“Stolen from my friend in Bombay....”

What: Trishna, Istana Hotel, KL

When: February 2012

Food: Northern Indian

Rating: 9/10

I love Indian food. I am British, and, in the words of Baby Sumo’s charming husband, “if the British don’t have a curry at least once a week, something is wrong.” I think it is in our blood. Thus, when an invite came through for a restaurant that prides itself with the best Indian food in town, I was out the door with camera in tow before you can say Tikka Masala.

Trishna is somewhat hidden in the depths of the Istana Hotel, but once you have walked cautiously past the car park and through the doors of this basement restaurant, a rush of warmth hits you in the form of rich furnishings, smiling staff and, in my case, the welcoming greetings of Mr and Mrs Bedi, the industrious yet homely couple that run this restaurant.

The restaurant was originally located in Damansara Jaya, but moved to the city centre a year ago and is already attracting people intrigued by Mr Bedi’s confident claims. “I challenge anyone to find somewhere else in town that can match us for quality,” he declares with a chuckle, “this is the best Northern Indian food you can find.”

Mr and Mrs Bedi have a real passion for their food

Mr Bedi prides himself with a kitchen full of native Indian cooks and he gives them a free rein to craft their best creations, giving them one strict rule: “make sure you never ever cheat, I tell them. I want that roganjosh to taste as fantastic every single time it comes out of the kitchen.”

All this talk of food has made me hungry, and once the horrendous traffic jam expels the remaining diners, the dishes come thick and fast from the kitchen and I can barely snap photos before giving into the urge to taste these bold claims for myself.

Popadoms to whet the appetite

The menu is very comprehensive – “we have 120 dishes” declares Mr Bedi proudly, “and always adding more!” – and never have I seen an Indian restaurant with such a long and tempting list of starters. Tandoori in every form and with every meat, as well as vegetarian snacks and appetizers, take up the first three pages, and so it is only fitting that our meal opens with a selection of the best of the bunch.

The Hara Bhara Kebab (RM18) is actually more of a patty made with spinach and various vegetables, along with plenty of spices, and these little discs of goodness were really tasty: so much flavour packed in and no ‘bulking’ with potatoes that so many places do. A winning start.

Hara Bhara Kebabs were an excellent start

The greatest Afghani Chicken I have ever eaten!

The meat starters were showcased by two choices: Afghani Chicken (RM18) and Ajiwain Fish (RM18), both of which were cooked to levels of perfection I haven’t encountered before. The fish was so soft it wobbled and yet the outside was slightly charred from the tandoor, while the tenderness and flavour in the meat of the chicken clearly showed the careful preparation behind the dish. 

It was with considerable effort that I tried not to wolf down the whole plate of Afghani Chicken to ensure some stomach space for the main courses, which I already suspected would be great. 

The Ajiwain Fish was incredibly well cooked

Even the choice of breads was impressive

 We were given a basket of Indian breads (another area in which the options are amazing!) and a dish of Jeera rice to accompany the four different curry dishes that had arrived, plus a neat copper ‘bucket’ of lentil dal to be ladled onto rice.

The Yellow Dal (RM16) was thick and tasty – so superior to the watery stuff you get at mamaks – while the Chicken Tikka Masala (RM20) was just pure indulgent pleasure. While you can literally feel the calories in this thick, buttery sauces, it is entirely worth it and the meat was tender and full of flavour.

The Yellow Dal

The Bhindi Masala (RM15) contained my all-time favourite vegetable (okra) so I, naturally, made a beeline for this. Thankfully the bhindi masala was less rich than the tikka masala, with a tomatoey, spicy taste and served as a strong vegetarian option – meateaters don’t get all the fun!

Curries galore!

 Another vegetarian option was the Saag Paneer (RM18): a vivid green sauce made with spinach containing lumps of soft and light cottage cheese made with milk squeezed through some linen (the process is quite interesting).

The table favourite was the Mutton Roganjosh (RM19) – “my roganjosh is the way it should be made, the way Indians make it” declared Mr Bedi – which was spicy and filling and contained the most tender mutton I have ever tasted. It literally fell apart in my mouth, and was full of the spices ground into the dish. We actually managed to eat two dishfuls of this and there were beams all around.

I love the copper bowls and dishes...

Gulab Jamun for the sweet-toothed

As is only fitting after a rich and spicy meal Indian meal, sickly sweet desserts were served, and the Kulfi (RM12) may have looked like butter but it had the gentle texture of ice cream and a light nutty flavour that made it a lovely dish to round off the meal. The bowl of Gulab Jamun (RM10) was also quickly devoured and I was intrigued to learn that these little balls are made with milk that has been dried and compressed, then deep fried, leaving an unusual, spongy texture that is paired with sweet syrup.

The Kulfi comes in both pistachios and mango flavours

What a meal! Mr Bedi certainly doesn’t blow his own trumpet too loudly; this really is some of the best North Indian food in town and the care and attention paid to preparation and execution of the dishes is there for all to taste. The menu choice is fantastic, the prices are entirely reasonable considering the location and throw in a chatty, welcoming couple with a sincere passion for good food, and you have a perfect evening.

“So where did the name come from?” I asked Mr Bedi as I bid farewell.

“It means a desire for good food,” he smiled, “and I stole it from my friend in Bombay!”

The name, like the food, is straight from India, and I urge you to go.

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Bedi for a fantastic evening and for introducing me to the true taste of roganjosh.