Behnaz Sanjana appraised the contemporary cuisine at LNT Gastropub, and it came through with flying colours.
The iconic Lanterns Restaurant in Adliya is renowned for its ethnic Indian setting but, as you take the stairs that lead up to the LNT Gastropub, you’re in a different realm altogether. Upstairs it’s all grunge and industrial, in the most aesthetic way, of course.
My companion and I exchanged nostalgic notes seeing old cell phones and music systems adorning a part of the wall, while we sipped our coolers and browsed the newsletter-style menu. It is an extensive mix of sharing bites, sushi and sashimi, tidbits, salads, curries, pub staples and robust main course options. First to arrive was the California Maki – crab stick, avocado and cucumber wrapped in the quintessential seaweed and sticky rice. I loved how the generously sprinkled tobiko gave a burst of saltiness with every bite. Close on its heels was the Crispy Peking Duck. Slices of duck breast with a delicate crackly skin lay ready to be rolled up in mini pancakes. Juliennes of scallions and cucumber added a nice bite, and the accompanying hoisin sauce lent the meat a sticky-sweet appeal.
The Avocado and Quinoa Salad was an attractive heap of summer colours – the green hues of the mixed lettuce, avocado and edamame beans, faint blonde quinoa, slivers of fragrant orange and coral grilled crab sticks. Tossed in balsamic dressing, it was a nice palate cleanser. We chomped on a hearty plate of Pad Thai next, comprising rice noodles, shrimp, assorted vegetables and crushed peanuts for the nuttiness – all spiked with just the right amount of chilli and lime.
Then arrived the Mushroom Pizza – unlike any other – hand tossed, coming piping hot out of chef Oliver Pallut’s kitchen. Taleggio cheese and the slender, soft base made in the original Italian way are the differentiating factors in this simple, but outstanding, culinary creation. Highly recommended, I say!
I thought the pizza would be my top dish of the day, but I was yet to be blown away by the taste of the Crispy Cigars. These deep-fried, crunchy, golden-brown rolls were stuffed with shredded chicken in two distinct flavours – one half was the bright red Chicken Tandoori and the other had the creamy goodness of Chicken Malai. I can wax eloquent about this dish, but I’ll just say that my mouth is salivating with the very thought of it.
We finished our meal with the Chocolate Bomb. It is a dramatic little show when a bubbling caramel sauce is poured onto a chocolate sphere that melts onto its insides. What results is a fine gooey mess of sticky sauce, mascarpone cheese, white chocolate buttons, biscuity bits and nuts. Of course, we polished it off without much ado.
With lip-smacking delights and ample choice of cocktails, single malts, fine spirits, grapes, liqueurs and aperitifs, LNT Gastropub is keeping patrons hooked. But it is the exceptional, friendly service of the staff that makes it such a popular choice every day of the week.
Call 17 246 777.
