Republic of Noodles

Critic´s Review

• Food: 4 / 5
• Service: 3 / 5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Swati Sucharita

With a distinct Asian ambience, (Thai artefacts, portraits of Buddhist monks, replicas of visas of South East Asian nations), Republic of Noodles promises one a taste of South East Asia, so don't go there expecting the hackneyed Chinese or the high-brow Japanese, as these two cuisines don't find place (yet) on the menu. Instead, there is a good amount of Thai, besides Vietnamese, Malaysian, Burmese, Balinese, Singaporean, Laotian and Indonesian too, especially represented by their noodles, wok stir fries, clay pot dishes and curries. For starters, try the Banana Leaf Wrapped Fish (basa) in Balinese Spices, its grilled, delicate and delectable! There are chicken satays too, as well as 'potstickers', (in veg, prawn and chicken versions), another name for dimsums. The Tom Yum With Lemon Grass, Kaffir Lime Leaves & Bird Chillies (available in vegetable, chicken and prawn versions) has an expressive name, but the soup is a tad more sour than the subtler version you get off the streets of Bangkok. If you are a noodles fan, try the offbeat Indonesian Bamee Goreng With Veggies. Its spicy-sweet, aromatic and with a crunchy texture, thanks to the bell peppers and broccoli. Prawns in Spicy Tamarind Sauce, makes an excellent accompaniment to the Bamee Goreng. If you like noodles in a soup, you should try Singaporean Seafood Laksa with Fried Noodles. Clay pot curries, such as the Malaysian Rendang Beef Curry or the Chicken with Potato and Spinach Massaman curry are served with a bamboo container of sticky rice or Thai fried rice. For desserts, the Asian Five Spice Flavoured Chocolate Mousse was good, but only for the chocolate, for there was no remote taste of the five spices! Pricing is pretty steep (even though its not a five star hotel), so be sure of being well-armed, also keep a sharp eye on what you carry away from your orders, we didn't get one of ours!