As opposed to a lot of people’s assumption – 48 East is not a Chinese food service. They are an exploration of the culinary trails of the exotic land of Asia – spanning 48 (!) countries. A clear background like this was definitely an interesting starting point for me, when a fellow food enthusiast and good friend Carolyn mentioned 48 East to me. She had loved the food, and she was also working with the brand at the time, and recommended that I also try out their interesting menu. I agreed, but nothing could have prepared me for the actual tasting that followed. My home was out of their delivery area, but they sent the food anyway, and well, it looked like I needed a battalion to finish the food with. Salads, a selection of dim sums, soups, main course and desserts – we were given a true preview to their menu!

Friends and closet critics, if you know what I mean, came to the rescue. Firstly, Starting a game of poker with conversations, well mostly about food, we decided to dig into the dim sums. The Har Gao was my favorite, prawn dim sums gently sprinkled with celery and asparagus, garnished with dil leaves was fresh and delicious. The signature dips complemented well, I personally liked the pepper spicy side – very hot, but perfect! The Chicken wontons as well as the Spinach dim sums ones came close second. While the chicken was tender inside, and went well with the spicy soy sauce, the creative one was definitely the Spinach. Spinach, golden garlic and cheese, yes cheese! A wonderful dish in entirety. Khao Tom, the Laos delicacy, was very well made, spicy chicken steamed in banana leaf. The flavors soaked within the poultry making it hot and juicy.

I am not a fan of Asian salads, so the quinoa salad tossed in honey- lime dressing didn’t work for me. The simple kimchi though was very nice and great to nibble on between courses. We kinda did the soups and mains together. The mains were like meal in a bowl – a staple and curry together. Kung Pao lamb was an instant hit. Wok braised lamb, Sichuan pepper, generously topped with cashew nuts and stirred in Kung Pao sauce – this was probably the best main we tried! And with the mild herby rice, this was great.

The Seafood in Chilly Hoisin Sauce came with noodles and was quite nice as well. Another good one was the vegetarian version of Jaffna curry – carrot, potato, butter beans and aubergine stewed in a coconut flavored gravy served with rice. The mains had a good proportion of the side and rice or noodles, and the packaging was very neat and tidy too. The rice in a couple of the dishes was harder than it needed to be. I also loved the Burmese Khao Suey as well as the Laksa Curry, but then I do love my coconut curries! The food was kept simple and wholesome, the portions decidedly filling!

The desserts didn’t quite make it to me all intact, the heat kinda got better of it. The pastry roll as well as the Tab Tim Krob (came in a cute jar) were martyrs of the traffic and heat that day.

SUMMARY

The menu is expansive, and has a few fusion dishes as well. Portions are good, pricing is competitive, though dim sum may seem slightly steep. I specifically liked the dim sums being neatly packed, and actually being fresh, not soggy at all. Their signature sauces are quite nice, one hot and spicy, the other pungent with garlic. Lots of reason to like, and folks around Indiranagar and Marathalli can order from here. I intend to as well, more dishes and reviews coming up as I try more of their menu!

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