Delhi, being the hub for food lovers, has the best specialty food chains in the country. When we heard Pa Pa Ya is opening its doors to Delhi, we found an answer to our Pan Asian hunger quest. Pa Pa Ya launched with a bang and we can still feel the buzz as we hear people talk about this new Asian restaurant, which serves some sumptuous Pan Asian dishes.
It’s true that Pan-Asian restaurants are a dime-a-dozen in Delhi. Then what is it that sets Pa Pa Ya apart from the rest? We decided to try it to find out for ourselves.
The ambience is quite mystic with a huge towering dome built with spiral patterns of woodwork making its way to the top of the ceiling. The grandeur of the restaurant can be felt from every nook and corner of the restaurant with a huge area for formal seating all around an elevated bar in the middle.
The entire space is quite well partitioned into a variety of seating options with a sprinkling of high tables near the bar, some sofa seating in the formal dining area and some table-chair arrangements in the middle area.
Here we see an ardent following of the Massive Restaurant’s tradition, which includes great presentation techniques, superb fusion creations and a consistent play with different creative elements to deliver a dish with an eminent touch of visual appeal.
The palate cleanser is one of a kind. We were first presented with the amuse bouche, an ice-cold cube of watermelon soaked in some sweet liquid with some smoke emitting from it. Apparently, a palate cleanser really does the trick of settling your taste buds so as to be ready for the next big thing.
The menu is fully equipped with the best sushi platters, dim sums and some innovative fusions with great vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. One of my vegetarian favorites was Konnyakuyaki, which is a plate of savory, fried dough balls. The main element is called the konyaku, which is a kind of potato popular in Japan, also the jello like texture goes very well with the tomato and basil flavored concasse. Traditionally, this ball is stuffed with octopus, but this vegetarian version was one of my personal favorites from the vegetarian menu.
Not to forget, the beautiful shell bowls, lovely wooden platters, and the unique trays in which the food was served.
Other recommended starters would be lemon grass flavored cheese croquettes, Thai curry flavored prawn dim sums, leek and water chestnut dim sums, Avocado Tartare, Edamame chickpea sliders and crispy corn curd. The Nigiri sushi tree is the one for you if you are a sushi lover. An ensemble of four types of sushi on one tree is enough to satiate your sushi craving.
For main course, some must have recommendations for non-vegetarians would be the Indonesian Lamb Rendang Curry and the Singapore Chilli Crab. The soft shell chilli crab comes with a crunchy batter coating the sweetmeat, but the chilli sauce is what makes the difference. Served with the Mantao buns, it completely embodies the true spirit of Pa Pa Ya.
For the lamb curry, I would say that calling it tender would also be an understatement. The meat was infused with strong spices and authentic Indonesian aromatic flavors. It was perhaps one of the most loved Indonesian dishes on the menu.
Ending a meal with sweet delicacy is what a foodie would want. Pa Pa Ya will not disappoint you till the end. The chocolate ball on fire is more like a live show you would want to watch again and again. The end result is a divine brown haven full of ice cream, nuts and everything chocolate.
Couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
Pa Pa Ya is surely to take you on a gastronomical journey full of surprises. Don’t wait any longer to try this Pan Asian restaurant in Select City Walk, Saket.
