Technology has made one’s way of life a lot easier than before, so much so that everything around us has to be fancy in order to be liked or accepted. What happened to the good old days of plain, ordinary, simple, or as they say, Rustic. Rustic Stove is one such place where you can find the most simplest of dishes, made in a very simple fashion, with an amazing eye for trying to focus on the local food. The restaurant is small, with a mediocre ambiance but with mouth-watering dishes that can have you wanting for more. Rustic Stove is also a fusion restaurant where they mix the cultures of Indian food with Italian food as well.
To quench our thirst, we ordered a Lime soda and Masala Buttermilk. The lime soda had lime syrup and not the actual lime juice that I would have preferred and so I hate to say this but the syrup and soda combination is not as sour as an actual lemon, this with a pinch of salt was a disappointment. The Masala Buttermilk with a bit of froth on the top was probably better than the other drink, coriander, chilli, and spices with a spoonful of salt quenched my thirst. This was not the perfect start to my lunch and I was worried if the food was going to be a disappointment as well.
Cream of Smoked Chicken was my pick for the soup. Now, the chicken was a bit roasted and this just did not bond well with the ingredients of the soup. I wouldn’t want anyone to eat something that is hard to chew on, especially if it is meat. It looked like the day would only get worse from here on but then came the best combination for lunch that I had in a really long time.
For Appetizers, we ordered the Dragon Prawns. Boy, this was one spicy, tasty, and one heck of a dish. Lip smacking taste, made every bite I have a juicy affair and most of all, the pure chilli Asian spices used was to perfection. Slightly crispy and a whole lot juicy on the insides, this is one dish I would recommend everyone to try when you are at Rustic Cove. The prawns gave me hope that I may end this meal on a high when we ordered the Bamboo Dum Chicken Biryani. The Biryani is served in a bamboo stick, where the spices are mixed with the rice and the meat of your choice. It is best when eaten fresh, would not taste the same if you would have this for take away as it will not be served in a bamboo stick and you would surely miss out on the authenticity of the dish. Right proportions of spices were used, like cardamom, ginger paste, cloves, cinnamon, and with well-cut pieces of onion this Biryani was worth the money. Raitha with finely cut tomatoes, chilli, onion, and coriander is provided along with the Biryani but the biryani tastes so well on its own, it would be injustice to eat the rice with raitha that is provided.
What started out to be a disaster, turned out to be a little better than average at the end of our meal. Do try the bamboo biryani and also their dragon starters and I am sure you will not be let down.
Ondhu Foodie Travels 