The recently opened Taksim makes up for the lack of good Arabic options. By Ankita Jain
I want to break into a belly dance. The shamianas with cushions and pillows, music and the lighting are just right for it. But, my stomach rumbles as I catch sight of the menu. Khubus, hummus, baba ganoush, baklava…At Taksim, named after the famed Istanbul square, tucked in Ansal Plaza, Chef Sanjay Yadav has rolled out a grand spread which is a mix of world cuisine, from European to Arabic and a smattering of Indian. “Taksim is a Turkish word, meaning divisions, and based on this, the menu has been divided into different cuisines,” informs the Chef.
The roots of contemporary Arabic cuisine go back to the period before Christ, and to the original recipes of Syria, lebanon and Egypt. “Most of the dishes use olive oil. The meat varieties are grilled and not deep-fried. And they are less spicy than Indian cuisine. The meat is extremely tender as we have marinated it in yoghurt,” says the chef. He further adds, “The highlight of Arabian food is that it is mildy flavoured.”
I could not agree with the chef more, as I bite into the juicy chicken adana kabab that is served with a creamy mayonnaise dip. The chicken marinated in lemon juice, white pepper and saffron is so soft that it falls off the fork. Shish taook, another grilled chicken dish made in charcoal, has a delectable smoked taste. It goes well with a Kit-kat shake. This one is rather simple when it comes to presentation. All the same, its thick, foamy texture is something every chocolate lover will relish.
Next, the rich and succulent chicken enveloped in a soft kuboos (flat bread), bathed in a pool of garlic mayonnaise with a delicious Arabic coleslaw along with it. The quintessential shawarma arrives. Unlike the street versions of the same dish, this one doesn’t come with added masala or mayonnaise. This is followed by meatballs or koftas. Turkish koftas are meatballs served without gravy, in many ways a cross between our seekh and shami kababs. A whiff of saffron fills the air as we are served the Arabian pulao, mansaf. “I cannot leave without tasting the hummus,” I tell the chef, and he immediately serves me a bowl of the dish and asks me to dip my shawarma in that. “The hummus is basically made of ground chickpeas, which is as nutritious as meat,” he explains.
Vegetarians will love the baba ganoush or cooked egg plant mixed with onions, tomatoes, seasonings, olive oil and chilli, and the customary falafel, deep-fried balls made with chick peas ground with green herbs, parsley, garlic and spring onion. Falafels taste best with the spicy and tangy dip. Wall installation of pots and pans and the quirky chandelier of broken pieces of crockery catch our attention as we wait for a blueberry cheesecake which turn out to be a tad too sweet.