Indique Gastrobar & Restaurant, Sukhumvit Soi 22 www.IndiqueBangkok.com
Indian food has long been a favourite of mine but I have generally struggled to find authentic Indian food in Bangkok. There are a great number of Indian restaurants, but to date, most have been disappointing.
I had heard about the magic of Indique and a friend suggested that we try! Indique is located on Soi 22 directly opposite the vast Marriott Marquis Hotel. It’s on the first floor and actually offers interesting views on the comings and goings on the busy Soi. One starts to understand that everything is different in Indique from the moment you walk up the stairs. The interior is lavish and uniquely styled. Lots of tables by the window and rather curious ‘Love Seats’ prepare one for a rather unique culinary and entertainment experience.
I can highly recommend Indique, great location, vast selection of drinks, a comprehensive and highly creative menu, superb food prepared to perfection, excellent service and of course the magic of Mr. Singh!
The menu is actually a magazine full of highly creative Indian dishes in addition to the classics that one would expect. There is a fully stocked bar and the barman offers highly exotic cocktails including molecular drinks, but we stuck to a Heineken (THB.149) and a delicious Indique OK! (THB.179) fruit concoction spectacularly presented with dry ice.
As this was our first visit we asked for assistance from the exceedingly personable owner, Mr. Singh. His welcome was warming and genuine and on his recommendations we chose 3 starters to share.
The Tandoori Chicken (THB.269) was outstanding! 4 large pieces of chicken amazingly marinated and cooked to perfection in the Tandoor. Slightly crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside. If you are a Tandoori fan, this is some of the best Tandoori Chicken that I have eaten! We also tried the Paneer Tudka (THB.249) which was beautifully presented in a Poppadum. Pieces of soft Paneer prepared with crispy vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce. What an amazing combination of tastes and flavours. On a more adventurous note we also sampled the Paneer Tikka Cornetto (THB.199) as neither of us had every seen anything like this. It is another Indique unique dish! 3 exquisitely prepared mini-cornettoes filled with paneer and finely chopped vegetables. Presentation was excellent as served in a mini-tricycle foaming with liquid nitrogen. Despite the amazing presentation, the flavours were a little ‘strange’ for our palates.
Did I mention magic at the beginning of this article? Well another of the unique aspects of Indique is Mr. Singh! Not only a charming and knowledgeable host but also a highly talented magician. His card and coin tricks, performed at each table amaze and intrigue all his guests. Showed with the panache of a true expert you will keep asking yourself “How does he do this?”. Immensely entertaining and a most enjoyable addition to a great experience.
Following some more of Mr. Singh’s tricks our main courses arrived. Mutton Rogan Josh (THB.329) is a true Indian classic that often disappoints. Not at Indique! The mutton is succulent and free of fat, the sauce intensive and bursting with flavour. Another classic, the Chicken Tikka Masala (THB.289) is not a creamy modern concoction but a classic, deep flavoured dish of soft chicken with incredible flavours. This was accompanied by light and scented Saffron Pilau Rice (THB.149) and a delicious Garlic Nan (THB.69) which was excellent.
Helpings are large at Indique and our 5 dishes left us feeling very full and with more food left on the table, so a doggy bag was necessary as we were not going to leave anything.
I can highly recommend Indique, great location, vast selection of drinks, a comprehensive and highly creative menu, superb food prepared to perfection, excellent service and of course the magic of Mr. Singh!
Indique Gastrobar & Restaurant, Sukhumvit Soi 22 www.IndiqueBangkok.com