Work in progress

Asia 7 has a long way to go before they can qualify as serving Pan-Asian cuisine or even delicious Chinese

Work in progress

Considering that they already have outlets in Mumbai and Delhi and they have been functional in Pune for the last one month, Asia 7 is still getting its food quite wrong.

Non Veg Basket

We understand that they didn’t want to risk it with going all Pan-Asian, so the menu is almost all Chinese with some Thai, Japanese sushi and a few Malay and Korean dishes sprinkled around. But the least they could have done was to get those dishes right.

Blackcurrant Ice Tea

We began with a Non-Vegetarian Sushi Platter (Rs 425). The Salmon Sashimi was perfect and the tuna was almost as good. The Crab Maki and the Nigiri were all perfectly deliciously executed as well. We just had one issue: they need to offer authentic Wasabi. The blob of green paste that we tried to blend into our soy sauce, with increasing quantities as the kick was eluding us, just didn’t cut it. Great sushi needs quality accompaniments as well.

Sushi platter. Representation Pics.

Coming to the mains, we were highly disappointed. Our Chicken Rice (Rs 225) was a regular fried rice a la any neighbourhood Chinese joint in Pune.

Red Thai Curry

But it was the Red Thai Curry (Rs 245) that was the real disaster. It lacked salt, had thickly-cut multiple pieces of Galangal (a type of ginger) and was almost completely tasteless. Yes, the chef did oblige us by adding cauliflower and green beans to our request for “some extra veggies” but those weren’t exactly what we expected. With each bite of our Steamed Rice (Rs 145), we couldn’t help but think that what we were eating was bland hogwash.

Chicken Rice

Unfortunately, the Blackcurrant Iced Tea (Rs 100) that we ordered to wash it down, was equally under-average. The tea had a pretty colour, was offered in a pretty glass but was a mild, diluted version of iced tea with a hint of blackcurrant flavour. To top if all, when our server helped us with a second helping, he spooned so much curry into a puddle on our plate, that it became almost farcical.

Asia 7
Food: Under-Average
Service: Courteous
Ambience: Oriental

Perhaps we were being too nitpicky as the service was really courteous and obliging, or perhaps, since our expectations were high (thanks to their fantastic properties such as Punjab Grill and Zambar), the sad, lack-luster food at Asia 7 left us more annoyed.