After losing my vegetarian restaurant virginity at Vanilla Black a few weeks back, it appears I’m embracing veggie dining.
So too is high-end Malaysian restaurant Awana, in Sloane Avenue: ordinarily it serves a huge range of Malay delights including meaty stir-fries, street-food style noodles and chunky peanut laden satay sticks to keep a committed carnivore, vegetarian or even vegan happy.
For two weeks’ this month , AWANA is running a vegetarian festival and offering a special selection of dishes for the vegetable-inclined among us.
We perch on low leather stools and indulge in Awana’s signature cocktail
–the Hibiscus.
DeCaDeNt,sweet champagne tinged pink by an edible hibiscus flower
which unfurls in the gentle bubbles
at the bottom of the glass…
Our table is in the corner, giving us a good view of the open satay bar where roti is kneaded and stretched into thin pancakes. Low lit, with wooden slatted partition walls, pink and yellow ceiling lights give Awana a radiant glow and a touch of funkiness to the atmosphere.
First to arrive are Popiah Tohu dan Cendawan, a twist on traditional spring rolls served with vinaigrette sauce.
Lightly battered, stuffed with tofu, enoki mushrooms and a sugar snap in the middle. This made for a refreshing and satisfying crunch tempered well by the slightly acidic dipping sauce. Having spent a fair amount of time in South-East Asia There is no doubt I am somewhat of a roti snob.
It can’t be too greasy, or overcooked. Whatever the roti is flavoured with shouldn’t be overpowering and must compliment the dipping sauce it’s served with.
Torn between GaRLiC stuffed and rosemary & sage rotis, invevitably both were ordered.
Sweet red curry sauce. Crispy crunchy squares of goodness.
There is nothing more to say: I’ve not tasted roti this delicious since I was in the Cameron Highlands
The roti was always going to be a tough act to follow, so the Tohu Bakar was already at a disadvantage when it arrived.
I’m not a massive tofu fan, but was pleasantly susprised by this dish –
tofu wrapped tenderly in a bAnAnA leaf
served with a tomato-y, shitake-y and button mushroom sauce.
A wee bit heavy on the tofu and not quite enough sauce for my liking,
but not bad at all.Three mains are on offer, the first is Cedawan Goreng – a mushroom and vegetable stir fry with kung po sauce
Fungi-phobes should steer well clear of this one as
combining button, shitake and oYsTer mushrooms with a kick of chilli,
this has an intense, rather than subtle mushroom flavour.
For a lighter option choose the Sup Sayaran
broth packed with glass noodles, tofu, pak choi and lots of healthy vegetables,
Great for cleansing the palate after such a smorgasbord of flavours.
It’s a case of ‘third time’s the charm’ on the mains, when the Kari Terong arrives.
Blended pumpkin and aubergine curry
scattered with chickpeas
and lashings of coconut cream…
DiViNe.
If you can only choose one main – it HAS to be this.
My tastebuds thus far have been tantalised
Through nice and spicy to dreamy and creamy
I can’t even think about dessert.
Manager Andy recommends us a roti tissue. I have no idea what this is, but it sounds less than appetising.
If I came away from Awana learning only one thing it would be:
NEVER,
EVER
judge a dessert
by its name…
A huge bowl shaped roti appears before us.
dusted with cinammon and vanilla sugar
it smells like Christmas,or heaven,or both.
There’s a hole cut in the bottom and the roti is suspended over several scoops of cinammon ice cream.
Andy pours rivers of chocolate sauce over the roti,
it spirals down the inside, causing a Willy-Wonka esque waterfall of chocolate to flow over the ice cream.
A fabulous flourish to end a delicious meal.
The vegetarian festival runs until October 16th, the to-die-for roti (both savoury and sweet) however – are available year round!
©Ianthe Butt 2011
Awana 85 Sloane Avenue, Chelsea SW3 3DX
020 7584 8880