns. With Chinese music playing in the background and table towels folded in the shape of fans, the ambience suits the Chinese theme.
Executive chef of the restaurant, B. Thirumurugan says that they have prepared an oriental cuisine for Huan Ying, the ongoing food festival. 'It is more of a fusion of Malaysian, Chinese, Thai and Indonesian cuisines.'
The course begins with hot and tangy Tom Yong soup, made of lemon grass and coriander leaves. There are shrimp and fish pieces and a good dose of galangal, Chinese ginger. 'The galangal lends the dishes a special flavour and aroma,' explains the chef. The festival is worth its momos. The chicken dumplings are piping hot and served with Thai sauce dip made of chilli paste. Next in the list of appetizers are spring rolls. These are stuffed with carrots, cabbages, spring onions and noodles.
The main course consists of noodles and fried rice. The Yong Chow fried rice is just like the one you make at home. Other varieties of fried rice in the menu include Lamb Malay, sprout and sausage, and corn and green peas fried rice.
Double treat
They offer a take on noodles where one half of the dish comes flavoured with tomato while the other is plain.
The basil chilly fish has succulent pieces of fish, coated in flour and served with spring onions and basil leaves. Soya and chilly sauce are drizzled on top.
There are also vegetarian side dishes in the menu such as crispy fried vegetable, cauliflower and eggplant, prepared in Kong Po sauce, and mushroom and baby corn gravy. There is also the option of spicy Thai grilled sandwiches.
For the health conscious, the menu offers varieties of salads. The melon and raw mango salad, garnished with noodles wins you with its tender mango pieces and fresh beans.
Give the finishing touch to this fare, by treating yourself to crispy fried noodles. The crunchy noodles are dipped in a generous dose of honey. Sprinkled with cashew and pista nuts, it is served with a scoop of ice cream, with the flavour of your choice. Other desserts in the platter are fried ice creams, choco rolls, and toffee fruits. The festival is on at Svarga Residency till July 7. The buffet, is available only for dinner and is priced at Rs. 499 for adults and at Rs. 275 for children.
For more details, call 0422-2426655.