Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Spicing Up the Day at Legend of India

I have been told not only once that I am pretty good at making people hungry. I'm terrible at describing food, but because I talk about food with passion, people can't help but get hungry when they are around me. The boyfriend, I guess, is the most heavily influenced by my eating habits. When we met, he wouldn't go beyond the usual Filipino or Chinese dish. You should see him now though! Who would have thought that he would willingly pay for spicy Indian food on a regular day some seven years ago?

We had a date (oh yes, a date, finally!) a couple of Saturdays ago (I know, procrastination!). We bought new kicks for his beloved DSLR, Iroh (he looks more handsome with his new Sigma 28-200mm f3.5-5.6 lens on) and had  late lunch at Legend of India.

To start with, I must say I had a difficult time choosing what to order. The place was far from shabby (it was marketed as a fine dining restaurant, after all), but their menu needs a major, major overhaul (no descriptions, no photos and with handwritten changes, seriously) The waiters and waitresses were not particularly helpful either, as they had a hard time describing most of the dishes when asked. After a sweeping look at the menu, I just decided to order their version of some familiar Indian dishes.

While waiting for our appetizer, a complimentary bowl of Mixed Chevro was served. From the looks and tastes of it, Mixed Chevro is a combination of Indian nuts, crackers and dried fruits. The burst of flavor when you put a handful of this in your mouth is delightful, but I didn't eat too much because I didn't want to feel full halfway through the meal


Mixed Chevro. Feel free to munch as you wait.


For starters, we ordered Chicken Samosa, which is a triangular shaped pastry stuffed with chicken, potatoes and spices. It was kind of dry and plain tasting when eaten alone, but it reaches a whole new level of goodness when dipped in the complimentary mint and tamarind sauce.


Chicken Samosa at 160Php


The boyfriend is a mutton man. Whenever we eat Mediterranean or Indian cuisine, he almost always chooses mutton as the main dish. We wanted to share a viand, as all servings were good for 2-3 people and there were just the two of us. We agreed on Mutton Masala, which is mutton mixed with egg and mild spices. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the sauce was mildly spicy and thick, but not unpleasantly so.



Mutton Masala at 450 Php


The boyfriend wanted basmati rice and I wanted bread, so in the end we ordered both and shared. I chose plain Naan, which is leavened, oven-baked flatbread. I would have to say that I really prefer naan over rice when eating saucy Indian dishes, especially when it's warm and freshly baked.


Plain Naan at Php 100


For dessert, we had Kulfi, which is Indian ice cream sprinkled with nuts and spices. The kulfi was dense, sweet and creamy, but not unpleasantly overpowering. It's actually quite difficult to describe, kind of like a combination of ice drops, pastillas and our local sorbetes.


Kulfi at Php 120


Expect to spend approximately Php 500 ($13) per person when you dine here. Legend of India is located at 114-B Jupiter St., Bel-Air II, Makati City. They have some parking space in front, which you can use for free. If you have tried their food, do share your experience with me! 

4 comments:

  1. I know! I got hungry while writing about this too. Let's go back and try the Chicken Tikka Masala and Lassi some time!

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  2. I must say, I'm a sucker for chicken samosa! :)

    It's me, Toni. :) I can't believe that the last time I saw you was in 6th grade. :))

    Lots of love from California! <3

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  3. Whoa, Toni! Didn't recognize you at first! You look awesome!:)

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