Birdie Num Num brings back local Indian flavors and ingredients dowsed with some mind boggling mixology and a well planned decor. Located at Golf Course Road, they are set to open their doors next month. The place is prominently bathed in shades and hues of blue adding to the opulence against white. The chevrons and hexagons make for quite a wicked backdrop against the bar.
The concept is to take you back to Indian flavors and the use of indigenous ingredients and whip up some delectable preparations. Their bar menu is also quite extensive and done with a lot of thought behind it. The presence of local ingredients is prominent here too and the signature cocktails all have a nuance behind them. We started with masala papad.
The drinks – I feel good – popcorn soaked in white rum with a bagful alongside – this was the quirkiest drink I have ever had. The idea behind it is about how you go out for movies and munch on some buttery popcorn. Sun and Sand – spiked with tender coconut water and vodka, this is a beach lover’s delight. This Goa inspired cocktail was very refreshing.
The Tempest – icy and with a strong smoky flavor, this one is a stormy preparation with a strong taste of kalaunji. Split personality – a minty lemongrass flavor with an underlying sweet taste.
The appetizers started with stuffed snake-gourd – stuffed with masala potato with a fresh tamarind chutney.
Bhoot Jholakiya cheese melt – a really fiery dip made with bhoot jholakiya chillies, also know as the ghost chilly, that come from the far East, the cheese melt will blow your mind – quite literally. Not being a very big spice lover myself, I particularly found this preparation mind blowing as I hushed and sissed and yet couldn’t get enough of the ghost chillies. Mubari white sauce chicken dimsums – thin skinned chicken stuffed dimsums with a creamy sauce layer on top, the onion crunch in the dimsums was alittle overpowering than the meat itself. But, dunk it in the bhoot jholakiya chilly dip for a gush of flavors.
Scotch eggs in mutton keema – served nested in a basket with fresh mustard and mayonnaise. Soft boiled eggs with crispy fried mutton keema with fresh mustard and mayonnaise made for a delightful bite.
Prawn idiappams -masaledaar prawns served on a bed on crispy idiappams – the prawns were nicely coated, uber fresh and the combination of the fresh, succulent prawns on the crispy bed.
Telangana chicken – again a very hot preparation from down South – the succulent chicken pieces with a prominent black pepper taste and a garlic gravy is hands down delicious.
Our main course included some fine plated meals – Kerala vegetable ishtew with appam. Now, I am a huge fan coconut flavors and Kerala stews, especially Kerala vegetable stews with spot on appams is one of the most refreshing and easy on the gut dishes that I adore. This one here had the flavors right, with a slight sweet after taste and crunchy vegetables.
Assamese Kurkura curry served with rice and a creamy onion salad. Again a slight coconut milk zest with bamboo shoots and yummy chicken, the curry tasted heavenly with appam and rice alike. Kolhapuri mutton with malabari parantha – a traditional curry with the best flaky, soft, crispy malabar parantha I have had till date.
Banana and gur pate – a mildly sweet banana flavored dessert ( of which I am unfortunately not a fan ) with the sweetest note to complete our meal.
The exhaustive range of cocktails, and appetizing flavors at Birdie Num Num are not to be missed. My favorite from the lot was the lovely main course, the Telangana chicken and Scotch eggs.