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When you think of Indian food, the mind immediately conjures images of elaborate feasts. But once you move away from that stereotype, you discover how versatile the cuisine can be. The newly-opened Indian restaurant The Crossing is a celebration of this versatility and an ode to how cuisines from different parts of the country come together to constitute the phenomenon that is Indian food.
Before I take a look at the dishes on offer, what captures my attention is a little note right at the beginning of the menu that explains the ethos of the restaurant — “We uphold mainstream Indian cuisine but continue to showcase a more offbeat side — food from the Rajput kitchens, hidden gems from the Northeast India, and simple-yet-robust recipes from India’s coastline.” The kitchen at The Crossing also adds a more experimental touch to the dishes, which is evident in appetisers like Morai Bara (fenugreek fritters with basil, coriander and za’atar). If you think gunpowder and prawns are an unlikely match, then the Gunpowder Prawn, your classic butter and garlic prawns served with a sprinkling of gunpowder, will have you believe otherwise. On the other hand, the Scallop Bean Thoran, that has edamame, beans and chilli masala, is an innovative endeavour. Personally, I appreciated that it’s select menu, which means instead of flipping through many pages full of predictable offerings, you have fewer options, each carefully thought through and intelligently experimented with. I was also pleasantly surprised to spot Mutton Pulav in the menu. In the duel between biryani and pulav, the former usually ends up winning the vote of confidence. But The Crossing dares to push the envelope a bit, and makes a case for a more varied dining experience. As a Bengali, I have tried mustard fish at various restaurants, but was happy to see the flavours not being sacrificed at the altar of experimentation. In the desserts, the Serradura, which combines jackfruit with cream cheese, milk, soft biscuit crumbs, is a clear winner. Being a chocolate lover, I was more than satisfied with Chocolate Bake, which also had a tinge of lemon and honey.
Sometimes, the pressure to be different can lead to gimmickry. The Crossing steers clear of that game, and instead serves to remind us of our own culinary diversity.
anamika@khaleejtimes.com
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