BENGALURU: As I walked into Misu on St Marks Road, I was greeted by a Japanese woman with coloured eyes that hides a mystery within. As I step back to appreciate the artwork, I realise I am surrounded by colour-tinted glass walls and a mirrored ceiling.
The pan Asian restaurant has a promising allure to it with its iron-clad chic interiors comprising high chair seating, glass table that lights up and the vintage mirrors suspended from the ceiling. The art enthusiast in me was already impressed and it was time to find out if my palate felt the same. Their specially curated menu has steamed, fried and wok-tossed food with popular flavours from south eastern countries.
The acidity of the lime juice, balanced with the coconut milk, combined with Thai spices, galangal, kaffir and lemon grass makes Misu’s Tom Yum soup one of the best that I have had so far. The soup is clear, flavourful and the spice hit is just right. If you are a soup afficianado, here’s the place for you.
The Spicy Pomelo Salad honestly was a beauty to look at. I didn’t have the heart to fork in and disturb the beautiful ensemble of pomelo, red chillies and cashew nuts. The fresh juicy burst of pomelo spiced with roasted chilli and the crunch of the cashew nuts give it one of the most unique flavours on the table. The Larb Gai inches towards subtle and fresh flavours of the produce. The Thai minced-chicken salad blends well with roasted rice, lime and mint.
Among appetisers, the Soft Shell Crabs with Garlic Pepper absolutely aces in terms of the cooking technique and the spice combination. Are you frowning right now because you are a vegetarian? Well, fret not. The restaurant’s Turnip Cake has got you covered. The mushroom and turnip cake is cooked well to smoothness and the crunchy bits of garlic will have you salivating for more.
The Pla Neung Manao is as healthy and tasty as a fish can get. The steamed red snapper is cooked just right and lays in a pool of curry that has subtle flavours of garlic, chilli and oyster sauce. Of all the appetisers in the non-vegetarian section, the Ikan Pepe was the most popular dish on the table. The Indonesian grilled fish came in with its sense of mystery, wrapped in a banana leaf and tasted of fresh garlic and ginger that had blended really well with the fish.
Among dimsums, we went for the chef recommended Rainbow Dumplings. The dimsums are cooked well with a stuffing of mushrooms and bokchoy. I was in love with the Spicy Tofu Avocado Maki. Rolled with sticky rice, spicy tofu, avocado, cucumber and lettuce, the fresh flavours will capture your palate with wonder. The maki is served with slices of picked ginger that sits beautiful in the corner of the plate along with wasabi.
Honestly, at this point I was beyond full, but was damned by curiosity on what the chef’s main course picks were and thus, fellow foodies, I marched on.
The Stir-Fried and Curries with Jasmine Rice looked quite enticing when it came to the table. The jasmine rice is very refreshing, I wouldn’t mind having it all day without the curry or sauces, which by the way were cooked to a tee with great flavours. I mixed the rice with a brothy blend of mushroom, bokchoy, chinese cabbage and bamboo shoot. This one scored high on nutrition and subtle flavours.
In the “Meal In a Bowl” section, we had the Khow Suey Chicken. It was quite a package and one that I didn’t expect. It is a one-pot meal of noodles cooked in coconut milk along with small bowls of peanuts, egg, fried garlic, lime slice and light soy. The mix of coconut milk and noodles, topped with peanuts and fried garlic is what all of us need in our life right now. It has a smooth texture and taste, with bits of peanut and garlic crunch.
From desserts, we had the Singapore Style Ice Cream Sandwich and Crispy Banana Cinnamon Bao with Nuttela. I enjoyed both the desserts, but if you were to force me to pick one, I would say go for the bao. Why? Well, who says no to Nuttela?
Cost for two: `1,400