On a wrong footing

This Persian restaurant has an advantage of a perfect location, but power cuts spoilt the service on the day we visited

You've heard of people having a bad day. Have you ever heard of restaurants having a bad day too? We happened to walk into Ayda, a Persian restaurant located at Church Street on one such terrible day.
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With the generator throbbing in the background, we knew that the power supply was playing truant.

All the doors of this restaurant located on the first floor of a building had been thrown open. But the claustrophobic space could not be cured. Dimly lit lamps were the only consolation.



Ayda is dark by decor. A bunker-like atmosphere with sacks filled to the brim form the ceiling, rustic brown walls, occasional miniature style paintings, glass lamps, bamboo blinds and couches are some of the other trappings.

However, the balcony outside is a nice vantage point to keep track of the bustling Church Street thoroughfare.

We waited quite a while before we were even served water.

We were told straight off, that the only non-vegetarian starter available on the extensive menu was the Dande Kababs (Rs 300), spare ribs of mutton grilled barbeque-style and served with charred tomatoes.

The ribs were neither succulent nor were they crisp. The taste was neither here nor there. We spent quite an amount of time chewing on the ribs, but somehow we could not get the juicy, meaty flavours out of them.

The menu promised salads, soups, starters, elaborate main courses but most of it was not available that day.
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We settled for a Bakhtiyari (Rs 230), chicken and beef fillet grilled with Persian herbs and saffron and served along with basmati and saffron infused rice.
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Even the blob of butter usually served with Iranian rice couldn't salvage the hard and dull grains.
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The grilled chicken and beef were quite delicious on their own and we found ourselves popping them into our mouths without spooning rice along with it.

Our second order was the Gormeh Sabzee (Rs 150), a broth-like gravy of mutton, rajma beans and vegetables, one of which we recognised as spinach.

The broth was buttery and creamy and tasted great with naan. We decided to help the stiff rice move to our mouths with the help of this aromatic gravy.

Our request for dessert brought forth the answer that the only sweet things available were rasgullas and the usual vanilla ice cream. We were not looking forward to eating rasgulla in an Iranian joint and did not.

Downside: We would still like to give Ayda a second chance. Let's just say it was one of those days that all of us seem to have often when things go all wrong.

Our verdict: We will probably give Ayda a fair chance and head back again to see how the service is really like on a better day.
At ayda, 1, 1st floor, Church Street.
Call 4147 8209
Meal for two Approx Rs 800
Ayda didn't know we were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.