Let Bhoot Jholokia chillies play havoc on your tongue

Another eatery brings the hot, volcanic flavours of Manipur and Nagaland to our plates, but we are not complaining

Another eatery brings the hot, volcanic flavours of Manipur and Nagaland to our plates, but we are not complaining

If you plan to head to NE Diner, a new restaurant in Koramangala to sample Northu00a0 Eastern fare during lunch or dinner post shopping, it's not a very good idea. That is because, before you manage to reach the eatery that is located on the first floor of a house, you will have to struggle up a steep flight of almost 30 steps.

By steep we mean really steep, the kind of steep that would need you to hold on to your life using both hands, so carrying along shopping bags might prove to be a pain. But climbing the staircase is the only obstacle you might have to face before you reach this tiny joint that offers food that comes quite close to authentic North Eastern cuisine.

NE Diner
Food: interesting
Service: good
Ambience: average

Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shootu00a0u00a0u00a0Pics/ Sanjay MD

The decor is simple with lots of bamboo and nothing to write home about. We suggest you head straight to the verandah seating that will give you a view of the passing traffic outside. The menu offers food from Manipur and Nagaland along with regular Indo-Chinese fare to satiate those who might want to settle down for something tamer. Since, I was accompanied by a friend from the North East, we decided to put the food from that region to test.

Our first order was Chicken Dumplings (Rs 79) that came with a bowl of broth spiked up with coriander and a red chilli chutney. The chicken stuffing had a delicate flavour thanks to the slightly caramelised onions and we finished the dumplings in no time.u00a0 Our mains were Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot Curry (Rs 359) and Fried Fish Curry (Rs 99) from Nagaland along with Beans Iromba (Rs 39) from Manipur.

The Beans Iromba, a mish mash of boiled French beans, potatoes, red chillies, fresh chives perked up with fermented fish turned out to be a smorgasbord of flavours. Part of the daily diet of Manipuris, the iromba was a mild and flavourful start to our meal with steamed rice. We were also served a complimentary bowl of chutney made out of tomatoes, coriander, garlic, fermented fish and the infamous King or Bhoot Jholokia (which means that you literally might see a ghost after you bite into it, lethal enough to be declared by the Defence Research Development Organisation as a possible ingredient to make hand grenades) chilli. The chutney turned out be really hot and made our tongues burn and ears turn hot, but its taste was good enough to spike up even steamed rice.

Chunks of tender, roasted pork with their fat intact swimming in a dark red curry flavoured by the Bhoot Jholokia, slivers of bamboo shoot and lots of coriander came next. The curry was robust with a burst of flavours and the typical fermented pungency of the bamboo shoot. The rohu fish fried and cooked in a similar tomato, coriander and chilli curry was strictly all right. Being a Bengali and finicky about my fish, I felt the rohu tasted a little bitter because it probably had not been gutted properly. After eating all that heat, the tummy did crave a dessert or two, but at the NE Diner you might have to go home with the lingering after effects of the Bhoot Jholokia on your tongue, for there's no sweet available here.

Although we were satiated and tummy happy, the very thought of climbing down those stairs made our stomach's churn. We've had North Eastern food at a couple of food festivals and restaurants in the past, what made the NE Diner fare stand out is the fact that it was light on the stomach even with the horrific heat from the King chilli and reminded us more of a home cooked meal rather than restaurant fare.u00a0

At: NE Diner, House No 404, Opposite Raheja Arcade, 7th Block Koramangala
Call: 72592 88304/ 4099 7812
Meal for two: Rs 650
NE Diner didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.u00a0