Authentic Indian at Bukhara
10 Nov 2015
Tucked away up Church Street, just behind Green Market Square and above a Clicks one finds the authentically Indian restaurant Bukhara. Don't be deceived by its unassuming exterior, a flight of stairs lead you to a sumptuous and cavernous restaurant with open kitchen on display behind glass walls and a wraparound balcony.
I was invited to dine there last Friday night and was pleasantly surprised by this 15-year-old hidden gem. After a peruse of the menu we settled on a curry each with a portion of steamed rice and garlic naan; however this planned dining experience didn't take place as the manager recommended sharing the tapas special, which includes nine different dishes at R495 for two people to share. As I really like to try everything and anything if possible (when it comes to food) this suited me just fine.
Luckily, a light lunch had been consumed that day as the tapas special is quite a marathon foodie event. Make sure you come hungrily prepared if taking on this substantial task.
Flavour City
To start off with we were given Broccoli Tikki Chat and Keema Dosa. The Broccoli Tikki Chat was one of my favourite dishes, kinda like a little broccoli fritter or veggie patty it was packed full of flavour and was excellently complemented by the Cucumber Raita. The Keema Dosa was a crispy roti-type wrap filled with mince and accompanied by Sambar, a fragrant lentil and veg stew. The mince was a little dry, but when eaten with the sambar and raita accompaniments it was perfect.
Before we had managed to get halfway through the first round more and more dishes were brought to our table; Chicken Achari Kabab and Chicken Seekh Kabab and a portion of garlic naan. The Achari Kabab is little bite-sized succulent portions of lemony and spicy chicken while the Seekh Kabab is a sort of chicken sausage.
Thankfully we had a little bit of a breather between rounds two and three, as even though the portions are fairly small they are incredibly rich and filling.
The last course included Murg Chettinad, Lamb Madras and a portion of Jeera Pulao (steamed cumin rice). The Lamb Madras is a hot and tangy lamb curry, it was a tad too salty for me, but my partner loved it. I preferred the Murg Chettinad a tomatoey chicken curry. We didn't manage to finish it so I doggy bagged it and it was even more delicious for lunch the next day.
Not surprisingly, after nine plates of rich-and-fragrant food there was no way to fit in any desserts. So I will just have to return to Bukhara to experience their sweets.
If craving an authentic Indian night in an elegant and romantic setting, Bukhara will not let you down.
33 Church Street
Cape Town, 7001
Tel: +27 21 424 0000
For more info or to make a reservation go to bukhara.com
