Indian Restaurant Showdown: Ricksha Streetside Tandoor vs. Mantra Bistro
Royal Indian Curry House (R.I.C.H.) sets the standard for me when it comes to Indian cuisine. Its menu can get a bit overwhelming to navigate through; but it does ascertain that you’d get a dish that will suit your preference. I decided to try out Ricksha Streetside Tandoor in Kapitolyo and Mantra Bistro in Legazpi Village to see how both play out versus R.I.C.H.
RICKSHA STREETSIDE TANDOOR
Ricksha Streetside Tandoor opened earlier this year in Kapitolyo. It prides on using family recipes and is extremely careful not to label its cuisine as ‘authentic’. Its tiny space suggests a grab-and-go concept, but its interesting menu, and speakeasy vibe will make you want to stay longer.
BUTTER CHICKEN (P295)
We opted for the Butter Chicken, which came with a hand-rolled paratha. The sauce was deliciously creamy, but it was simply mild-tasting. It serves as a nice introduction to Indian cuisine (think of Indian cuisine-on-training-wheels); but to someone accustomed to stronger spices, this paled in terms of flavor. We ordered a Butter Naan, as I believe it’s softer dough makes for a better vessel for the sauce than the paratha it came with.
BEEF AND PORK KEBAB (P275)
The Beef and Pork Kebab plate comes complete with biryani, prawn crackers, pickled onions, garlic sauce and harissa. Unfortunately, the kebabs were on the dry side and were also too plain-tasting for me. The biryani lacked in fragrance; while its sauces lacked attitude (Café Mediterranean’s sauces are the ultimate standard for me). The best part of my meal was the P55 Lassi which can contend with the lassis priced twice as much as it does.
Ricksha Streetside Tandoor makes for a great introduction to Indian cuisine, since its dishes are significantly cheaper than that of R.I.C.H’s, and would appeal to diners not accustomed to robust spices. Unfortunately, I wont find myself yearning for another visit to this restaurant. Its ambiance is significantly friendlier than that of R.I.C.H's though.
Ricksha Streetside Tandoor
23 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig
Date of Visit: May 11, 2019 with Lily Chua
MANTRA BISTRO
When my friends and I dined in Mantra Bistro; we oddly wound up seated in their bar and cocktail area where a private gathering was being held. The four of us were squished in one cocktail table which could barely hold our food. Call us titas, but we repeatedly requested to be transferred to its brighter, more quiet dining area since the place was too dark (we couldn’t get nice photos), and we barely could hear each other.
MIXED TANDOORI PLATTER (P840)
While waiting for the restaurant to accommodate our request, we simply proceeded with our meal. One of the notable features of its menu would be its comprehensive list of tandoori options. For us to maximize our meal, we opted for the Mixed Tandoori Platter, which gave us the freedom to choose two non-vegetarian tandooris and two vegetarian tandooris. For our non-vegetarian tandooris, we opted for the Salmon Fish Tikka and the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka. Both were surprisingly juicy and were lovingly boasted of a nice charred surface. Delicious as these may be, they were outshined by the vegetarian tandooris, we had the Tandoori Broccoli which came smothered with baked cheese and was zested with lemon; and the Paneer Tikka (cottage cheese), which was marinated in yogurt and spices. I wouldn't mind paying for the full-size servings of all of these!
CHICKEN MAKHANI (P490) and the CHARLIES CHEESE NAAN (P170)
We ordered two types of curry dishes: the Rogan Josh and the Chicken Makhani. The Rogan Josh, a familiar staple on menus of local Indian restaurants, is a traditional goat curry made of tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. We paired this with the Garlic Naan (P115); and ultimately I found it okay. It was good, it did its part, but its use of spices is considerably muted when compared to R.I.C.H. Surprisingly, it was its non-spicy Chicken Makhani curry which won me over. It contained roasted chicken fillets bathed in a delicious creamy tomato and cashew nut sauce which pleased non-spicy eaters and spicy eaters alike. Pairing it with the Charlies Cheese Naan assures you of a heavenly bite. Honestly, I don't think any other naan comes close to their Charlies Cheese Naan!
GULAB JAMUN (P135) and KULFI (P210)
I rarely miss out on an opportunity of ordering Salted Lassi whenever dining in Indian restaurants, but I was surprised that theirs was really thick and came flavored with actual cumin. It was definitely interesting and memorable; but I’d rather stick to the plainer Salted Lassis served in other restaurants. When we were pretty much almost done eating, a waiter approached us to assist us to (finally) move to Mantra Bistro’s proper dining area. We didn’t mind the belated transfer since the owner sent us complimentary Gulab Jamun and Kulfi Ice Cream for the trouble. Boy were we smiling from ear to ear while eating those desserts. The Gulab Jamun is a small sponge cake formed in a shape of ball and is served drenched in syrup; while Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream made with condensed milk, pistachios, almonds, and cardamom. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but I always have a soft spot for good ice cream!
In terms of food, I loved that it had its own interesting dishes to boast that make dining there an equally satisfying and memorable dining experience as one in R.I.C.H.'s. I find myself equally yearning to go back to Mantra Bistro as I find myself wanting to dine in R.I.C.H's again!
(From L to R: Giselle Sy, Me, Jeric Badion, and Samantha Bautista)
Mantra Bistro
GF Grand Midori, Bolanos Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City
Date of Visit: May 24, 2019
