The Tuk Tuk Taxi Ride

Why ‘Tuk Tuk’, why not auto-rickshaw…? That was our first thought as we booked a food ride at the newly opened Tuk Tuk Taxi.

The answer, obviously, lies in the musical intonations packed in the name. ‘Tuk Tuk’ has a lyrical tone and an onomatopoeic touch, which can bring a spontaneous smile; and for those who have ridden one, a gush of emotions. The open-framed structure, with its traffic-dodging abilities and manoeuvrability in the narrowest of lanes, is reliable, accessible and, best of all, fun.

That is the essence that Tuk Tuk Taxi has captured in its bright and vibrant interiors, in its culinary presentations and in its taste quarters, which distinguishes it from most another Indian restaurant. Located on the ground floor of the busy City Centre Muscat, the restaurant is evocative of the fun ride that the three-wheeler tuk tuk promises. Commonly referred to as auto-rickshaws in most parts of India, a trip in a tuk tuk is comparable to a joy ride, if one is not in a rush to reach a destination. Just like us…

We were not in any rush to end our ride, as we took a long culinary trip, starting with cardamom flavoured cutting-chai and culminating with a ‘Digestive shot’ – a paan flavoured churned milk, served in little shot containers with the added drama of molecular fumes. Everything about food presentation at Tuk Tuk Taxi is imbued with some element of drama…

Our food ride began with an array of starters that are Indian in their concept, but are presented with a touch of fusion that is at once unique and flavourful – which, in effect, is the major attraction of this new entrant in the culinary horizon of Muscat. Opened in October this year, it has, in the short span, managed to draw foodies to its fold, providing newer metaphors for Indian cuisine. The stereotypical hot and spicy definition has been toned down, rather turned on its head to present a sense of diversity in the flavours to cater to diners from different walks of life.

As the picture-heavy menu suggests, the idea is to provide a ‘fun’ dining experience. And what a fun memorable experience it was –thanks in large doses to the friendly staff, the congenial atmosphere and the open setting that is reflective of an inviting home.

With an assortment of starters and mains, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and a host of chaat items modified as appetisers, alongside Pizzaans – a take on the regular pizza with an Indian touch – the menu is an amalgamation of different states of India.

We started with a warm bowl of ‘Roasted Tomato Shorba with Coriander Foam’, which is what a food doctor would advise on a cool winter evening. It is full of flavours with the common tomato taking on the role of a culinary queen. The sweet and tangy ‘Aloo Chaat Martini’, that came next, was a delightful take on the regular Indian fast food; it is served with pipettes of three different chutneys to flavour the item. Staying on the chaat course were the ‘Kolkata Puchkas’or fluffed up balls of dough, served with a shot of spiced pomegranate water. For devoted pani-puri lovers this new twist on the regular item might not seem such a big draw.

We followed that with ‘Biryani Arancini’, which is a completely novel take on the regular biryani rice. Featuring in this item are deep-fried biryani balls stuffed with spiced cheese and served with mint and tomato chutney. The series continued with ‘Cheese Kulcha Bites’ (mini flatbreads stuffed with mozzarella cheese and served with a spiced garlic relish); ‘Edible Samosa Cigars’, which is served in a shot glass filled with delicious ketchup and tobacco flavoured mayonnaise; ‘Chole Kulche Canapes’, featuring masala chickpeas served on mini Indian spiced bread; and the ‘Smoked Tulsi Paneer Tikka’ with dehydrated olive dust. This is, again, a total novelty, as the paneer is dredged with olive dust and smoky basil marinade.  

The build-up from all the chaat and vegetarian items led us to one of the best items on the menu – ‘Golden Prawns with Sweet Chilli Sauce and Quinoa Crunch with Lemon Air’. Delicious! We also got to try the ‘Lamb Seekh Shawarma with Biryani Rice Risotto’, ‘3 Pepper Chicken Seekh Kebabs’, and Malabari Lamb Uttapam (boneless chunks of lamb tossed in south Indian spices and served on a crispy rice pancake). Of all the dishes we tried at Tuk Tuk, the only one that could present an ‘oh spicy’ reaction would be the lamb uttapam.

To give our luncheon a true Indian touch, we tucked into classic Punjabi chicken tikka; aromatic chicken biryani; and creamy butter chicken and butter paneer with naan and kulcha.

In between the starters and the mains we sipped on ‘Khus sherbet’, ‘Shikanji’ – Indian style mojito with mint and chat masala,‘Thandai’ – a special blend of cardamom, dry fruits and saffron mixed with milk,and ‘Smoky Iced Peach Tea’.

For the desserts, we had ‘Coffee Halwa with Oreo Ice Cream’, ‘Saffron Gulab Jamun Cheesecake’ (saffron flavoured cheesecake set on gulab jamuns, with a base of Oreo cookie) and ‘Edible Orange Chocolate Candle’,which is a total food art, as the candle comes lit to the table. Our vote,though, went to the Coffee Halwa.

At Tuk Tuk Taxi dining is fun all the way!

Festive Sips from Starbucks