Thanks for the ride

A cheeky name notwithstanding, My Way or The High Way manages to get most things right

Thanks for the ride

A cheeky name notwithstanding, My Way or The High Way manages to get most things right

It's a place where Lamb Sambousek and Boti Kebab co-exist. Whether they live happily ever after remains to be seen, but for now the marriage appears to be an insouciant one. So, I was back at Noida, Sector 18. But this time the usual Oriental fare had been supplanted by an olio of Mediterranean (Italian and Lebanese to be precise) and Indian. My Way Or The High Way at Centrestage Mall wasn't exactly bursting at the seams when we got there, but the quiescent atmosphere (it was 2pm; I bet it gets a bit louder later) is the place's USP.

I was all psyched up to do the full tour this time (only for you dear reader). Just to prove my point I started with three mocktails -- My Way Special (each section in the menu is split into the My Way Specials and the rest, the High Way part), Spicy Guvava (liked it) and Bull Energiser.

This was trailed closely by the various mezze platters - Cold (Hummus, Mutabbal/Babaganoush, Toum, Arabic Salad), Hot Veg (Cheese Racacout, Spinach Fetayer, Batata Harra, Falafel) and Non-veg (Chicken wings, Lamb sambousek, Mutton kibbeh). Any typical middle-eastern meal starts with mezze (or meze). This can be an elaborate spread of 40 or 50 hors d'oeuvres; often a full meal by itself. Perhaps, comparable to the Kashmiri wazwan or the dastarkhwan from Awadh. I would have loved to have had a bit of Baklava, but they don't do that. However, everything was up to the mark.

Things got exciting with the arrival of the My Way Special Tandoori platter (a mix of Tandoori prawn, Ajwaini machchi, Murg malai tikka and Boti kebab). The kebab was a bit unyielding, but the tikka more than made up for it. I also tried the Bannu kebab (chicken tikkas braised with besan and masalas and grilled). Quite tantalising.
Full already? Well I was just getting started. The Spaghetti with bacon and cream arrived and disappeared in a jiffy. It was time for a typical (don't judge) Indian main course -- Lal mirch roti, Dal makhani, Khumb makai palak (corn and mushrooms with smoked spinach) and Bhunna murg masala (tandoori chicken cooked with brown onion gravy and a hint of tomatoes). The Khumb makai palak was quite simply the pi ce de resistance. Try it.

I usually always end up skipping desserts. But I'd heard rave reviews of their Chocolate mousse. So, I tried that along with a Tiramisu and a Walnut Brownie ice cream. The tiramisu was a bit of a let down (the owner apologetically said it had just been prepared and needed time to settle). Smelt nice but the mascarpone didn't work for me. The Chocolate mousse, though not the best I've had, was very good. And how can you go wrong with brownie and ice cream? Go ahead. I trust you'll find your way.

At: Centrestage Mall, level 4 & 5, Sector 18, Noida
Timings: Noon to midnight
Call: 01204312241
Meal for two: Rs 1,200 + taxes