Oriental delight

Bangalore’s food scene is bursting with so many new flavours that anything new ought to be treated with a bit of weariness. Or so one would think. Aroy, which specialises in Thai and Burmese cuisine, is the newest restaurant in town.

Aroy is designed as a rooftop restaurant, with an indoor component set under a pagoda-like structure. Tables are set under umbrellas on the terrace, while the set-up is more formal inside. Done in pastels and light colours, the restaurant is airy and spacious. It is most beautiful at night, but I went on a lazy afternoon.

Aroy’s menu is humungous, to say the least, and looks more like a large-format coffee table book. There was so much that looked extremely appetising that I left the choice to Chef Prathamesh. In hindsight, this was a good move as he ensured I got to taste tiny bits of a great many dishes. 

I began with an assortment of starters. The Banana Blossom cakes which were deep fried and crisp; Banana-leaf-wrapped Tofu, which oozed flavours of spices and lemongrass; Threaded Prawn, which combined textures very well; and the Banana-leaf-wrapped prawn, which was akin to the vegetarian version but the taste of the prawn was surprisingly not subsumed by the different flavours. The Tom Kha chicken soup was creamy and packed a punch.

For the main course, I had the Black Olive Fried Rice which was brownish in colour and extremely flavourful. I did have a bit of Thai Red Fish Curry, and then some Green Chicken Curry with steamed jasmine rice. My companion had the Veg Khaw Swte, which came with a mix of soft and crispy noodles as well as many appetising condiments. There were many interesting dessert choices, but I had the Pumpkin Custard, which was thick and had a soft pumpkin crust, while the coconut ice cream was liberally flecked with fresh coconut bits.  

(Anita Rao Kashi is a Bangalore-based freelance writer)
Aroy 74, 15th Main, JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Bangalore
Tel: 080-40939311 
Meal for two: Rs 1,500 (with drinks)