Indian Inspired – Tamba

by rashida · Published July 29, 2016 · Updated September 28, 2019

Every once in a while you need to step out of your comfort zone. By comfort zone, I mean the boundaries of your city, so you can experience the culinary delights other places have to offer. I finally got a chance to visit the much acclaimed Tamba last evening and I was absolutely floored by their food, drinks and of course, the hospitality. Everyone, from the manager to the wait staff to the bartenders extended an exceptionally friendly and humble welcome to all the patrons.

Read all about my experience at this Indian inspired globally influenced gem in the heart of Abu Dhabi.

Tamba, or copper in hindi, flaunts an Indian menu that’s elevated to a 21st century setting and inspired from global cuisine. Experimenting with flavors and the bold use of ingredients, Tamba lays a special emphasis on each dish, characterizing it with a unique individual personality and allowing you to experience each flavor as it plays on your taste buds.

I think I should accept this now. I’m okay with fish as long as it is basted with an excellent blend of spices. A part of their raw menu and inspired from Japanese cuisine, the seared salmon with anardana and citrus explosion is really worth the shift.
Featuring a thin slice of double seared salmon which wraps a piece of tangerine within, this raw dish is placed in a base of citrus sauce and finished with a light green chili paste, rock chives and a pretty pomegranate on top.
Perfectly tender, the chive masala adds a peppery kick to the salmon. The wooden clip gives an ethnic Indian touch to this innovative Indian inspired dish.

One look at this and all I could think of was Christmas! From their salad section, comes this picturesque creation combining watermelon, arugula, tomato and goat cheese snow. Yes, it’s called snow because it really looks like that.
The interesting Indian twist about this dish is the watermelon is marinated in a black salt, cumin and light green chilli mix, giving you those memories of eating watermelon pieces dipped in chaat masala. The arugula leaves are also coated with a unique tomato and raspberry chutney. What an exciting blend of flavors, isn’t it?
Honestly, I loved munching on each bit of every leaf in this dish, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll try recreating this salad in my kitchen soon.

Can you see the Tamba logo stamped on that cube of ice?
This cocktail – Once upon a time in the East – comes off their secret menu. It features a mix of the sweet honey accented drambuie along with the Indian touch of a sugary masala syrup, topped with lemon juice.

Staying true to its name, Tamba proudly exhibits copper brass bells over the bar which make a statement centerpiece giving this lounge-esque fine dining spot a modernist touch and playing the perfect backdrop as you weave your culinary journey.

Now here’s a highly creative pani puri twist! Featuring tender poached and shredded crab meat stuffed inside a crispy semolina shell, the King Crab Puri is the star dish at Tamba. As soon as you bite into its meaty goodness, you experience a burst of flavors that includes the classic mint chutney and the more modernist tamarind gel.
And don’t miss the statement coriander air that tops this crunchy appetizer.
Highly recommended. You cannot go to Tamba and not have this!

Continuing the drinking bit, we opted for Kipling’s Tribute. Mixing in gin and chambord with a blend of raspberry purée, lemon, sugar and ginger juice, this concoction is topped off with Indian soda and a kaffir lime leaf. Check out the pretty kumquat and raspberry garnish. This sweet and slightly sour yet fragrant drink definitely sets you off on a pleasant start to the evening.

Here’s how you bring together the Indian and Far Eastern cuisine. These pulled bhojawari lamb gyozas feature braised and shredded baby lamb leg meat, which is spiced with coriander, cumin, stoneflower and coconut. The tender and juicy meat is wrapped in gyoza sheets and steamed and pan seared to give it that softness as well as a crispy golden touch. It is served with a thick flavorful coriander and mint chutney for a tangy kick.

Here’s an impressive Indian taco. The tamba version of this Mexican inspired dish starts with sweet and sour pumpkin and butternut squash thats tempered with cumin, mustard seeds and garlic, and cooked in a mustard and coconut sauce. Topped with tomato salsa, this veggie delight is served on a delicious spinach paratha which can be folded like a taco. Pumpkins are not really wow ingredients, but these guys make the pumpkin absolutely tender and flavorful, such that you might just call for a second round.

Another classic, the lamb chop teekha is marinated in a sweet chilli sauce with honey, garlic and ginger infusing the flavors of Japan with an Indian meatarian favorite. What’s more, these Japanese inspired dish is cooked on a Robata (the Far Eastern version of barbeque) which keeps the meat tender and adds a slightly smokey burnt touch to the lamb. The chops are served with pickled cucumber and carrots, dusted with coriander powder.

Going strong on the drinking leg of our visit, we tried out another recommendation from the staff – Goan fog cutter. Inspired by the Polynesian Tiki cocktail, this cocktail starts with dark rum and Bacardi, followed by apricot fallernum, port wine, homemade grenadine and orange juice. It is topped with a wonderful slice of dehydrated pineapple, juicy apricot and orange rind. One interesting thing to note about Tamba is that all their syrups are prepared in-house, so you really get to experience the creativity and mixing style of the bartenders in every concoction they curate.

Don’t get fooled by its name and color. These tiger prawns with coconut and mirchi are coated with dehydrated tomato skin to give it an illusion ofthat hot and spicy red hue. Bringing in the inspiration of Indonesian curry flavors, these Goan coastal delights are cooked in a creamy coconut sauce with mirchi paste, curry leaves, mustard, cumin, coriander and chili flakes. The coconut gravy is oh-so-creamy and rich, it will leave you licking your fingers till the last drop. And need I say anything more about how much I’m in love with those tender crunchy tiger prawns!

Every restaurant I visit has some dish that’s just so comforting, it becomes a pull factor for that place. For Tamba, it’s the mushroom khichdi. Bringing together a whole lot of goodness, in terms of flavors, ingredients and textures, this risotto dish starts with Italian rice. It is then mixed with four different types of mushrooms from four different parts of the world – Spanish Morel, French Champignon, Italian Portobello and Japanese Shiitake. How wonderful isn’t it?
But that’s not all. Adding the Indian twist to this contemporary creamy mushroom risotto is the dal bundi. Giving it an aromatic farsan flavor, the dal bundi adds a crunchy garnish to this mixture. Plus the classic khichdi accompaniment – achar – too gets a makeover with a blackberry pickle. Try this. And get one more as a take away so you can have it over and over again!

Had you ever thought of giving the quintessentially classic butter chicken an Italian twist? Tamba did. They took tender and oh-so-juicy smoked chicken, added it in a base of tomato gravy and gave it an extremely rich finish with three creamy pieces of black pepper Burrata. Yes, Burrata cheese. Little did I know that my favorite cheese could actually become a part of something conventional and give it a fresh, contemporary look.
This gravy can be eaten as is or with paratha.

Talking about parathas, Tamba gets super creative with their breads. Pictured here is a pineapple mirchi paratha. Wow, can you believe the bold use of flavors. The sweet pineapple pieces cut the spice of the mirchi to balance it out.
I would recommend having this as is, whether you order a gravy dish or not.

Let’s raise a toast to good food. This almost champagne is actually a bubbly mixture of basil, homemade chai bitter and spices. It comes with a drop of sugar cube to cut the bitterness of the tea. I was simply awed by the little basil leaf clipped to the stem of the glass!

Now, there’s a secret story behind the desserts menu at Tamba, which owner and entrepreneur Akshay Dosaj loves to share with his patrons.

The five desserts all come with a link that intertwines them into an interesting tale. So there was “The Bride” called “Mumtaz” who was about to get married. But she found herself in a “Sticky Situation” because of one “Lady Chatterjee” who ultimately caused “The Break-up”.

The Bride is Tamba’s version of meringue with chili, chantilly cream, raw mango and a coconut sorbet.
Mumtaz, the Japanese mochi inspired dessert features an ice halwa with strawberry yoghurt, rose and pistachios.
Sticky Situation is a caramelized banana toffee cake with pecan praline and the Indian twist of cardamom ice cream.

We tried The Break Up & Lady Chatterjee

What would you expect of a dessert that’s called The Break Up? It starts with a bitter chocolate mousse that’s frosted in a chocolate ball covered with gold dust. The base is filled with a creamy peanut butter semifreddo along with salted caramel and frosted nuts. Once this dessert is brought to your table, the chocolate bowl is crushed or “broken up” with hot melted dark chocolate poured over it. That moment, when the creamy chocolate meets the rich mousse, is pure bliss. This indulgent dessert is definitely a must have for anybody and everybody who loves chocolate.

Watch the video of The Break Up on my Insta-blog @truetotaste

Lady Chatterjee, another Tamba twist is basically a deconstructed cheesecake garnished with thin white chocolate and crystallized honey slices. It features passion fruit curd layered with ginger snap. The crumbled ginger bread biscuit which would otherwise create the base, makes its appearance at the top leaving you to the creamy cheesy indulgence with the dive of each spoonful within.