Once upon a time popular as Sangam cinema, the building has now been converted into Sangam Courtyard, a restaurant complex slowly and steadily filling up with promising eateries. One such restaurant that has only recently opened up on the ground floor of the food complex is Ziu- an applaud worthy Thai restaurant run by its young and talented chef- Gurmehar Singh Sethi. Gurmehar can be seen at his venture at all times, either whipping up mind-blowing dishes or interacting with the customers to collect valuable feedback. Not just the owner, but the entire staff at Ziu works toward ensuring customer satisfaction. The wonderful experience begins with a warm welcome, and continues till one exits the premises after a hearty meal.
We visited Ziu on a Thursday afternoon with a huge appetite. The polite lady at the front desk escorted us to our seats inside. The restaurant isn’t massive; in fact, one can say it has limited capacity. Having said that, the space provided has been used wisely and decorated tastefully: the kitchen has been strategically constructed on a platform, has a glass window and is located where all the guests can view their dishes being prepared; the wooden furniture has been placed to accommodate the maximum number of guests yet not appear cluttered; the lighting is dim to complement the soft music; and the false ceiling (the most catchy part of the decor), along with the walls are filled with elements that transport you straight to Thailand.
After being comfortably seated, we dove our noses into the menu and ordered a variety of dishes. Out of the appetisers, we called for ‘KanomKrok’, which is basically coconut cremebrûlée shots. They arrived on the table dressed like tiny cupcakes and we were asked by the server to gulp each down like a shot. We did, and what a flavourful shot it was! Even if you just ate but happen to cross RK Puram, we seriously recommend you to try this dish (yes, that’s how amazing it was). Next came the Chicken Glass Noodle Salad, a regular Thai dish that was well-prepared but not extraordinary. Not too impressed with the existing list of cocktails, we decided to make our own. The manager patiently understood our cocktail – a vodka based drink with cucumber, lime juice, and elderflower extract. He personally brought it to us, waited for us to try it and left only when he saw a huge grin on our faces. The cocktail was refreshing, contained the right amount of alcohol and sweetness, and tasted better than we’d expected it to. Our main course comprised of Prawn Red Curry Rice and Veg Pad Thai Noodles. Though the umpteen amount of chilli in the red curry rice left our eyes watering, we couldn’t stop eating it because of the unique flavours. It is worth mentioning here that the manager took notice of our intolerance for spicy food and got us a pineapple juice shot to cut down on the chilli. The only thing we need to say about the pad thai noodles is that they were bang on in terms of texture, quantity, taste, and everything else a delicious dish should be. Even though our bellies were bursting, it wasn’t possible to leave without dessert. We were disappointed to see the absence of dessert on the menu but pleasantly surprised when our server walked toward us with a generous portion of coconut and jaggeryice-cream. It was delectable enough to satisfy our urge for ‘something sweet’. At the end of our meal, Mr. Gurmehar himself came to us to ensure we left his restaurant with a smile.
Needless to say, Ziu is a complete package of excellent staff, transparent cooking, a cozy ambience, and of course, mind-blowing Thai food. We were unable to spot any teething problems, probably because Gurmehar has an impressive background boasting of huge names like Nobu and Le Cirque. Go on and take a bow, chef.
