On The Edge: Restaurant Review

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”

Part of Lewis Carroll’s quote comes to mind when I think of the things I missed. Many if onlys fill the journey of life. But a day spent in the company of a friend kind of puts that part at rest. Those moments are like traveling without leaving the seat, just through words, the memories we have and the memory we make in that moment. I am not one who travels a lot, with the exception of traveling through turning the pages of a great book. But I like to explore this wonderful city I call home. And being a foodie, I love trying new cuisines and going to restaurants that offer that. A good meal is about the company too, and it is with this idea that I decided to try the Asian & Thai cuisine that the restaurant On the Edge offered.

The day started with a movie followed by a quick visit to two of our favorite bookstores – Blossom and Bookworm. By the time we were done with book browsing, the hunger was at its peak, and we headed to the thirteenth floor of the Barton Centre, and the restaurant.

On the Edge… when we checked the place out on Zomato, the reviews had been impressive and a rating above four. The menu had dishes that were interesting, and though I had not tried those types of dishes before, I thought it’d be a good place to start with. Going into the restaurant, what we were immediately impressed with was the view. The seating, literally ‘on the edge’, offered us the view across MG Road and at a wooded area as well as the parade ground. Quite breathtaking, and we agreed it was a 5 star view.

The View from the Restaurant

The first course was the Glass Noodle Salad. I love noodles, though I’ve only tried the Chinese ‘hakka’ noodles. This course had mung-bean noodles, something quite new to me. The noodles came with a very yummy dressing, quite tangy and spicy, not too much, but just enough to accentuate the taste of the noodles. It also had fresh mint and veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce and tomatoes. There was option of marinated tofu, grilled prawns or grilled chicken for the topping, and we opted for the last one. The chicken was beautifully cooked. The highlight of the dish, for me, has to be the dressing. It was so good that I was tempted to lick the plate.

Glass Noodle Salad

For the second course, we tried Corn and Vegetable Dumplings with Creamy Sauce. Looking at the description on the menu, I wondered if it was something like a momo, but it was anything but. This dish was more like spicy kozhukattai but with the dumplings having vegetables, red peppers and corn in it. The minute we put the dumpling into our mouths, we just closed our eyes and savored the taste. The creamy sauce that was drizzled generously over the top of the dumplings only added to the experience, because it helped to tone down the spiciness of the dumplings itself.

Vegetable and Corn Dumplings

Talking about books and the places we’ve been to in the city before, and enjoying the view, one thing that kept coming to our minds was how beautiful the place would be in the evening, with the lighting and the view across to the metro rail and the night lights of the Garden City. It was only after the second course that we checked out the mocktails menu. There were about six or seven options, with very interesting names. Reshmy opted for the one called Hawaii Hi-Oh, which had fresh pineapple juice blitzed with lime, ginger and pepper and blitzed with Sprite. I opted for the one called Beat The Heat, which was what I was trying to do. The mocktail had orange, passion fruit and lime, along with some lemon juice as well. Both options were delicious, and perfect for summer.

The Mocktails

For the final course, we opted for Egg Fried Rice, along with Stir Fried Vegetables in Roasted Chilly and Tamarind Sauce. The stir fried vegetables had baby corn, baby tomatoes, yellow, red and green capsicum and broccoli. The roasted chilli and tamarind sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the dish and to the Egg Fried Rice, though not as amazing as the spicy and tangy dressing that was there in the Glass Noodle Salad. We were mostly quite full by then, so that might have been a reason why it didn’t feel as tasty too.

Egg Fried Rice with Stir-fried Vegetables, Roasted Chilli and Tamarind Sauce

They say that we eat with our eyes first, so a well presented dish will definitely wow us even before our first taste. This was quite true for each of the courses and the two mocktails we had at On the Edge. I looked delicious and inviting, and the taste matched that. The ambience of the restaurant was another plus point, as was the attitude of the staff at the restaurant, which made us feel at home and helped the experience to be a pleasant one. It is a fine dining restaurant, but perhaps the prices are slightly on the higher side. Was it worth the price? I feel so. I’d definitely not hesitate to go there again.

From movies to books to a restaurant with fine quality food, it was a day on the edge, and an experience to remember for a foodie.

---

18 – Apr – 2016