Surely Kolkata got the X-factor in the culinary scenario
when lately few biggies decided to setup their outlets in the city. And one of
them is definitely Yauatcha (which is a Michelin star restaurant). It is
considered as one of the Top 50 best restaurants across the globe.
Yauatcha
which was created by London-based restaurateur Alan Yau in 2004 entered India
with its branch in Mumbai couple of years back, this branch at Kolkata became
operational by end of 2014, so it is still pretty new to the Kolkatans. Originally
it was created in 2004 at Soho, London and it specializes in Dim sums. Here our
dedicated waiter took out a minute and explained us the concept behind Yauatcha
where he spoke about this specialization in dimsums.
As I have heard from many,
to Kolkatans it seems Yauatcha is just one of those highly expensive
restaurants in the city, but few highlights the positives you get from it; to
me the overall experience was awesome and highly pleasing, surely a place you can
come back with your family or group of highly esteemed guests or clients.
LOCATION - - - - - You will get mesmerized at this place
which is located at the 5th floor of Quest Mall near Park Circus. The area
which it covers in this floor is huge and has got both indoor and outdoor
seating arrangements.
AMBIANCE - - - - - Well I might fall short of words in
explaining the ambiance to you! So I apologize in the very beginning, the place
is much bigger than my ability to express myself in this review. I am rarely
awestruck or mesmerized by interiors or ambiance of an eatery and surely here I
was more than spellbound to say the least. The plush interiors redefine class
and the overall ambiance exudes warmth and happiness. The suave seating
arrangements, lights, flooring, wine cellars, bar counter, everything looks so
classy! Also the place has got arrangement of high chair for your little one :)
FOOD - - - - - With most of its ingredients being imported
this place truly tries to maintain its international standards, high ratings
and the Michelin star badge! So we stayed glued to some of their delicacies in
their special lunch menu along with couple of mocktails. Here are the items we
ordered for:
<< Soups >>
a) Asian Green with Tofu - - - - - The soup was served in a
nice custom made bowl with loads of vertically cut pieces of Tofu, shredded
carrot, noodles and other bits of veggies. The broth or rather the soup was
soothing and perfect to start off with the meal.
b) Shredded Lamb Soup with celery & mushroom - - - - - This
was again having loads of veggies, mushroom, lamb chunks and topped with
cilantro. Tasted awesome and gives the push to start off with your meal without
further delays!
<< Mocktails >>
a) Virgin Mojito - - - - - Now they do not have Virgin
Mojito in their menu but when they found we were craving for some they readily
decided to prepare the drinks for us. And oh man! It was probably the best
Virgin Mojito which I had! It had the perfect kick of mint leaves and served in
huge volume with crushed ice, lovely thirst quencher!
<< Starters >>
a) Chicken Wrapped in pak choi with Szechuan sauce - - - - -
It was surely a visual treat. The presentation was awesome. The three dimsums
were served in a pool of super tasty and garlicky Szechuan sauce. The dimsums
were actually a filling of chicken and veggies wrapped in Pak Choi leaves. It
was heavenly! Must Try!
b) Pan fried charcoal lamb bun - - - - - Again the dish had
awesome presentation, but the core attraction was surely the dimsums. The
dimsums were indeed very honest to say the least; they were filled to brim with
well prepared chopped flavorful pieces of lamb, and nothing else. The skin had
a unique firm yet tender texture which was one of a kind. The dish was an
awesome try and it did thoroughly please me with all its rich contents, surely
do try this.
<< Sides >>
a) Stir fry beans with Shitake mushrooms - - - - - I didn’t
expect much from this vegetarian dish but then I was truly amazed by its
intense flavors! The beans were cut into comparatively bigger pieces drenched
in a dense paste of Shitake mushroom! It was so unique yet again. Must try!
b) Braised Chicken with Mushroom claypot - - - - - This is a
pretty introvert kinda dish with quiet flavors. The overall dish I would say is
very comfortable and soothing, but what attracted me most was the texture of
the braised chicken pieces, they were so soft and bouncy. It amazed me with
each bite! The veggies in it were all very well prepared with some good amount
of gravy in there making it a perfect side for dry rice or noodles to go with.
<< Mains >>
a) Ho Fan Noodles - - - - - The presentation again caught my
eye hands down; it had an array of colors spread over it making it more
appetizing and inviting. It was stir fried with exotic vegetables and had a
lovely enticing aroma to it. These typical noodles also called the Shahe Fen
noodles are broad, bit chewy and slippery; they are somewhat hand cut so in
general they are not of equal length or width. But overall with the veggies and
sauces they taste remarkable. Must try!
b) Egg Fried Rice with long bean - - - - - It tasted simply
out of the world, yes I was blown away. The preparation is so simple yet so
flavorful. The aroma of the rice was driving me crazy and I was craving for
more when it finished, felt the quantity served was somewhat less! Will surely
order this when I’m here again. Must Try!
<< Dessert >>
a) Chocolate Hazelnut icecream - - - - - Again a lovely yet
simple presentation. They have a special dessert section here and the ice
creams are all kinda home-made i.e. made at Yauatcha only. The two scoops of
chocolate hazelnut icecream was finished in a couple of mintes time, they were
so good, rich, tasty and dense.
b) Macaroons - - - - - Oh I loved every bit of these
macaroons. I had already heard loads about these macaroons at Yauatcha. It is
hard to imagine how a Chinese joint prepares such out of the world macaroons. They
are well shaped, mildly moist and were just melting in the mouth. Must try!
SERVICE - - - - - Probably the only place in the city which
will get full marks for service. They were super courteous, well-dressed, extremely
well trained and very well informed. I was super impressed by all their moves. They
kept a close eye on our table and came to us for every little need. They kept
on asking me if the dish was good every now and then and as said earlier they
took out the time to brief about the place and the food in the beginning (which
is ofcourse a regular routine for them).
SUMMARY - - - - - Here are my granular ratings:
Food quantity: 3.7/5
Food quality: 4.8/5
Food presentation: 4.7/5
Value for money: 3.7/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
My overall rating comes close to 4.5 out of 5.
Coming to the pocket pinch, this place charges extra VAT, Service
Tax and Service Charge so your final bill will be on the higher side but their
Set meals are surely quite reasonable to try out. The oomph of this Michelin
star restaurant is sure to amaze and impress you, so do make some plans to
visit this special place with your loved ones or family for that ultimate fine
dining experience in your very own City of Joy.
Highly Recommended!
Cheers!
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