Last weekend I explored some amazing food in the vibrant commercial lanes of Ranjit Avenue. I had lunch at what is considered to be Amritsar’s most popular restaurant. It’s not only a cafe but a patisserie, bakery, and a restrobar too. Hence it is known as Brick House Kitchen. However, I can share my review of BHK. So, presenting a candid review of BHK.
This lunch was to catch up with owners who turned out to be good friends, Megha and Rahil Arora of this restaurant, which made it really important for me. Besides strengthening our friendship, it was a chance for us to introduce ourselves to each other. That was the real blessing for me. It has been over two months now since their opening, and the restaurant has undoubtedly caught on as it attracts more and more patrons who appreciate the quality of their food and the ambiance. The concept was created by the owners of Charcoal and Wud, and finally, they opened up in June 2019.
LOOKING AROUND
The exterior portrays it to be quaint, with delightful character. On entering the restaurant, I found it to be pretty nice inside, it had a clean and modern look to it, so I was quite impressed as I made myself comfortable.
Inside, was the familiar trendy on the ceiling, interesting lampshades and chandeliers, pictures on the wall and leafy plants breaking up the comfy banquettes and cozy tables.
Each chair had a comfy seat pad to sit on, and the walls had fun decor. There was a friendly ambiance radiating through the air, and you feel at home in this cozy cafe. Here you could spot bricked dark grey walls, wooden walls with patterned tiles, wooden chairs.
The traditional chandeliers hanging from the walls with dim lights add the rustic feature to this place. The walls were adorned with beautiful artwork, which was spread on the entire length of the wall. I took a walk around all the areas to start with and could see that the restaurant had many tastes and styles.
Near my window table, I sipped some refreshing cocktail while looking at the menu as a part of my food tasting session. They have an interesting menu with large varieties of beverages, Chinese dishes, Indian, Italian, and continental. On the recommendation of the owner, I went to have Spinach Mushroom soup. Sauteed spinach and mushrooms come as an exciting twist to clear vegetable stock, which is perked up with peppy soya sauce and ground black pepper.
After giving a glance to the menu, I finally decided to order: Nasi Goreng, Veg Kung Pao, European Cheese Platter, Burnt Garlic Rice, Exotic Vegetables in Mongolian Rice, and Tiramisu.
Nasi Goreng
I believe in this saying- ‘Food is first eaten with eyes.’ However, It’s also true that no matter how appealing your dish looks, if it doesn’t taste good, nothing matters. This dish is not only a pleasure for eyes but in taste too. Nasi Goreng, an Indonesian dish full of flavors and colors. It’s the national dish of Indonesia. The hotness of red chilies balanced with the sweetness of coconut sugar and sourness of the lime and the crunchiness of broccoli and other veggies make it an absolute delight.
Veg Kung Pao
It’s an authentic Chinese dish. It had cottage cheese, Manchurian and exotic vegetables. Kung Pao is a deliciously spicy stir fry with lots of chunky veggies and coated with rich, tasty sauces. Since I’m a person who is so fond of veggies, it was a total delight for me.
European Cheese Platter
This has been one of my favorite dishes from the entire cuisine I had. Basically, It had four different kinds of cheese that were made by the inhouse chef with some lip-smacking sauces that gave it together with a very distinct taste to it. The sauces bring all of the yumminess together.
Burnt Garlic Rice
In Chinese, what I like is fried rice. Though I’ve had this kind of fried rice at some place but didn’t find it that good than what I had in BHK. Burnt garlic fried rice is lip-smacking stir-fried rice, tossed with golden fried garlic. It goes well with Indo Chinese cuisines mostly. The distinctive taste of burnt garlic really comes through without overpowering the delicate flavor of the vegetables and rice.
Exotic Vegetables in oyster sauce
If you are in the mood for any equally hearty dish and with lots of veggies, then you must go for this one. However, this dish is not part of their menu. The chef had prepared it since I was supposed to visit them. I loved this gesture. The best part of this dish is that it is packed with vegetables. It had broccoli, bell peppers and, baby corn.
Tiramisu
Lastly, for dessert, I opted a Tiramisu pastry; it had the right amount of sweetness and was simply decadent and creamy with soft flavors of chocolate and coffee.
That’s a glance at the meal I enjoyed during my visit to BHK. The staff is so so welcoming and warm. Service was unobtrusive, and I felt really welcomed and like it was my home away from home. Moreover, they have plenty of seating capacity. Lunch at the famous BHK was super good! Feeling very much at home. I really enjoyed dining at BHK. I love the way they pamper their customers.
The food that they offer is a sort of comfort food that fills you up without weighing you down too much, and there is definitely something for everyone.
Contributed by: Amit Singh
