It has made a name for itself by serving food all the way from Konkan coast to Coromandel. And now, this Southern Avenue restaurant is spicing it up by going beyond Indian coastlines.

The Coastal Macha — the brainchild of Piyush Menon, a half-Bengali and half-Malayalee engineer — has come up with a new menu covering cuisines from some Southeast Asian countries.

“The love and warmth that I have received from Calcuttans have inspired me to curate this menu. I have not compromised on the taste and tried to keep the spread as authentic as possible. Every dish is an end product of thorough research and hard work,” said Piyush.

What: Kolkata goes International
Where: The Coastal Macha, 55 Southern Avenue (near Atlanta gym)
When: Noon-4pm, 
Meal for two: Rs 1,000-plus 

Starters

Vietnamese Sambal Stir Fry Fish
Fish is stir-fried with green pepper, onion, nuts and sambal sauce (a South Asian paste made with different kind of chillies, shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar and other spices). As you bite into the well-cooked fish, there’s a slight tangy flavour that fills your mouth before you get the hit of chilli. Rs 300

Chicken Bo La Lot
Wrapped in beetel nut leaf and grilled, this minced chicken with lemongrass dish has a certain freshness to it. Traditionally prepared with beef, this Vietnamese dish comes with a sweet-and-sour dip made with fish sauce, garlic and palm sugar that pairs well with the slight bitterness of paan pata. Rs 320

Rao Muong Xao Toi
Made with water spinach (kolmi saag) stir-fried with garlic, soy and fish sauce, Rao Muong Xao Toi is a pleasant surprise to the palate. Even though the dish doesn’t need salt, the saltiness of soy and fish sauce makes it well-balanced. Who knew greens could be so refreshing?! Rs 220

Mains

Thai Red Curry 
With sweet and spicy notes coming from coconut milk and red chillies, the Thai Red Curry is aromatic and has a good balance of flavours. While we tried the chicken version, there are vegetarian, seafood and pork versions of the dish available as well. Rs 280 for Chicken Thai Red Curry

Pork Pho
Another Vietnamese dish on the menu — Pho — has a light broth with glass noodles, chillies and fresh herbs in it. Easy on the palate, the noodles and meat add texture to this wholesome meal. Rs 340

Tamarind and Pineapple Fried Rice (Prawn)
With mild tangyness from tamarind and freshness from pineapple, you can try this dish with a simple curry or have it without an accompaniment. Rs 300

Prawn Rengdan
This prawn dish is spicy thanks to a mix of Indian and Asian spices. With thick gravy and succulent prawns, try this if you love some heat in your meal. Rs 320

Text: Nandini Ganguly
Pictures: Rashbehari Das