Think of Asian food and the first thing that comes to the mind is The Asian Box. There are so many other Asian inspired restaurants like Gong, Mandarin and Mircchi, Shizusan, Malaka Spice etc which I have visited recently and impressed by the innovation and creativity of the concept. The 4 years old restaurant, The Asian Box, is the brainchild of an enthusiastic and passionate couple – Dheeraj and Priya Mahatani. With the first outlet in Koregaon Park, they are ready to serve on the other end of Pune, Baner. And what makes this outlet different from the Koregaon Park is the live Sushi Bar and more space.
Ambience: The Asian Box is located on the ground floor at The Siddh Icon Building, Baner. Indoor and Outdoor seating is available; with the pleasant weather in Pune, my preference would be outdoor. The interiors are inspired by the South East Asian elements like big paintings, red lanterns, hand fans, wooden masks and much more.
Menu: The menu is pretty extensive with the starters and main courses ranging from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Philippines to name a few. You will definitely be spoiled by the choices they have to offer – Kung Pao to Satay to Sambal Prawns to Nasi Goreng to Thai Curry, you name it and they have it. I was there for a dinner tasting and tried these specialties...
Our meal started with the Spicy Laksa Soup. A perfect bowl for the perfect winter evenings. This soup has noodles served in coconut curry broth, veggies and crushed peanuts. The spiciness was just on the edge. I loved the after taste of chili though the taste was just balanced. I would again go for this flavourful bowl of happiness. Highly Recommended!
Next was the Cheese Lumpia. They are actually a filipino food cheese sticks wrapped in lumpia sheets. The deep fried dish was more like spring rolls but this had cheese in it. Crispy from outside and cheesy inside, the lumpia were loved by one and all. Recommended!
From the specialties, we had to try the dimsums, so ended up at the Spicy Chiu Chau. A bit thick layer coating of dumpling had the filling of finely chopped water chestnuts, shitake mushrooms and topped with red chillies and soy sauce. The texture of the filling was bit crunchy and the taste was good too. It was served hot. A comforting and filling dish.
One of my favourite tongue-tickling appetizers was the Crispy Lotus Stem. I eat lotus stem ONLY in this type of preparation. Thinly sliced lotus stem are stir-fried with flavourful spices, honey to give a balanced taste of sweet, tangy and spicy. Crispy crunchy fried stems are fun to eat and is wiped from the plate in no time. But you need to be quick as it gets soggy quite easily!
The most exciting part of the evening was the live sushi making an experience. We saw the preparation of Crispy Asparagus Maki and it was fun! The crunchy tempura gives this sushi an added texture making it perfect for anytime quick grab. Honestly, I have had better sushi, maki rolls. The crispy tempura was the saving grace in the bland maki. This dish was definitely missing that kick!
Veg Khao Suey is one of their signatures and is popular amongst the regular customers. The dish from Burma surely strikes the right chords of every taste bud with its vibrant and creamy flavour. Have tried Khao Suey at so many places and every place has their own way of preparing it. The Asian box serves Khow Suey with mild coconut curry base which tastes delicious on the palate.
Next on our table was the Basil Rice and Black Bean Vegetables. Basil Rice had unique freshness with subtle flavour and went well with the saucy, spicy black bean vegetables. It was a warm, comfort bowl of veggies. Loved it.
Most awaited course in my meal is dessert. Always excited to see some innovative and creative offerings by the restaurants. We had Pandan Panna cotta and Caramel Brownie. Beautiful green colored Pandan Panna Cotta had a seamless creamy texture with aromatic, unique pandan flavour. Served in a cute little jar, do not expect the wobble but yes, the taste was good.
Somehow Caramel Brownie failed to impress me. It was bit sticky and less chocolatey. Had huge expectations but it missed the mark. But I was happy with the jar of pana cotta.
Overall, it was a nice experience. My ratings are based on the first visit only. Will come for more. Till then enjoy the recommendations and share your favourites.
Ambience: The Asian Box is located on the ground floor at The Siddh Icon Building, Baner. Indoor and Outdoor seating is available; with the pleasant weather in Pune, my preference would be outdoor. The interiors are inspired by the South East Asian elements like big paintings, red lanterns, hand fans, wooden masks and much more.
Menu: The menu is pretty extensive with the starters and main courses ranging from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Philippines to name a few. You will definitely be spoiled by the choices they have to offer – Kung Pao to Satay to Sambal Prawns to Nasi Goreng to Thai Curry, you name it and they have it. I was there for a dinner tasting and tried these specialties...
- Orange Basil Mojito (4/5)
- Spicy Laksa Soup (4.5/5)
- Cheese Lumpia (4/5)
- Spicy Chiu Chau (3.5/5)
- Crispy Lotus Stem (4/5)
- Crispy Asparagus Maki (3/5)
- Veg Khao Suey (4/5)
- Basil Rice (4/5)
- Black Bean Vegetables (4/5)
- Pandan Panacotta (4/5)
- Salted Caramel Brownie (2.5/5)
Our meal started with the Spicy Laksa Soup. A perfect bowl for the perfect winter evenings. This soup has noodles served in coconut curry broth, veggies and crushed peanuts. The spiciness was just on the edge. I loved the after taste of chili though the taste was just balanced. I would again go for this flavourful bowl of happiness. Highly Recommended!
Next was the Cheese Lumpia. They are actually a filipino food cheese sticks wrapped in lumpia sheets. The deep fried dish was more like spring rolls but this had cheese in it. Crispy from outside and cheesy inside, the lumpia were loved by one and all. Recommended!
From the specialties, we had to try the dimsums, so ended up at the Spicy Chiu Chau. A bit thick layer coating of dumpling had the filling of finely chopped water chestnuts, shitake mushrooms and topped with red chillies and soy sauce. The texture of the filling was bit crunchy and the taste was good too. It was served hot. A comforting and filling dish.
One of my favourite tongue-tickling appetizers was the Crispy Lotus Stem. I eat lotus stem ONLY in this type of preparation. Thinly sliced lotus stem are stir-fried with flavourful spices, honey to give a balanced taste of sweet, tangy and spicy. Crispy crunchy fried stems are fun to eat and is wiped from the plate in no time. But you need to be quick as it gets soggy quite easily!
The most exciting part of the evening was the live sushi making an experience. We saw the preparation of Crispy Asparagus Maki and it was fun! The crunchy tempura gives this sushi an added texture making it perfect for anytime quick grab. Honestly, I have had better sushi, maki rolls. The crispy tempura was the saving grace in the bland maki. This dish was definitely missing that kick!
Veg Khao Suey is one of their signatures and is popular amongst the regular customers. The dish from Burma surely strikes the right chords of every taste bud with its vibrant and creamy flavour. Have tried Khao Suey at so many places and every place has their own way of preparing it. The Asian box serves Khow Suey with mild coconut curry base which tastes delicious on the palate.
Next on our table was the Basil Rice and Black Bean Vegetables. Basil Rice had unique freshness with subtle flavour and went well with the saucy, spicy black bean vegetables. It was a warm, comfort bowl of veggies. Loved it.
Most awaited course in my meal is dessert. Always excited to see some innovative and creative offerings by the restaurants. We had Pandan Panna cotta and Caramel Brownie. Beautiful green colored Pandan Panna Cotta had a seamless creamy texture with aromatic, unique pandan flavour. Served in a cute little jar, do not expect the wobble but yes, the taste was good.
Somehow Caramel Brownie failed to impress me. It was bit sticky and less chocolatey. Had huge expectations but it missed the mark. But I was happy with the jar of pana cotta.
Overall, it was a nice experience. My ratings are based on the first visit only. Will come for more. Till then enjoy the recommendations and share your favourites.
Such a mouth watering and temping these pictures looks like. Asian food is a must try cuisine. So enrich with flavours and spices. This restaurant is in my wishlist. Surely gonna try it next time.
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