Thai Chi, Hyatt Amritsar: An authentic taste of Thai and Chinese in the land of kulchas

Thai Chi, Hyatt Amritsar earns its name from the fact that it incorporates both Thai n Chinese cuisines into the menu. If you are in this tourist city and in no mood for the butter smeared heavy Punjabi dishes, have a passion for authentic oriental cuisines then Thai Chi is just the right kind of place to fascinate your taste buds. On a cold winter evening with much expectation we walked into Hyatt and very warmly received in its lavish lounge by the hotel’s PR manager Prerna, then led and ushered to THAI CHI. We instantly got infused with warmth and comfort of the place. The interior décor matched the name. We were soothed by the oriental aesthetics, wooden touch and gentle mandarin music playing.

The sitting arrangement was capacious and once settled comfortably we were most cordially served our welcome drink Kir, a cocktail of white wine and crème de cassis and Mojito with rum, lemon, sugar, mint mixed to a perfection, accompanied with prawn crackers. 

Duck n cucumber roll (Rs 650) was a great way to start our meal. It was hot, crunchy and palatable served with hoisin sauce dip. Fried corn cakes, plum sauce dip (Rs 450) followed which was finely textured with a golden brown color and soft sweet corn filling making them delectable. The dish I was really impressed with and can taste over and over again was the Banana wrapped fish in chilli lime paste(Rs 750). The soft juicy sole fish fillet with a distinct flavour of smoked banana leaf n lime, was one of the signature dishes and a must try. However Golden fried prawn with coconut wasabi mayo(Rs 930), a creamy white sauce which is an oriental mix dip from chef Hitesh Sharma failed to impress me owing to the lack of tenderness of the prawn. Crispy tofu, dry chilli(Rs 510), pepper delicately fried to a rich golden hue and was soft, succulent and delicious. Do not miss this on your next visit.

I was a bit surprised by the absence of salad from the menu. Tom yum soup(Rs 360) with its hot and sour taste and titbits of prawns melting in my mouth with every spoon was heart warming and simply awesome. A must try! Manchow soup (Rs330) was equally brilliant.

Moved on to the main course with the popular Thai style chicken green curry (Rs660) beautifully paired with my all time favorite jasmine rice followed by Sliced lamb in massaman curry (Rs690). Both the dishes were superb and go to league extraordinaire. Massaman curry had soft shredded lamb with a blend of flavours of bay leaves, coconut, star anise and every morsel left me wanting for more. Red snapper, fermented bean, ginger, snow peas (Rs825) was telapia fish served whole in ginger flavoured black bean sauce. Phad thai (Rs450) impressed with the presentation and texture though I found the dish rather too sweet compared to other Phad thai dishes I have tasted so far. Coming to the Chinese main course with the gorgeous Tiger prawns in XO sauce (Rs 1020) I was disappointed a little as the prawn was a tad rubbery and the Sichuan veg fried rice which I felt was overcooked and dry. Mapo tofu in ginger garlic sauce(Rs825) was an excitement to the palate and eyes, being rich in glaze, texture and aroma, the soft juicy tofu cooked to perfection. Another must order item on the menu. 

Last but not the least, the desserts Five spice chocolate dome (Rs 350) which simply transported me to another world was chocolate mousse dotted with choco chips with a flavour of assorted Chinese spices. Pina colada cheese cake (Rs 350) though not as delicious, had a stunning appearance of pale yellow colour beautifully presented with dollops of blueberry sauce, brought a pleasant end to our scrumptious dinner.

I found the staffs quite affable always wearing a warm smile on their lips. However, service was the only segment which seemed wanting. There was delay in removing the used plates and attention needed to be constantly drawn to our table. The restaurant provides an array of imported liquors and cocktails though no live mixing by bartender. Thai chi is one of the premium fine dining options in Amritsar and the food designed to appease your yearning for authentic oriental cuisines. BON APPETIT!

Ratings (out of 5)

Food : 4 |  Ambience : 4.5 |  Service : 3.5 |  Overall : 4

Meal for two : 3000/4000 (without/with alcohol) |Credit card : yes|  Alcohol : yes| Timing: 7.30 a.m.- 11.30 p.m.

– Anindita Pramanick