PROMOTION
RESTAURANTS all over the city centre are upping their game when it comes to their lunch offerings. There are plenty of great value meal deals to be had, but none are as interesting as the lunch menu at Scene.
The Scene meat combo was a vast platter of carnivorous delight
For not much more than a fiver, there are a range of intriguing street food dishes to be had, any of which would be a meal in themselves. Having said that, when Confidential came calling, greed got the better of us and we tried four of the options on the menu between just two of us.
It was way too much but as everything was so delicious, we made a pretty good stab at it.
The Choley Bhatura was my personal favourite. This Punjab speciality is a dish of chickpeas and potato accompanied by deep-fried bread. The words themselves may not sound like much but the bread was a revelation: as light and fluffy as a cloud and with all the moreish flavour of the fryer but none of the grease.
As for the chickpeas, they retained their bite, adding texture and interest whilst the complex sauce was aromatic with a big spice hit – the coriander, turmeric, cumin and garam masala singing a punchy chorus in a beautiful harmony of other spices.
Across the table, the crispy chilli chicken with saffron lemon rice was another winner. Beautifully moist chicken was wrapped in a light batter that remained crisp rather than claggy despite the sauce. Pure alchemy.
The Scene meat combo was a vast platter of carnivorous delight: lamb chops with the zing of fresh herbs, expertly-battered fish masala that remained moist and succulent within its spicy casing, seekh kebab which reins in the fire to let the taste of the lamb shine through as well as tasty tandoori chicken and chicken tikka.
The scene roll was lovely too but if you want to try this one, you'll have to be quick; it's only on the menu for a limited time. It feels healthy, like you're doing your body good but that doesn't diminish its flavour one bit. Packed with veg, kidney beans and chicken marinated in yoghurt and flavoursome spices, it's a hearty wrap that will fill you up till tea time without giving you that heavy 2pm lull.
From the beginning of June, Scene are also introducing thalis to their menu. Served on traditional platters, a thali is a well-balanced meal that's perfect for people who like a little bit of everything for their lunch. With coriander infused salad, poppadum, chutney, onion bhaji, pilau rice, a vegetarian side dish and a choice of mains, this is a real feast.
The flavours at Scene may be fit for a king and the interior, particularly the tiles, are as covetable as they come but this is authentic street food and the atmosphere is laid-back with free wi-fi.
For casual lunches you can't beat it. There's a takeout option available but the efficient service means your food will be on the table in fifteen minutes so you're back at your desk in good time all ready to go. Although I can't guarantee you won't be distracted by lingering memories of Choley Bhatura. I was.
