Drunken noodles (no, they weren’t really drunk)
May 26th, 2004 | Published in Eating Out | 6 Comments
After weeks of plotting and planning we finally made it to Shiok for lunch on Saturday. My partners in crime this time were Aqua (who I was meeting for the first time) and Jil (who’s probably a little tired of seeing me so often :-). We settled into the comfy seats and attacked the food and drinks with great relish. We must have made quite an interesting sight — two hungry women wolfing down food like there’s no tomorrow! Aqua was a little more polite. But the food was good. Or we were hungry. Or it might have been both. All I remember is stuffing me self to the gills (no, I don’t actually have them).
We had drunken noodles, a lovely chicken dish, a really nice tasting rice. As you can see, I am not so good with names. To top it all, I had a green concoction called Madhu’s Illusion, which turned out to be more potent than I first thought.
Madhu’s restaurant also has a compact lounge area next to the dining area where you can relax and have a drink but we decided not to venture there. I don’t think I would have made it out of the door for a long time, if I had. If you like South East Asian cuisine, do go across to Shiok’s.
We started at noon (we were the first eager ones in) and they finally had to shoo us out at 4 p.m. after we had stretched their hospitality to the limits.
After that satisfying meal, it was time to head back home and then onto a game of badminton. Not having played for aeons, my muscles protested loudly. The last time I played indoors in a proper court was in 1986 (I am not kidding!). My skills therefore are rather rusty, but I love the game. And after all that food (not to mention the Illusion) it was a small wonder that I wasn’t running around the court, trying to hit 4–5 imaginary shuttles! My dad (who used to be a badminton champion in his younger days) would have been rather proud :)
(PS: Shiok is on CMH Road in Indiranagar, conveniently located on the main road and very easy to find!)
May 28th, 2004 at 2:47 am (#)
Ah badminton — if you are like me — your muscles will be aching for days!
Funny you should mention “drunken” noodles — for this reminded me of a visit to San Francisco several years ago — and going out for dinner at a restuarant not far from SFO airport — Chinese restaurant it was: starter was “drunken” prawns — and I was not sure what that meant. Not sure until the waiter/chef came to table and lighted up a burner on the middle of the table and started to fry some butter in a wok — which a few mins later he put a lot of BIG prawns/shrimps — which were ALIVE! Yes ALIVE. And then proceeded to add some white wine to the wok — and the shrimps were jumping around everywhere — being cooked ALIVE. He had to contain the frenzy using the lid to the wok — I was dumbfounded. I have to say that I was honestly disgusted — because a few mins later — the shrimps were all dead and cooked — and presumably tasted of white wine since they had died drunk on it. I just couldn’t touch them after I witnessed that — but my colleagues said it tasted good. Apologies if this makes you feel bad. I mean — I do eat meat/seafood etc. ocassionaly — but I just completely switched off eating any thing after witnessing drunken prawns being cooked alive right in front of my eyes. :-(
The irony is that I have beein cooking prawns/shrimp tonight — but I don;t feel half as bad because I haven’t witnessed the prawns being cooked alive — and they certainly haven been made drunk either.
Shudder.
May 29th, 2004 at 2:07 am (#)
Thanks for the plug, Anita. :)
The website (it sucks, I know. I’ll fix it one of these days) for the restaurant is here: http://shiokfood.com and you can download menus there.
Jag, these noodles are Pad Kee Mao, literally translated as “stir-fried drunkard’s style” because the combination of chillies, garlic and basil is great with alcohol.
May 30th, 2004 at 4:09 pm (#)
Jag: That sounds rather horrible! I am not sure I will be able to eat something like that, much as I love prawns / sea food. The closest they come to it, is in Gajalee, where they show you the live crab and let you feel it (not sure for what) and then they take it to the kitchen to cook it.
Maybe, maybe Madhu can try introducing something innovative like that at his place :)
Madhu: Didn’t add the link as I was not sure whether it was open to the public as yet. Will do now!
June 11th, 2004 at 4:54 pm (#)
Shiok is a cool place..
I had the very lovely Thai chicken starter there wrapped in some leaves…
now I’ve forgotten their name!
Kinda heavy on the wallet, IMHO !
June 10th, 2005 at 7:56 pm (#)
Bullshit place!! Food Sucks, and try the food only if you want a plug for your dysentry. And oh, horribly expensive. STAY AWAY
July 22nd, 2005 at 9:30 am (#)
Gosh, I never wrote that comment on your blog, don’t know how it came here.…