Pondi

營業中

休息中

59 食評

味道

環境

服務

衛生

抵食

15705

西環

$201-400

印度菜法國菜

eatwai

等級4

190

[ Pondi | 西營盤 ]

A very cozy and small restaurant hidden in the alleyway of third street that serves Indian fusion cuisine. The fuse Indian spices and flavors with French/ modern techniques. Their name is inspired by ‘Pondicherry’ and reflects the colonization period between Britain and India.

I made a booking at 6 and at 6:30 they were already packed with patrons. It was amazing to see them pump out so much food from such a small open kitchen (literally a stove, plancha and a counter) but was reminded they had another central kitchen as well.

As they have an open concept with the main entrance being opened as well, it was freezing when I came in mid December when it was 10°C 🥶 because of this, they should consider offering hot water to patrons.

Their menu is designed for at least two people and even offer a tasting menu to try most dishes on the menu. But I am dining alone so opted for a la carte but even the chef said most of their dishes are for sharing.

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Prawn & Leeks Samosa $110

A riff of the regular samosa but made with phyllo pastry instead of the regular short crust pastry dough. Thus, it is much crispier and less heavy, the individual layers also have butter between them to provide a smoky and nutty sweetness.

The filling is quite ’meaty’ although there is no meat 🤭 The prawns are more like small shrimps and super savory with a hint of spice. There are a few pieces of them but I can’t make out what the rest of the ‘meaty’ filling is, chopped up prawn? Anyways, the leek is chopped quite unevenly which displeases me but the taste is very pronounced without being too pungent. Not a bad combination with the phyllo but nothing too special.

What pleasantly surprised me were the condiments available. The mango chutney is spicy and tangy with a strong sweetness. The blueberry relish is my personal favorite as it is spiced (not spicy) and acidic due to it being pickled. The cucumber raita is refreshing and creamy, the ideal sauce.

I asked for one samosa instead of two as I am one person but the size is quite small and I think I could have eaten both of them 😬 I also wish they gave me more sauces and I desperately needed them to enhance the samosa.

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Tofu Korma $128

I really simple but delicious and comforting curry for 10°C weather tonight🥶

The onsen egg may seem unnecessary but it actually provides creaminess to the overall korma and balances out the various spices and chilli used.

I love how they layer in the spice starting with the homemade korma then following on with chilli oil and finally topping with fried shallots and garlic and crisp curry leaves. All of these components contribute to the final savory flavor that this dish provides.

The crispy tofu is coated with corn starch and some sort of sugar as it has a caramel layer to it, similar to the sugar syrup on harden fruits (冰糖葫蘆) (but only for the texture and not flavor) as you can feel it stick to your teeth. This coating keeps it crispy and crunchy whilst sitting on the korma and contrast nicely with the soft and smooth tofu on the inside. The relatively bland tofu is a great vessel to have for this rich korma. It also made for a nice bite with the chewy flatbread.

I want to highlight their fried shallots and garlic and crispy curry leaves that use which adds another layer of flavor and texture. The shallots and garlic are like capsules of flavor as it has been caramelized and thus flavored enhanced, they have a nice bite and chew to them. Whereas the curry leaves are thin and crispy, shattering in your mouth and the flavors just dissolve.

The portion is very sufficient for one and great for sharing between two.

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Flatbread $40 x2

This ‘flatbread’ is like a crossover between a naan and a paratha. It has been enriched with yogurt and ghee which makes the flavor sweeter and richer, as well as makes the texture chewier and softer. Furthermore, they roll it like a 蔥油卷 (by rolling it into a thin log then rolling up that log) and thus there are distinctive layers and it makes it sorta flaky too. Flaky in the sense that the top crust crumbles but each flake is a piece of dough and not a layer of dough. In addition, the top crust of the bread is so caramelized that you can peel it off as if it was milk bread and eat it like a crisp. So tasty.

Flavor wise, it’s so good that it can be eaten alone. I unintentionally ate half of it by itself because I was obsessed with the richness and softness of it that I had to order another plate of it to finish my korma with 😅 They also use beer to aid the fermentation process which is why there is less ‘yeast’ taste and aroma and a more sour and ‘alcoholic’ smell to it. The beer also adds sweetness to the rich bread.

Portion wise, it is quite small. The originally small piece of bread it cut into 4 pieces. $40 for 1 piece is quite unseemly but at least they make it themselves and it’s delicious. But I did have to order another round of this which made me feel extremely full after leaving. The perfect portion would have been one and a half pieces. After leaving, I feel very heavy and tired (好樓) and I partially blame this fat-heavy flatbread.

Also, they make the bread in their central kitchen and have the staff bring it up when a patron orders it.

I also wanted to try their gougeres but apparently they removed it from the menu just days before I came as it was not very popular and required a lot of effort.

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推介 🙆🏻‍♀️

💬 Overall, the food here is great and unique, unlike any I’ve had before. Their pricing is also quite reasonable but their portions could get a tad bit bigger. Since their restaurant is so small, it may feel quite cramped having servers squeeze around you as they have four people on the floor. Saying that, I do want to come back for their other dishes or try their sister restaurant Brut.

🗓 Revisit? ✅ ⭕️/ ❎

Pondi 營業中 休息中

Pondi

營業中

休息中