One comes away full and feeling undeniably virtuous, more so if one is vegetarian. At the Asian Ministry fest, there are vegetables galore that are stir-fried, steamed, tossed and raw. The kimchi arrives right away and keeps the hungry diner occupied till the soup or any of the variety of starters arrive.
A new menu card greets the guest with the specials. It is a good idea to take a hard look at it. Some of the names look unfamiliar, but there is a helpful description by its side to give you a fair notion of what to expect. So, Chả Giò Tươi is Vietnamese spring rolls, that are slender batons of vegetables prettily wrapped in translucent rice paper and served with a peanut sauce. You will probably beg for more of the sauce! The water chestnut and mushroom dimsums are steamed, delicious and reinforced the feeling of ‘eating healthy’. The Gaeng Kiew Wan is the more popular Thai Green Curry that is served simply with undistracting steamed rice that only enhances the flavour-packed gravy and vegetables and starts a party in your mouth. The favourite Mango and Papaya Salad is right on top of the menu. A perfect start to prepare your palate.
The non-vegetarians do have a wider choice, admits Ranjana Singhal of Thats Y Food, (but assures the vegetarians that they will not be disappointed). They have a choice of chicken, lamb, fish, prawns, shrimp...
The cuisine encompasses dishes from Japan, Bhutan (Jaju Jaju is a Bhutanese spinach soup made up of turnip, milk and butter) Indonesia, China, Thailand and Korea (Gogi Wanja that is Korean BBQ Lamb Meatballs), Vietnam...
If you have the space for a dessert, then try the rice pudding that comes with jackfruit, or the rice pudding with coconut cream, palmsugar and a hit of pandan and kaffir.
The food complements the rising temperatures in Coimbatore and is thankfully not greasy nor too spicy (unless you specially ask for more spice). The restaurant wears a festive ambience with the servers in appropriately oriental looking conical bamboo headgear.
Do ask about portion size before ordering. You can always order more if you fall short.
The festival is on at Thats Y Food for both lunch and dinner till March 1. For reservations and details call: 0422 4365117/118 Valet Parking is available
