Modha here, modha there, modha everywhere – if you hate fish, this is clearly not the place to be.
Round Island is a new restaurant with a new concept. They specialize in serving dishes made with Barramundi/Asian Sea Bass, locally known as modha. It's only been a short while since they commenced operations and are yet to open officially.
Food
The menu is concise with only a handful of mains and one dessert which didn't seem like hard work (unless cutting up fruits and placing them on a platter make your body ache).
We placed an order for a portion of Fish and Chips and Crumb Fried Modha, but what came out of the kitchen wasn't Crumb Fried Modha – it was Pan Seared Modha placed deftly on a bed of garlic rice, topped with lemon butter sauce accompanied by buttered vegetables and a salad. (VEGGIE OVERLOAD!)
I didn't fuss about the mixed up order because it was partly my fault as I couldn't decide between the pan seared and crumb fried modha, and the assistant chef (a young boy) who attended us may have misunderstood me. So, it was fine. Nothing to burn the house down about.
The Pan Seared Modha (Rs 600) was cooked with adequate skill. The lemon butter sauce that painted the top complemented well with the mild taste of the barramundi. Altogether, the dish was hella healthy. My meat loving taste buds were rather surprised by the very delectable buttered vegetables. For 600 bucks, this dish gets a super like from me.
If you're looking for English style batter fried fish and chunky chips, Round Island isn't your spot. They've taken a more local stance in prepping it by crumb frying it. Tastewise, for Rs. 440, this portion is worth every crumb.
On another note, the mini nuggets of modha made the whole process of eating so much easier.
Service and Ambience
Round Island is small and cosy with rustic interior and wooden furniture. The staff seem to be limited in number, as we were attended to by the assistant chef who did pretty much everything. From what it looked like, the main chef was on leave and the others decided to join him. But the assistant chef was quite competent to deliver what was required.
Overall
The fish, we were told, is farmed privately. Hence, delivered fresh. So, Round Island has it all sorted really well for a new restaurant.
On the whole, they do serve pretty good food, and I sincerely pray and hope the quality doesn't deflate and the prices don't inflate!
