Hyderabad: The larger than life show of restaurant launches in Hyderabad has now become all too common, thanks to some very glitzy restaurant launches in the last couple of years. One could say it may have even become passe.
So we weren’t really surprised when we stepped into the mother of all launches that had most of Hyderabad buzzing for all of last week. Moai Kitchen – a much hyped gourmet offering in the bustling corner of the hip financial district is now talk to the town. Honestly, we were not expecting to be wow-ed, but then we were left pleasantly surprised on a hot summer afternoon when we decided to dine in calmer waters with streams of Koi fish circling us menacingly under the granite flooring.
Yep, you will actually find yourself watching your footstep as you step into the restaurant so that you don’t fall (or at least step in) into the causeway by accident. However, the star of Moai Kitchen is Michelin trained celebrity chef Mohib Farooqui who created quite a bit of a buzz in Hyderabad during the launch. The consulting chef at Moai has created a heavily detailed food menu with its chilean inspired menu.
The word Moai comes from the stone statues, or monolithic human figures, which are located on the Easter Island, a remote island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, which is a special territory of Chile. The menu in the Moai Kitchen, hence, is something new, unlike the other launches over the last few years which have focussed heavily on Asian cuisine.
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While chef Mohib was not around, a lunch in his absence was led by the team led under Chef Subhash. We chose to eat light, true to chef Mohib’s aesthetic of minimalist cooking with maximalist flavors.
Opting for the chef’s recommendation – we were pleasantly surprised with the onslaught of carefully thought through small plates, a slight departure from typical heavy portions Hyderabad restaurants offer. We started our meal with the visually satisfying Muhammara and Feta waffle – what’s not to love about good cheese stuffed in waffles, no?
But the second dish – the Charred Watermelon salad with a very intriguing basil oil crumble really got us cooled in a minute. With a pleasant burst of flavors in kalamata olive caramel reduction, it’s bound to even make meat eaters fall in love with salads.
It was followed with the black garlic glazed focaccia and whipped ricotta, which was chewy baked perfection of the palate.
You know, Hyderabadis in restaurants are always waiting for their meat, but small plate after small plate just left us wondering what other pleasant surprises were in store. And as expected, the subsequent takeback item was the Aish Baladi bread – heavenly sourdough with toasty hemp seeds and a olive oil emulsion dip of your dreams.
At this point, we were also craving for meat. So when the Tawa Mutton Hummus with ghee rotis arrived, it actually brought back nostalgia. The dish is likely to cater to all taste buds. And when we heard that fried chicken was coming next, we were a bit hesitant. However, it was actually prawn mousse stuffed fried chicken, which showcased Moai’s serious technique and flavor to a now mass catering dream food item.
Hyderabad’s Khichdi Khatta and Kheema in a ball
We weren’t going to leave without a star item that stood out from the launch day which under Chef Mohib’s watchful eye left many people nostalgic – Hyderabad’s Khichdi Khatta and Kheema has been reimagined with spiced goat and lentil arancini with tangy tamarind gel. It certainly was a winner.
The only item that did not rock our boat was the fried sea bass with shrimp mayo – the two flavors just didn’t work for us furthermore. We knew the tasting menu had its due and we were full in no time digging into the most good looking desserts thankfully not too over sweetened at this restaurant in Hyderabad.
For a city like Hyderabad that takes its time in experimenting with its larger than life dining habits in restaurants, the food at Moai Kitchen is definitely one to explore and takes wonder in its ability to push boundaries and we hope it receives its due recognition.
While the service team needs a more time to find its footing, the kind and swift hospitality at the restaurant was intact and made up for it. We would love to keep exploring chef Mohib and Subhash’s menu with the Asian and Mediterranean offerings in the menu and Moai could definitely be the start of what is the new wave of gourmet dining in Hyderabad.
