Tonight we were at a new South Indian restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Named after a brand of whisky from India, but ironically none of it is used in any of their signature cocktails.
The space gets better the further in you walk through its narrow space. Decorated rich in tropical plans, marble tables, neon lights, and floor to ceiling murals of exotic animals.
The bar is especially stunning in gold with a back lit counter, centred around a colourful male peacock print. They have some decorative cocktails to match, but none really rallying up to the same splendour. This is where we started.
The Peacock Spritz felt like the one to order given the setting. This was a mix of Blue Curacao, St Germain, Peach, Citrus, or Prosecco. Intended to be easy drinking, we found this clawingly sweet the more we drank.
The Swan Sour was like a whiskey sour, but with Vodka, Lilet, St Germain, Citrus, and Egg White. I felt like it was a missed opportunity to not have the egg white foam patterned like a feather, something to speak more to its name and the animals they drew inspiration from, for the restaurant’s theme.
The Tiger Tug was like a spiked iced tea, ideal with dinner. I found it easy drinking and neutral. It did not take away from any of the spices in the food, while simultaneously functioning as a palate cleanser got them.
The animal theme ended with the Bramble cocktail, named after the Black Berries in the drink, along with an All Spice Mix and Rum. This had a savoury plum spice to it. Unlike the cleansing “Tiger” above, this one complimented the meal by having its own spice palate.
Once again I wish they leaned in to their tropical, exotic animal theme more. It felt half done with the wall papering and now this cocktail menu. The only other specialty drink was a regular sangria.
We also got a taste of Amrut whisky, given that it was the restaurant’s name sake. At 50% ABV I got green acorn and honey.
Another whisky from India is the Indri at 46% ABV. This too was nutty, but more a toasty walnut with sweetened cinnamon flavour.
Keeping with our spirit theme we tried the Old Monk Wings. Chicken wings marinated in Old Monk rum with spices. These were larger and meatier wings, they had a good amount of chew under even more crispy batter. Tasty with its sticky toffee-like, saucy coating. Not specifically Indian in cuisine, but a great wing to try. This was much like the Salt & Pepper Prawns below.
Wok-tossed prawns with salt and pepper, zesty with sweet peppers and crisp shredded vegetable that added some freshness into the mix. Not traditionally Indian in cuisine, but a tasty appetizer nonetheless.
Like how you order sweet and sour pork at a Chinese restaurant, I always order the butter chicken as the benchmark at an Indian restaurants. As one of the most popular dishes, often remade and redone to feed the palates of the locals, their take would either prove just that or that they are a more authentic take. This is Butter Chicken just the way I like it. Made with chicken in rich creamy tomato sauce and butter. No complaints, this is what I think of when I want butter chicken.
And I can’t have Butter Chicken with some breads. My go to is always the Garlic cilantro naan for its softer, fluffier chew. The Roti is nice for its char, but I find it a harder bread. Despite its layers I liked the Lachedar paratha the least given its dry texture.
Of everything we had the Amrut special Lamb Shank Biryani was the most memorable. Marinated lamb shank with keema and Hyderabad’s special spices, served with rice and side of raita. You could hear how succulent the meat was when we carved into it. Tender chunks of meat paired with perfectly firm and crisp rice for an even bite. This was a dish I could eat as my whole meal and be happy to have.
In short, Amrut is a great spot for authentic South Indian cuisine. It has an opulent decor that doesn’t quite match the homey food, and the fact they do a buffet lunch and brunch dally. Once again, I would love to see them align both in the future. To find a more cohesive identity to rally around, and one to set them apart better.
Amrut Kitchen & Bar
433 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B OT3
(778) 776-1934
amrutkitchenandbar.ca
