If ever a restaurant had a signature dish, it is the Gobi Manchurian at Himalayan Heritage in Adams Morgan. Its description on the menu -- "tempura cauliflower stir fried with bell-peppers, red onion and green chilly served with hot and sweet sauce" -- sounds pedestrian enough, but believe me, this is no ordinary dish. The lightness of the tempura wins over the tempura doubters, and the spiciness of the cauliflower breaks through the defenses of the cauliflower critics. (By now I have introduced the dish to so many people that I am speaking from empirical research; I have names to back up these claims!). As the reference to Manchuria indicates, the Chinese influence in the Himalayan region is evident, and if you like the sweet, sour, and hot flavors of General Tso's chicken, you will like this too, only more so.
There is only one problem: the dish is so flavorful that anything that follows it tastes bland by comparison. And since it is an appetizer, ordering a worthy entree becomes a challenge. After many attempts, the only thing that has come close is the goat curry, which is one of the Nepalese dishes under the Chef's Recommendations. The day I ordered it, the dish happened to have a disproportionate ratio of bones to meat, but otherwise this was a good choice. Wash it down with a mango lassi and you are on your way to foodie heaven.
Dish To Die For: Gobi Manchurian
1 comment:
Cool! Mrs. Blade is a fan of cauliflower and the dish sounds fantastic. We'll give it a go on our next visit to A-M.
BB
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