Amrith's move was a good excuse to review the restaurant once again.
They recently relocated to De Fonseka road in lieu of Qbaa. The new place is spacious. So spacious, it looked empty when we visited it for lunch this week. We assume (and hope) Amrith is busier at dinner time. If any of you has an input about that, please let us know, we're curious.
Quite baffled by the lack of crowd, we hesitantly ordered some food and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of it. While it won't blow your mind away, we can safely say Amrith has been serving some decent Indian food over the years.
Food and Drink
Puzzled by their substantial yet coherent menu, we asked the waiter for recommendations so we could have a good overview of their food.
We blindly followed his advice and ended up with a Chicken Biryani (Rs. 990), Chicken Tikka Masala (Rs. 800), Veg Kolapuri (Rs. 490) and Butter Naans (Rs. 160). The dishes were almost equally tasty, spicy and filling. It was definitely enough for the two of us, we couldn't even finish it all.
Let's start with the chicken biryani, the crowd favourite. It was good. The rice was fragrant and flavoursome. The gently spiced chicken was well cooked: it was tender and falling off the bone. All in all, the chicken biryani was delicate and not greasy, which we appreciated.
We tried another classic, the chicken tikka masala. Here again, nothing to complain about, the dish was properly executed. The chicken was tender and moist. And the creamy gravy was rich and well balanced in terms of herbs and spices.
The veg kolapuri was a bit behind though. Not that it was a bad dish but the flavours, texture and spices weren't quite there. The gravy was not as smooth and creamy as the chicken tikka masala, and was heavier on oil and spices. Not the best pick but still alright.
The butter naans did not disappoint us. They were fresh, light and generously buttery. Can't really ask for more!
To accompany our meal, we went for a cup of Masala Tea (Rs. 300). I couldn't resist trying it when it was on the menu. It was definitely worth the price given that there was more than enough of the spicy beverage for two. I would rate it as a good, honest, masala tea. A lot of flavours and spices were going on in the cup and the expected spice kick was present. It was a bit too sweet to my taste but yet again I'm not that much of a sweet tooth.
Ambience
As I mentioned, Amrith was uninvitingly empty the day we visited it. Needless to say that the ambience was not as lively as it used to be on a Friday night at Qbaa. You would probably love the ambience if you are agoraphobic though.
While the location is new, Amrith still displays their same old Indian influenced theme. Some paintings and plants here and there and comfy chairs at the entrance create somehow a homely atmosphere. Bonus point for their copper dishes and water cups which I've found pretty nice and original.
Service at Amrith was effective and pleasant. Our food and drinks were served in a timely manner. The staff was discreet and cordial.
Conclusion
Apart from the new location, nothing really new. All in all, Amrith remains a safe choice for decent classic Indian food at a reasonable price.
