After the sumptuous roasts of the holidays, we were looking for some less traditional flavours between Christmas and New Year, heading to Aayam near Place de Paris. The restaurant is relatively new and welcomed its first diners in June this year.
The location is no stranger to South Asian cuisine, previously hosting Tibet Restaurant, which is now located in Limpertsberg. But not all South Asian cuisine is created equal, and Aayam’s menu brings a new twist to the genre, not just the standard curries that are served at restaurants across the city.
Coming in from the cold, I warmed up with a Nepali spice tea (€5), less sweet and milder than some of the Masala chai I’ve sampled elsewhere. The Barahsinghe Nepalese beer (€4.90) seemed to go down well with the family who joined me for this meal.
We started our culinary journey with several sharing plates. The chicken momos (€12) were delicious. The dumpling dough was soft, neither too thick nor thin. The filling was juicy and the sauce packed with flavour even if it was not spicy. Definitely moreish and worth going back for!
The chicken sekuwa (€15.50) – a word I can only assume is linked etymologically to skewer – consisted of tender grilled thigh meat with a dipping sauce that hit just the right spice level for my taste, a little hot but without overwhelming the dish and other flavours.
The shami kabab (€12.50) – a patty of chicken mince and ground chickpea – was a bit bland by comparison and definitely needs the sweet and tangy tomato chutney it’s served with.
The dahi puri (€10) were the most surprising dish of the sharing plates. The small crispy shells were filled with cheese curds and chickpeas, topped with vermicelli and pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of sauce. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, the juice of the pomegranate seeds mixed with the yoghurt-y filling. I would definitely have this again.
Aayam aims to serve Nepalese and South Asian cuisine with some international fusion influences. The menu features dishes such as a butter chicken Caesar salad (€21.50), based on the US version commonly served.
We opted for the beef naan tacos (€22.50), two small naan breads served folded and filled with pulled beef, topped with red onion and coriander. There’s also a BBQ-style sauce for dipping. The meat was succulent with rich flavours, and even though a taco is not what would spring to mind at a Nepalese restaurant, the soft naan shell was a perfect pairing.
The paneer butter masala (€23) was a more classic offering, with the creamy tomato sauce bringing familiar Indian flavours. It was definitely one of the better butter masalas (more often served as a butter chicken) that I’ve had in Luxembourg, less heavy and with a fresher note.
I was torn for my choice between the chhole hummus (€22), a vegetarian dish of sun-dried tomato hummus with warm, spiced chickpeas, and the chatamari pie (€24.50), opting for the latter. Unfortunately the meat pie turned out to be my least favourite of the dishes we tried.
It’s minced meat baked in an oven-proof dish topped with an egg mix, similar to what you would pour over a quiche. It’s not unlike South African boboti, but it lacked spice and flavour overall. The parmesan crust, despite the restaurant’s fusion identity, seemed out of place. It was served with a side of oven-roast potatoes, which were perfectly crunchy. Still, a table next to ours had ordered the hummus and seeing their plate left me thinking I made the wrong choice.
Even though we were already well-stuffed at this point, we decided to order both desserts on the menu. The jalebi ice cream (€9) featured two pieces of jalebi with a scoop of caramel ice cream in between, kind of like an ice cream sandwich. I’d never had jalebi before, a sort of deep fried funnel cake. From the looks of it, I expected it to be crunchy, but it was soft, more like a biscuit.
Some extra spices, like cardamom, would have worked really well with what was already a nice dessert, and my favourite of the two.
The khuwa tart (€9.50) is perhaps more of an acquired taste. Khuwa is described as a soft cheese made from concentrated milk. It had a caramelised taste but surprisingly, as I am used to Indian sweets being very sugary, lacked some sweetness.
The waiter informed us that the restaurant is looking to expand its menu, which it will hopefully do without compromising the quality of the selection already available. Service was very friendly, although the wait was lengthy, which I put down to limited staff working on this day between Christmas and New Year.
The dark green interior with small table lamps was cosy enough, although some noise-reducing wall or ceiling panelling would help, especially as the place gets busier.
Described as “semi-fine dining”, pricing isn’t cheap but portions were reasonably generous and our party of three took some of our mains home as leftovers.
Definitely a welcome addition to the landscape of South Asian cuisine in Luxembourg, and I will be heading back for the momos, dahi puri and to try more of the menu. There is also a lunchtime special during the week.
Details
Aayam – 39 Rue Sainte-Zithe, L-2763 Luxembourg
Monday to Friday – 12:00 to 14:00 for lunch and 18:00 to 22:00 for dinner
Saturday and Sunday – 18:00 to 22:00
The restaurants reviewed in the “Table Talk” column are not informed that a reporter is visiting. Mediahuis Luxembourg pays a contribution towards the cost of the meal. The rest is paid by the reviewer.