Mandala

Another Christmas gift came in the form of a voucher to a restaurant called Mandala. Being nearby, its menu has been quite familiar and had been meaning to give it a try, hence the much appreciated gift removed all excuse to procrastinate the exercise.

The menu is asian, but one cannot specifically say where exactly from asia, as it has different varieties that would suit almost everyone. Wonton parcels, crispy fried pork, apple chaat, to name a few - the starters sounds like a mix of indian and chinese cuisines. We sampled the asian anchovies with pickled vegetables and salt and pepper squid. The anchovies were wok tossed but unfortunately lacked the crispiness, but was easily forgiven because the spices and flavors were quite exquisite and nicely combined with hints of turmeric, spring onions and tomatoes. The squids were cooked just right and served with a dipping sauce that tasted similar to particular chinese vinegar. For the main dishes, a whole snapper served with blackberries (and some other berries like strawberries & blackcurrants) was quite a pleasant surprise. The soft shell crab with pickled plums, salad greens and toasted peanuts was also just sublime, making the palate a distinct playground of flavors. A much recommended dish, which you can have either with rice or roti, and a bottle of wine from the diverse selection of drinks.

whole snapper with blackberry and ginger chutney, and soft shell crab

The servings were quite big but in the spirit of Christmas the dessert cannot be foregone - hence the choice of Mandala Melt. Made of whipped mascarpone, cherries, pistachio nuts, and strawberries, it was an elegant finish to the meal.

Mandala Melt

And being slightly addicted to coffee, a long black made of organic beans sealed the deal. It was official - this restaurant will be visited again to try the other delectable sounding dishes in the menu. And yes, very much willing to pay for it the next time around.