Monday, 18 February 2013

Gam's Delicacy, Lokhra, Guwahati



Delectable Delicacy!

For the last one year, I kept thinking that I should go to Gam’s Delicacy Restaurant in Ganeshguri, Guwahati. But, I couldn’t make enough time to pay a visit. I heard about the real assamese food they serve in that restaurant and it was, supposedly, very good and very Assamese.

One free evening, I decided to go to a highway dhaba for dinner with my family. What I did not know was my cousin decided to take us to the Delicacy restaurant on the highway. I must say I was delighted at the sight of the place.

The ambiance was not like a dhaba at all. It was more like a normal family restaurant. Compared to the other dhabas around, it was pretty big. It seated quite a lot of people. My interest was particularly captured by the use of bamboo in the restaurant. The chairs, tables and even the lights were made out of bamboo. It gave a very assamese feeling to be there. I was very impressed because it was different.
Another particular thing about this restaurant was that it served all the various portions of food in Bell metal utensils. I have been to many places which boasts of serving assamese food but never have been to any with serves the food in authentic assamese utensils.

However impressive the other things are, the main concern of a restaurant is its food. Firstly, they served a kind of clear vegetable soup which was extremely refreshing because of its use of fresh coriander and ginger. Not to mention, it was packed with lots of flavor. I must say they have a very impressive menu.
Going to a restaurant means eating food that is not often prepared at home. Therefore, I chose accordingly. I ordered Goroi fish pitika (A type of snakehead fish that is mashed with green chillies, onions, fresh coriander and mustard oil), Duck with gourd, small fish steamed in banana leaves and smoked pork. Other delicacies that I tried were chicken fried with spices and plain dal.

The mashed fish was extremely delicate and it was a standout dish. They made an effort to balance the flavors in the fish, keeping it simple yet very Moreish. I wish they would have given me a little more chilli and mustard oil since I prefer my food a little more pungent than others.  The duck was deliciously fatty and mouth watering. I took a generous helping with the steamed rice and it was almost out of this world. I hope no regrets about putting something so fatty into my mouth. The steamed fish lacked some popping element like the other dishes had or may be the other dishes were too good due to which my mouth rejected the steamed fish. It was not bad yet it was not that great. And the smoked pork completely let me down. It was tough as rubber and I had to chew it for quite sometime until I decided to down it with water. The taste was not so bad but the rubbery effect was too much for my mouth to work on it. By the time I finished vehemently chewing the piece, my jaws were craving for some soothing agent. The chicken was good and it had a very heady aroma of a smoky flavor. The dal was simple and delightful.

After my jaw breaking experience, I would still say that delicacy is worth trying. Apart from the pork everything else was very pleasant and scrumptiously wonderful food is very hard to forget. I would go back to eat there anytime but from next time on, I would remember not to order any pork.

Delicacy does do a lot of justice to the almost vanishing assamese cuisine and I would encourage every assamese to try and bring back those long forgotten things into the kitchen.

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