By Rupali Lamba
Our experience at the much-awaited Yauatcha {pronounced ya.u.aa.cha} was a very compelling one. There were moments of joy, of beauty, of friendly banter and some of sheer speechlessness.
As I walked in, I was in awe of the expanse of the restaurant. The décor was industrial posh – grey, black and mustard {love the chairs} with all kinds of textures and surfaces, from marble to ceramic and open brick… everything was random but it still came together to form a tasteful picture – much like my expectation of Yauatcha.
Once seated, we started with mocktails, as they do not have a liquor license yet - like all new places {WHY Delhi, WHY?!} The drinks were made of very interesting ingredients and blends such as the Nara Iced Tea, which consisted of vanilla sugar + passion fruit juice + chilli. The alcohol menu looked promising too and the bar is a major part of the Yauatcha dining experience at their other outlets, the world over.
The drinks were followed by dimsum. From the vegetarian section, we decided to sample the popular Truffle Edamame as well as Pumpkin and Pinenut Dumpling. Yauatcha has an entirely separate menu for vegetarians, which is lovely as other establishments that serve dimsum usually feature only one column.
The first of the aforementioned had a very intriguing flavor profile - unripened soy bean {edamame} with a hint of smokey, nutty truffle oil. The consistency of this dumpling was very mushy and lacked the intricacies that almost all the other dishes showcased. It was the only dimsum item that neither of us was jumping upon. We did not find pumpkin in the pumpkin and pine nut dumpling, but it was really pleasant; soft and comforting with bits of bite.
From the non-vegetarian section, we picked a Golden Fried Chicken Puff, the Lamb Roll and Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun {which came highly recommended}. The chicken puff was unusual looking but wonderful. It looked like a mesh of flames made from batter that was crumbly and balanced, with tender juicy sweet meat within. The lamb roll was splendid – dense fresh meat enveloped in a wrap that was barely there, in a luscious sauce sprinkled with fresh black pepper and chilli. The crispy prawn cheung fun was the highlight of all things savoury. It was the exotic baby of the classic tempura {sushi} roll and traditional cheung fun. DO NOT miss out on this mesmerizing combination when you dine at Yauatcha!
Dimsum is usually enjoyed in a mildly chaotic space, in groups, with the anticipation of trying many different dishes; eating in that spirit at Yauatcha is only for the flush as the dimsum amount to anything between 100 – 170 Rs a hit.
After happily consuming the entire plate of cheung fun, we decided to lay off the rice for our mains. We ordered Fried Chilli Squid {with oatmeal}, Red Snapper in Asam Sauce and Spicy Okra. The squid was enveloped in thick batter and was a struggle to cut into with basic cutlery. The oatmeal mix smelled like curry leaves and chilli and tasted of namkeen – khatta meetha and cornflakes mix to be exact. It was not unpleasant, but it was definitely odd in the context. The tomato, onion and turmeric based fish {sabzi anyone?} was tangy and warm – like a typical South Indian fish curry. The vegetables were a mix of local everyday produce, such as aubergine and potato, tossed together in a simple Chinese sauce. The entire course was a mismatch- we were temporarily mentally transported to Dakshin- and I daresay a disappointment to what went by and what was yet to come.
For dessert, we ordered a Jasmine Tea Cake and a Raspberry Delice, because it is so beautiful. Both the dishes were based on the same, successful formula – a perfect quenelle of ice-cream, gorgeous chocolate twirls, a sauce or coulis and a pretty sculpture made of mousse. The delice tasted like a very refined version of chocolate covered berries and the jasmine cake was denser in it’s chocolatey-ness. Both ice-creams played their part in cutting the richness of the mousse and we polished off every last morsel of dessert after feigning full-ness post our mains. The dessert - stole the show, with the crispy cheung fun coming in a close second.
Notes in our Little Black Book |
Yauatcha is a must visit for dimsum, drinks and dessert.
What we recommend | Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun
Where | Level 2, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj
Timings | 12 pm - 12 am
Price | INR 2300 for 2