Kinara: Authentic Indian cuisine in royal ambience
Kinara: Authentic Indian cuisine in royal ambience
Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta
Kinara restaurant is breathtakingly beautiful, attracting the eye with its distinctive Indian charm. Stepping into Kinara is, indeed, like being transported to a foreign land -- well, to India, to be precise.
I felt like I was in a medieval maharaja's palace, somewhere in Rajasthan. A lot of effort has been put into bringing the Indian charm to life. The impressive 400-year-old ancient gates, which add historical interest to the interior, actually were the gates of a maharaja's palace in Rajasthan.
Romantic and elegant best describe the ambience. The room is illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight. The soothing sound of water tickles your ears while Indian music infuses the air.
The word kinara is translated as "the edge" in Hindi and "riverbank" in Punjabi, while it also means "shoreline" or "meeting point".
First established in Singapore, Kinara Jakarta opened in August 2002. It has won some prestigious awards, such as "The Best Indian Restaurant in Jakarta 2004" (awarded by the magazine Jakarta Java Kini, which will publish this year's winner in July) and "Highest Points in Review for Indian Restaurants in 2004" by American Express Dining Guide.
Kinara employs three Indian chefs and one Pakistani chef. Each chef has his own specialty: tandoori, curry and dessert, while one is the head chef. Kinara serves authentic Indian cuisine; the chefs do not tone down the spices, but they can do spicy on request.
"The word spice in general does not mean hot food. Spice does not mean hot or fiery. Spice can mean sweet too, like cinnamon and nutmeg, they're spices and they're sweet, not hot. Actually, spice is something that has aroma, smell, color and flavor. Some flavors can be sweet, bitter, hot or sour. In Indian food, when we call it spicy, it does not mean hot or fiery, it's about aroma, color and full of flavor as lots of ingredients are used," said general manager Vivek Singh Deora.
"We specialize in Mughlai and Peshawari cuisine. Mughlai is Indian cuisine which has been influenced by the Arabic people coming to India, cooking their staple foods. They all came in the invasion of the Mogul emperors. Actually, Mughlai cuisine is very similar to Turkish and Moroccan cuisine.
"Meanwhile, Peshawari cuisine didn't get much influence from the invasion. It's a traditional cuisine that originated in India. Well, with modern cooking it has changed a little bit, but not much as the basics remain the same. True, we put more emphasis on the north, but southern Indian food is also available -- other restaurants only focus on north Indian cuisine.
"The spices used in north India are quite different from south India, but the cuisine is equally delicious. During the Sunday brunch, you can taste a combination of north and south Indian cuisine, as well as cuisine from Bengal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal," said Indian and British educated general manager.
Before or after dining in Kinara, you can drop by Club Fez, a Moroccan-inspired club complete with two pool tables and three big screen TVs. You can also smoke a shisa at the club.
While I waited to dig into my meal, a basket filled with warm Papandum arrived, accompanied by mint chutney as well as mango chutney. The Kachumber Salad arrived shortly after, made up of diced fresh vegetables served cold with a tinge of lemon and mint.
The creamy Mango Lassi was my drink. This rich, luscious blend of yogurt and mango smoothie is an ideal drink to balance a spicy meal.
My starters were Kozhi '65 (Rp 35,000) and Samosa (Rp 30,000). The Kozhi '65 was delicious, aromatic little red chunks of spicy chicken flavored with curry leaves and mustard seeds. I was afraid those red chunks of chicken would be too fiery for my liking, but I was wrong.
The dish was perfectly spiced, with no overwhelming flavors, and it had a mild sour tinge that was just right to tickle your taste buds -- simply irresistible. The chunks of chicken were simply succulent -- one bite and I was hooked.
The Samosa was made with spiced potatoes stuffed in flaky triangular pastries and deep-fried until golden crisp. Kinara's Samosa was named the fifth most popular food item in Jakarta by the American Express Dining Guide.
Dal Ka Kamaal (Rp 35,000), Tikka Bemisal (Rp 57,000), Bazabata (Rp 35,000) and Karhai Paneer (Rp 37,000) were main my courses. The Dal Ka Kamaal was black lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic simmered overnight on a slow charcoal fire and enriched with cream. The Tikka Bemisal was mouth-watering chunks of char- grilled chicken served in velvety tomato gravy enriched with honey and pungent in flavor.
Bazabata, an Indian version of fried rice, was made from fragrant Indian long-grain pulao rice cooked with aromatic herbs and fresh vegetables. The Karhai Paneer was cheese and red onions, tempered with roasted whole aromatic spices blended perfectly with tomato puree and sprinkled subtlety with green peppers.
Paneer is a tofu-looking Indian cottage cheese. The Paneer, an excellent vegetarian source of protein, did not look particularly appetizing but it was delicious, not bland, and simply melted in my mouth.
I ended my dining experience with a Kesar Kulfi (Rp 30,000), a smooth and creamy homemade Indian saffron ice cream, garnished with pistachios and almonds (Kesar means saffron). Although the soft, creamy texture of the ice cream tasted slightly weird on the first scoop, it turned out to be a unique and tasty dessert and it did not slip down my throat, but cling to my tongue -- very refreshing.
Kinara also has a wine cellar. Thumbing through the wine list, you will see wines from Australia, Chile and Italy, as well as various champagne, like the Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin (Rp 1,100,000).
If you're looking for authentic, delicious Indian cuisine served in a royal ambience, drop by Kinara. You will be forgiven if you think you're the guest of a mighty maharaja. Just let yourself be amazed by the old-world charm of Kinara -- breathtakingly beautiful.
Kinara
To see pictures of Kinara
click on www.kinarafez.com
Lunch 12 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays 6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Live romantic music every Thursday - Saturday (dinner)
A promised theme food festival every month
Kemang Raya 78-B Jakarta
Phone: 7192677 Fax: 7192654
The writer can be reached at s_tjokro@yahoo.com