Leela

Having tried Chaat a few years back we have good memories about the India cuisine Chef Manav Tuli has mastered. Hearing that he had left and now starting his own restaurant Leela, today we came to Lee Garden Three in Causeway Bay to see what magic he had prepared for us.Passing through a corridor the staff leads us to a booth located at a corner which offers good privacy. There are also tables along the windows looking down at the busy district.  Using plenty of wood in the decor and furniture, it has warmth and relaxing ambience, with lots of details of subtle luxurious sophistication.We order the Royal Experience Menu ($1,188 each) along with Saicho sparkling tea pairing ($260 each). To start, there is a complimentary papadum, made with wheat flour, having a nice crunchiness. On the side is garlic chutney for dipping, having good flavours and the yogurt helps give a bit of acidity to stimulate appetite. A good start.The first course is Rasam, a type of spicy Indian soup-like dish made with warming spices. There are noticeable flavors of tamarind, with good, refreshing acidity, which is highly appetizing, together with some fish cheek meat. The soup is also medicinal in properties, helping digestion and other health problems according to local wisdom.The second course is Vataka, which is an ancient dish without recipe. Through research, Chef Manav has re-created the dish. Essentially a deep-fried crab and lentil cake with tomato chutney underneath, it has nice flavors and does not feel any greasiness. The edible flower on top adds an extra layer of appeal on the visual too.The third course is Shishranga Murg. The dish is a favorite of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built Taj Mahal in memory of his wife. Virtually translating to ‘six-color’ chicken, it is like a dry curry, with the six colors coming from egg white, egg yolk, pistachio, almond, apricot, and raisins. Together with some lacha naan, the chicken is tender, delicious with complex flavors, and I can see why the emperor liked it so much.The fourth course is Aash-e-Bawardi. Served in the oval-shaped bowl are some delicious beef curry stews, with mint and other herbs plus some yogurt, and a beef and lentil dumpling on top. The dough of the dumpling is a bit thick if comparing with the Chinese version, but the taste is certainly amazing.   The fifth course is Kola Urandai, traditional mutton meatballs designed as food for the princes on the marching when they go to war. There is a poet which tells the story of a prince who fell off a cliff and survived while waiting for help for three days because of having this as provision. Looking like lamb croquette, with a crisp crust and soft inside, it has more spiciness from the masala mixed in the meat. Very good in taste.Then comes the main courses. Qaliya Shirazi is a Persian lamb stew, originated from Shiraz in Iran. The meaty lamb rack is braised to great tenderness, with the curry permeating appealing aromas of spice and ripe tomatoes.Lehsuni Palak is meshed spinach added with generous amounts of garlic, a very smooth and delicious curry to enjoy with bread. This is my wife’s favourite one.And Aashsham Khichdi is a stew made with barley and lamb kedgeree, with flakes of mutton and the barley providing different texture, and again very delicious with complex flavours.To go with the different main courses there are some freshly baked Naan on the side. One of the best Naan I have tried, the bread is soft, not drying out on the inside, and does not have any floury notes that will surface if the bread is not baked sufficiently. Really wonderful.The final course is Khaja, a type of Indian deep-fried pastry, with the chef piping some pistachio cream on top and decorated with edible flowers. The creamy smooth pistachio puree has good intense flavours, not too sweet, with everything in good balance.Service is good, with the staff friendly and eager to help, explaining the dishes in detail to make us more engaged with the dinner and the food. The bill on the night is $3,269 which is of good value. Perhaps next time we should also try its tasting menu to compare.…查看更多

Many of the dishes here reminded me of Chaat and definitely showed how much Chef Tuli contributed to this restaurant. We tried the tasting menu, which was really fulfilling and so please prepare an empty stomach. It also left me wanting to try their Royal Experience MenuThe starters were already beautifully presented and the yogurt inside made it even more appetizing.The coconut seabass was so succulent with a delicate hint of coconut. The pork ribs were marinated with honey yet it was not overtly sweet. Despite we chose mild spicy, there was still a kick to it and when one of friends informed them, they immediately prepared some sweet yogurt dipping on the side, which still preserves its Indian flavor whie solving this problem.I loved all the subsequent mains but my favorite would definitely be the fish curry. Surprisingly, this one is actually less spicy while still being aromatic from the spices.I tried a bit of each for the desserts and overall for both aesthetics and matching the overall theme, I loved the Mango the most. Now planning my next meal there.…查看更多

/ 小妹的印度料理风景小妹真正认识印度菜是在英国，那时有不少印度来的同学，而伦敦印度料理风景宽阔，开店的都是移居英伦印度各地的人，料理正宗无疑，而且风味之佳，味道之好，价钱之便宜，尝过都会明白。小妹吃过最好吃的鱼料理是 Tandoori 烤 Bengal Bay tiger fish ，就是在一家不知名，现在已经连名字都记不起了的小餐厅。小妹的印度朋友，说难以想像香港高级印度餐厅一顿晚餐要过千港元一位（例如 New Punjab Club），不过料理精致化势之所趋。不是吹嘘，印度人以香料筑构味觉宫廓，世上无人能及，小妹对此毫无疑问。/ Leela —— André Fu 心中的印度装饰宫殿（Indo Deco Palace）Leela （Lila 梵文「神祇的游戏」、「神祇的消遣」的意思）备受关注是因为主厨为以前话题餐厅 CHAAT 的 Manav Tuli 加入 JIA 之作。小妹和朋友们一致同意，CHAAT 美味但是 overhyped，以餐厅的装潢而言不像（不值？）那个价钱。CHAAT 价格进取，dining room 富现代感点滴印度主题（看看墙上描绘印度生活的壁画） ，唯既缺乏 authentic 的印度氛围，也欠贵气和雅致 —— 像 high street 的食肆，漂亮却无味。Leela 不同。小妹第一次踏进 Leela 的 foyer，感觉截然不同，一路走入 dining room ，首先是楼底够高，之后无论装修、用色、氛围都深深吸引小妹。Dining room 分开两边，一边有窗口，雀笼吊灯，窗外是阳台，是日阳光充沛，餐厅给映照得墙壁带点橄榄绿，给和暖金黄依傍灰冷的清丽。另一边没有窗的，木墙之上镶嵌印度色彩织锦 （tapestry） 的墙纸，有一份其他餐厅少有庄重感。间隔木板，门框如 Jharokha 的曲线，配合墙上织锦般花纹，以当代美学抽象古时印度建筑，餐厅布局整洁华贵而现代，并洋溢皇族的气派 😎。之后翻查网上资料，原来 Leela 也是 André Fu 的手笔。André Fu Studio 设计名店不少，与 JIA 合作的也有几家 —— Estro、Louise 都很精美。Leela 不例外。André 说这是重述他心中 Jodhpur （焦特布尔）Umaid Bhawan Palace 的印像。小妹爱读史书，对建成 Umaid Bhawan Palace 的故事感受极深 😌，有兴趣 Google 一下吧。/ Tiffin Box Set Lunch —— 孔雀皇朝的盛世餐厅 design 太引人入胜，小妹长气啦 🥱，是时候入正题：Leela 有 a la carte menu，也有 tiffin box set lunch。Tiffin box（印度的多层金属午餐盒）set lunch 有很多 a la carte menu 的招牌美食可以选择，就拣了四道菜 —— 两个前菜，一个咖哩主菜和一个甜品，主菜还有是日蔬菜和豆「汤」(dal) ，当然无限添加的 basmati rice 😳 和 naan bread 少不了啦。 FENUGREEK SEED CRISPS | Mango Chutney | Chives ****侍应先端上 pre-appetiser。第一啖已可断言 Leela 非池中物啦。脆、香与甜的交融，是一阵南亚的暖风。对 Leela 的印像已经不错啦。LUCKNOWI TOKRI CHAAT | Potato Basket Chaat | Sweet and Sour Chutneys****第一啖就是 Chef Tuli 的浓郁味道。Mr. Tuli 说 Leela 跟 CHAAT 不一样，yes and no 啦，总有他 signature 的百味纷陈嘅。味道强烈，不过味道的争锋中出来的和谐，佩服 Chef Tuli 对强烈味道驾驭的能耐。BEEF SEEKH KEBAB ｜Home Ground｜Cinnamon｜Ginger｜Mint****深沉浓郁甚至过火的激烈 💥，第一啖委实太浓烈太咸了，当味蕾适应了那个浓度，层叠的香与辛才展现出来。这个 kebab 是有点太「劲」了，不过牛肉 succulent 且口感佳（不松散也不死实）。THRISSUR CRAB CURRY ｜Roasted Coconut ｜ Tamarind ｜Black Pepper**Thrissur 是西南部 Kerala 省的城市，近海 —— 对著阿拉伯海喔，吃那里的海鲜，理所当然。这是个极好的咖喱，香滑，浓郁的香辛料盖不住旨味的洋溢，蟹肉新鲜，还有一份和暖，深深层次，味觉和谐。顺便一提，印度没有 curry 这个字，那是英国人带过来印度的，因为方便，现在都通用了。STEAMED BASMATI RICE **Dame Madhur Jaffrey 说米饭如兄弟，亲近但不沾黏 —— close to each other but not stuck to each other —— 互相扶持，不互相依赖，要粒粒分明却不生米。Leela 可以无限添加的 basmati rice 就是做到这样好了，软硬适中，好些地方煮 basmati rice 不够火候，太生米，就不好吃。不过小妹无需赞美，这个级数的餐厅，那是基本。PLAIN NAAN BREAD ****热度足够，柔软而扎实，上佳的 naan。****Dal 是印度「豆汤」。是日蔬菜则是小玉米。五⭐️配菜。ISPAHAN KULFI ****Ispahan 是大马士革玫瑰，也叫突厥蔷薇，名字异国而浪漫。玫瑰、荔枝和莓香，整个甜品贯彻印度甜点的丰富、芳香、甜美，在过了头和未够之间平衡得很好的黄金中位。 有些地方的 Kulfi 是比较硬的，Leela 的相对比较「松」啦。因为 Kulfi 是用牛奶不用忌廉做，本身原材料已经有别，而且不像雪糕，kulfi 是没有 churning （搅拌）的，缺乏 churning 把空气挤进去，kulfi 便没有雪糕那种轻盈软滑的口感，相反是比较 fudgy ，相对「硬实」。因此小妹刚才说，有些地方的 kulfi 比较硬。多了空气的雪糕其实是蛮好吃的，例如对比很流行的 H 牌子雪糕（比较实在），M 这个瑞士品牌雪糕是很软滑的，当然是因为雪糕内空气较多（你可以说那是偷工减料，不过小妹却喜欢 M 多过 H 嘅）。Ispahan kulfi 遥远而美味的异国情怀，怎能不让小妹迷恋啊 😌。MASALA TEA 小妹吃印度菜都饮 masala tea ，很喜欢哪 cardamom 的和暖芳香，通常跟很甜很甜的 galub jamun，所以都不加糖的。Leela 的 masala tea 已经调了味，不过不太甜，很滑，很好。Chef Tuli 话孔雀皇朝 （Maurya Empire） 盛世最能代表印度，因为那个时候印度的帝国横跨孟加拉至阿富汗，也伸延到南方，所以 Leela 的菜式都很广阔 —— 由东北 Lucknow 的 chaat 到南端 Thrissur 的螃蟹咖喱，当然还有其他菜式例如 Kandhari lamb chop，就是演化自阿富汗坎大哈地方的羊排 Kandhari Gosht 呢☝🏽😬。印度幅员广阔，她的料理不能一言蔽之，这里千数字只能说到这里了。/ 总结想深一层，小妹没错，CHAAT 餐厅如其名，概念是街头小吃，所以餐厅也像 high street 不是皇宫，Leela 彷如「刹帝利」（Ksatriyas ——皇公贵胄阶级）的菜式，巧妙华贵，所以装潢也像皇宫。因而一进入餐厅，已经被当代美学洗炼了的古印度情怀吸引，加上「刹帝利」的午餐，小妹迷醉不已。∫ 服务。经理的服务是很好的，只是其中一位印度裔的侍应好似对饮品餐牌未够熟悉，连有没有 Coke Zero 都要确认，希望她可以多点温习，除此之外，所有人员的服务都很周到，端上每一道菜都有用心讲解。∫食物。头盘对小妹来说 flavour profile 有点太重，主菜的咖喱、basmati rice 和 naan 则很好，甜品更是天人之作。对小妹的印度朋友而言（有些是茹素的，因为他们是 Brahmin）这样的排场、摆盘、奉客似乎过于造作，太 contrived 。而且在开头讲过，香港高级印度菜价钱贵（其实香港甚么餐都贵 😒）。今餐近 $ 810 （包括加一服务费）的确有点贵嘅。不时不吃，「时」既是季节，也是时机。太热门的餐厅，小妹会等大家热情冷却后才吃。Leela 已经开了一段时间，现在甚么 ex-chef of CHAAT 的兴奋感都过了吧，果然今日的午餐，未有「人满」之患， 宽敞的餐厅应付有余，相当舒服。小妹又不热衷过度「形式」和煞有介事的用餐体验，纵然这里的食物 presentation 斧痕略深， 但是美味，并细意而隆重，食物才是重点。可能小妹稍读历史和艺术，觉得 Leela 透过 dining room 的设计和食物讲的故事含蓄而得体，在这里用餐实在是美好的时光。…查看更多

讲真，食物种类多到吓亲人，价钱亦都相当「高贵」。今次全靠朋友识得酒店位星级主厨，先至托手踭攞到位。我哋放心交晒个menu畀师傅发办，由佢话事。头𠮶几道菜，真系冇得弹！每样都做得精致，味道层次分明，师傅手势确系功架十足。不过食到中后段，已经饱到上心口，要开口叫停。可能因为咁，尾段几道菜感觉冇咁惊艳，唔知系咪味蕾开始麻木，定系师傅知道我哋饱滞咗，无咁落心机。谂深一层，餐厅生意真系难做。就算师傅手艺再好，都要夹准食客个胃。我哋同师傅始终初次见面，佢点会知我哋食量有几深？今次体验话畀我听，美食唔单止讲用料同技巧，仲要掌握食客节奏。毕竟食饭唔只为填肚，系一种完整体验。今餐饭令我明白，要同时满足味觉同心理，先算真正满分。…查看更多

已开张两年的Leela ，继续在铜锣湾保持著人流 ，也可以说是香港岛最出色的印度菜餐厅 ，九龙最出色的应该是主厨Manav之前在Rosewood开设的Chaat。这次光顾不再是晚餐，在提供Set Lunch的情况下看看Chef Manav的团队有没有马虎起来 ，结果当然是令我满意，每次看到头盘Lucknowi Tokri Chaat也令我觉得很美 ，美得如艺术品般，炸得酥脆的薯篮盛载著鹰嘴豆、马铃薯与罗望子酱，酸甜酥脆在口中交织，瞬间唤醒味蕾。没有点Buttermilk Chicken和牛骨髓香饭，换上了和牛面颊以及咖哩羊肉，同样令人喜欢，前者够腍而且以土窑慢烤锁住肉汁，香料层次深邃，肉质入口即化，带有明显的烟熏味和微甜的余韵（来自肉桂与高温下的焦糖化反应），这种甘甜正好平衡了牛面颊丰腴的油脂感。后者不是烤串羊膝的做法，而是很香浓而辛辣的咖喱浸煮，很入味之余辣劲余韵也强，配饭和Naan也是一流。Maintaining its status as Hong Kong Island’s premier Indian dining destination, Leela proves that Chef Manav’s team hasn’t lost their edge, even during the set lunch service. The visually stunning Lucknowi Tokri Chaat remains an artistic starter, awakening the palate with its interplay of crispy textures and tangy tamarind. Deviating from the usual signatures, the clay-oven slow-cooked Wagyu cheek impressed with tender, smoky nuances that perfectly balanced the meat’s richness, while the robustly spicy lamb curry offered an intense, aromatic depth that paired flawlessly with the naan.…查看更多