A few weeks back, Wafi Mall created a day of rich experiences and festivities and invited a selected coterie of guests to sample the new menu at one of Dubai's best Indian restaurants, Asha’s in Pyramids Wafi.
Mark and I were privileged to grace the menu sampling. Warmth and elagence radiated from the red-brown-and-orange interiors as we walked into the restaurant. I love how the dim yellow lights also added a romantic vibe.
The festivities kicked off with a relaxed afternoon lunch at Asha’s – the eponymous restaurant by the legendary singer Asha Bhosle. Mark and I, being new to the Indian culture, were still busy chit-chatting while the rest of the guests piled up at the corner of the restaurant. It was only when the staff told us about Asha Bhosle, being a world famous Indian singer, that we got to be part of the excited crowd. :p
With Asha Bhosle
The legendary voice was present in person and enthusiastically mingled with us as we all tried the restaurant’s new coastal menu and sampled some of Bhosle’s own favorite dishes.
Mango, fruit cocktail, and cucumber lime juice were served for the drinks. We tried the last two and both were refreshing. I prefer the sweet and tangy fruit cocktail over the citrus-y cucumber lime, though.
The appetizers consisted of Calamari, Tandoori Chicken Tikka, and Chingri Chaap. All three were a hit! All were spicy though but I definitely enjoyed the burn in every bite!
The calamari was an absolute delight with its crunchy exterior with a distinct Indian masala taste plus the well seasoned soft squid. The succulent boneless chicken, marinated overnight in yoghurt, ginger, garlic, and Indian spices is yet another classic.
Onion and Potato Pakora and Tandoori Chicken Tikka
And although all the appetizers were a hit, I would say that the Chingri Chaap was my favorite! There's a symphony of flavors in my mouth in every bite. The savory breadcrumb-coating and sweet and juicy prawns balanced out the pungent taste from the ginger, garlic, and Indian spices.
Chingri Chaap
I don't know what it's called and I'm not sure if my palates served me right, but this bowl of crunchy chic peas swimming in tangy and savory yogurt was surprisingly delicious. This bowl plus a plate of veggies were a perfect way to tone down the spiciness from the appetizers that we had.
We were served with Dal Makhani, Palak Paneer, Paneer Makhani, Rogan Josh, and Dal Fry; plus some freshly-cooked Indian bread for our mains.
Food was overflowing, but I wish they were kept on the table (instead of the staff just putting a serving of the dishes in our plates) so I could take decent photos of them. :p
Palak Paneer and Paneer Makhani both had cottage cheese as the main ingredient. The first one was cooked in a tomato and cream gravy and flavored with dry fenugreek leaves; while the latter was cooked in a spicy spinach gravy. Palak Paneer tasted better than the latter, for me. Dal Makhani is classic black lentils slow-cooked overnight with tomatoes, cream and butter, which tasted very much like the Ilocano pusi. Rogan Josh is boneless lamb curry from Lucknow in a yoghurt and brown onion gravy, flavoured with rose water and saffron; this tasted very much like beef caldereta.
Indian cuisine is new to us and Mark is a sucker for sweets, so we were both anticipating the desserts. :D Rasmalai, Gulab Jamun, and a fresh fruit platter came into our table for dessert.
Rasmalai looked so inviting, it was like marshmallow with a course and more airy texture served in cold sweetened milk, but I wasn't just accustomed to this kind of dessert. The Rasmalai tasted bland and I felt like I'm eating a cold sponge and the sweetened milk wasn't really sweet. Gulab Jamun, a classic milk reduction and cottage cheese dumpling served with rabri (sweetened milk reduction) was also an eye candy and with a more acceptable taste for my palates. While the Rasmalai was lacking sweetness, I found Gulab Jamun a little too sweet. Mark and I settled for the fruit platter and enjoyed munching on the strawberries and plums.
Rasmalai
Rasmalai and Gulab Jamun
Overall dining experience was good, the staff were all attentive. It was such an afternoon of firsts for Mark and I--first time to try authentic Indian cuisine, first time to get to be with a world renowned Indian singer, and first time to set foot on Pyramids Wafi! Haha! :p
Thank you Asha's for having us! :)
For updates about Asha's Restaurant, you can visit and like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshasOriginal or follow them on Instagram: @ashasoriginal. You can also visit their website at www.ashasrestaurants.com.
ASHA's Dubai - Wafi
Pyramids, Wafi
P.O Box - 30567
Dubai, U.A.E
+971 4 324 4100
We were guests at Asha's and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.
sweetnothings.kriskamarie
@kriskamarie
@kriskamarie
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