Incredibly Indian, SIAA, HYDERABAD

With the slew of restaurants cropping up in the city, something radically different was much needed. And it did come in the form of Siaa. Strategically positioned on Road No.1, Jubilee Hills, Siaa offers one of the most distinctive dining experiences available in the city.

The dining area at Siaa is a quirky juxtaposition of modern architecture with old world style. Seating is spread across four levels with a curving staircase leading from one level to the next. The dome shaped ceiling with Indo-Persian arches resembles the sails of a ship and is paneled in mellow shades of wood. The contrast between the lighter coloured wooden ceiling and the darker shades of the wall offset the leather covered concrete seats. A single wall, done up entirely in glass, gives a breathtaking view of the city, so much so that, the restaurant is worth a visit for the view alone. The menu at Siaa is specially crafted by Chef Shankar of Fusion 9 fame and executive chef Pankaj Gupta. And what they have in store for the Hyderabad foodies is definitely a cut above. Fusion food is of course nothing new, but experimenting with Indian food? That?s surely a first and that is exactly what Siaa has to offer its patrons. Fine dining is given a new dimension from the moment you are seated. A complimentary shot of drink with a plate of spiced bread with chutney makes for a pleasant welcome. And a glance through the menu tells you that there is more in store. The expansive menu at Siaa includes dishes from all parts of India, touched up by the chefs to provide a twist to popular Indian dishes. While the main courses are simple variations on well known dishes, it?s the starters which take your breath away. Take your time to read through the description of each dish and you will be amazed at what innovative thinking can come up with. Stuffed sweet mangoes, served on bruschettas with garlic chutney, cheese marinated chicken with caramelized pineapple and prawns on thepla??who would have thought food could get so creative! In the main course, the must-try-outs include Kairi Bhindi (lady fingers with sweet and sour mango), phool gucchi and dhingri biryani (a blend of lotus seeds, morels and mushrooms in basmati) and raan gongura (lamb with tangy local greens). The main courses come with a selection of rice, eleven kinds of bread or appam. Round up your meal with an Indian dessert platter that serves an assortment of classical Indian desserts. Or if you prefer the western variety, you can try the toasted hazelnut parfait which comes topped with espresso cream, crème fraiche & date cigar or the chilli chocolate & cointreau tart with ganache of chocolate and a dollop of honey mascarpone. Though the service at Siaa is a bit on the slow side, the extraordinary fare and ambience more than makes up for it. And in any case, it does provide an opportunity for a long and leisurely dining spell.

contemporary awadhi treat, RAKABDAR, BANGALORE

North West frontier food seems to be the new Chinese across India and the Shikampuri kebab, the new Manchurian. The latest on the cards is Rakabdar, a fine dining restaurant serving Awadhi and Lucknowi fare from its treasure trove of recipes that date back two centuries. ?Rakabdar? was the title given to the master chef in the royal courts of Awadh and Lucknow. This restaurant was named as a tribute to many of those masters whose recipes have stood the test of time.

Open your meal with a spicy shorba or a soup. While the vegetarians can have the shorba tamater what the non-vegetarians can have is a choice between shorba yakhni badami made of almonds and chicken, slow cooked with spices like cinnamon and saffron or the shorba imtiazi which is a mixture of salmon, calamari, prawns cooked with ginger, lime leaves and orange juice! The kebab platter is larger than usual and everyone has at least two good varieties you would ask more for. The vegetarians must have the dahi ke kebab made of home-made yoghurt hung in muslin, rolled in soft bread and deep fried. Try the kastoori kebab which is succulent pieces of boneless chicken marinated in ginger garlic paste and spiced with freshly powdered black peppercorn cooked with gram flour and egg batter and grilled in a tandoor. Food at Rakabdar could be very heavy and so it is recommended to have just one or two items when you place your order. You also have the galouti kebab, barra kebab and sikandari raan for those who like meat. Graduating to the main course try some good food pairing like a khameeri roti with some Lucknowi nihari of lamb shanks dum-cooked in cardamom-tingled juices and flavored with saffron. You can try their cheese naans which come in three different flavours of zattar, sumac and chilli. Their biryanis are also great. The dum gosht and dum murgh biryanis are best with a little raita on the side. There is a whole host of gravies to choose from.

Finish your meal with a good dessert. A must-have is the qhubani ka meetha made of Afghani apricots and the shahi tukda. Both of them have a strong flavor of cinnamon and saffron. Top it with a nice Irani chai. Rakabdar is truly a fine dining experience. Rakabdar, # 7, Bhuvanappa layout, Opp. Forum mall, Hosur road, Bangalore. phone : 080- 43431111, VEEJAY SAI