Arestaurant that may not be entirely new, but somehow remained off the radar is Osh -- Silk Route Cuisine. And as the name suggests, it claims to serve ‘authentic cuisine’ from the nations along the Silk Route – the menu is predominantly inspired by Chinese, Mongolian and Central Asian fare.

Osh has been around for almost a year – since November 2019 – nestled in a street off the MM Alam Road. Its modest grey facade with a golden ‘Osh’ peeping through the glass window may have contributed to its seclusion because, otherwise, the pictures of the food on social media are too hard to ignore – which is what lured me to this place.

The unassuming, minimalist interior follows a grey and black theme for the furniture with a pop of white with a couple of small tables. One of the walls is lined with golden bars that sparkle when lit at night. During the day, sunlight beaming in through the large glass window brightens up the small space of the restaurant, while the ambiance turns cosy and serene in the evening with minimal lighting.

The menu offers something for everyone – from soups and appetisers to an assortment of meat in all its glory and forms to a small vegetarian section to noodles and some signature Silk Route-inspired BBQ. Fuki Hunter Beef (offered in mutton also) is what I started off with. The thin cold beef slices were so soft and tender that they’d come apart easily. They were dipped in a delicious sour, tangy, garlic sauce (that I couldn’t stop sipping) and topped with sesame seeds, while cucumber slices served on the side helped balance the sourness. A promising start to the meal.

Next up was the hot Stir-Fried Wasabi Beef. Juicy chunks of beef were cooked in a generous amount of green chilli and onion and topped with sesame. Basic, yet tasty, this dish had a certain familiarity to it and reminded me of the popular beef chilli dry.

In for some more meat, Spicy Cumin Chilli Mutton was next. This dish was quite a pleasant surprise and something completely distinct, and looked equally appetising. Thin slices of mutton were stir-fried in chilli, pepper and sprinkled with crushed cumin. Having been fried over a hot flame, the spicy mutton slices were crispy on the edges and soft inside, and the cumin gave the dish a unique flavour. Definitely recommended!

To take a break from so much meat, I tried the Silk Potatoes. It’s true that there’s something about this vegetable that instantly draws you towards it, no matter how it’s cooked. In this case also, it was a tempting dish of sliced, spicy, soft potatoes topped with sesame and served with coriander leaves and spring onion on the side, offering a burst of flavour.

Now for some seafood. I first tried the Lemon Dripped Prawns. These skinless prawns, as per the menu, are supposed to be stir-fried in green chilli and seasoned with fresh lemon sauce. With chilli and lemon mentioned, I was expecting some spicy, tangy flavours, however, I found the prawns to be a bit on the sweeter side, glazed with some sauce that didn’t taste like lemon. Texture wise also the prawns could have been a bit softer.

The fascinatingly named, Aquarius, was up next, and the last of the meal. These boneless chunks of fish were stir-fried in cumin and some spices, sprinkled with, well, sesame and whole red chilli. The flavours were quite subtle with the cumin dominating, yet not overpowering. The fish was crispy on the outside, though could have been a little soft inside.

The seafood may have been a tad bit disappointing, but I still have my eyes on the whole fish mentioned on the menu and a host of other dishes that sound delectable. Next time, maybe. But for its distinctive food, especially for meat lovers, Osh is worth a try!

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2020