DINING OUT - ENTERTAINMENT

Taj - The Taste of India

   by Miss Terry Dinerner

The newest Indian cuisine restaurant in Pattaya is Taj, directly opposite X-Zyte disco on Third Road. Though new to Pattaya, restaurateur Karan Singh's family has been in the Indian restaurant scene for many years (Sher-E-Punjab and Haveli) and they have more than just a vested interest in this new venture.
The restaurant is quite large, and the décor leaves you in no suspense. The Indian archways and Indian art on the walls proudly proclaim the ethnic origins. The addition of the friendly waitresses in Indian garb, and general manager Karan Singh with his hair covered in the traditional black 'patka' (an informal turban) welcoming everyone, you warm to this restaurant even on the first visit.

You have the choice of sitting outside, or indoors in air-conditioned comfort. We chose indoors and selected a table in the smaller of the two inner areas.
We were offered the drinks menu on our sitting down, and it was a good idea. You need something as you pour through 144 items of the enormous Indian menu items. By the way, the house red was eminently drinkable, and at B. 120 glass not overpriced.
However, Taj has something not often seen in Indian restaurants in this country, and that is a page of Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine items. Apparently, Chinese food is very popular in India, and the Indian chefs at Taj have combined Chinese wok cooking and traditional Indian spices to produce some very interesting combinations.
Taj does also state that dishes are prepared to order, and not pre-prepared, so if you have any special requirements, these can be catered for. There are also 18 dedicated vegetarian items (most B. 220-280), with Taj claiming that even if there are vegetables you do not like, they will cook it their way and change your mind! There are also vegetarian items in the menu proper, such as Kurkure Bhindi (Okra dipped in chickpea batter and deep fried) which we enjoyed as an appetizer.
For me, one of the most enjoyable items we tried was the Fish Amritsari, deep-fried boneless chunks of marinated fish with egg, yogurt and other herbal spices.
It was imperative that we try some of the fusion items and we ordered the Chicken Manchurian (B. 270) and the chilli prawns (B. 370). The "Indian" flavors certainly predominated, but the dishes were obviously quickly wok cooked, which retained more of the natural taste of the chicken and prawns. I did enjoy both of these.
As is the norm in Indian establishments, there is an enormous range of breads to go with the meals. I stuck with my old favorite of Garlic Naan, but we also tried the very interesting Puri, a deep-fried whole wheat puffed bread. Most of the 15 breads on offer are between B. 60-80.
Other main dishes we ate that evening included the Chicken Vindaloo (which was hot but not overpowering) and the Mutton Tikka Masala, both giving the correct taste and presented in adequate portions, all served in the table dishes as is the Indian fashion.
As we were coming close to the finish, Karan's father Benny Singh arrived and mildly scolded us for not having sampled the Basmati rice, and ordered a Taj Lamb Biriyani which featured very succulent imported lamb pieces. One more glass of the house red and we were completely satiated!
We had an enjoyable evening at Taj. In the usual fashion, our Indian hosts seemed to produce a never-ending stream of dishes, which I must say provided us with some very different tastes. The Indian-Chinese fusion produced some very interesting items, with the Chicken Manchurian being very intriguing. This restaurant will appeal to those who are au fait with Indian food (the most popular cuisine in the UK, by all reports), but also for diners looking for something just a little different. There were some large groups there on our visit, and the venue is well set up to accommodate them. There is also a take-away service and outdoor catering.
Taj, The Taste of India, 394/119-129 Pattaya Third Road (opposite X-Zyte disco) telephone 038 374 744, fax 038 374 060, email [email protected]. Open seven days from 12 noon until 11 p.m. On-street parking.