Happy New Year!!! 
The second leg of the Davao Food Trip found the intrepid bloggers having lunch at Taj Minar, a new Indian restaurant in Davao City. With me were Dominique, Ria J., Ria L., Winston, Tiara, Christian, Maita, Kim and Migs.
Mr. Zafar Khan, the Indian Canadian proprietor of Taj Minar, prepared a set menu for our group. For starters, we had Papadam, a tasty wafer-thin crust that’s peppered with spices. It’s a bit too oily for me, but it really opens up your appetite for more Indian cooking!
For the main courses, we were served Biryani Rice, Vegetable Curry and Chicken Korma. Taj Minar’s biryani is made from imported besmati rice and infused with truly Indian spices. For example, it was a pleasant surprise when my teeth bit into a piece of cinnamon bark. The rice is also sprinkled with just the right amount of cooked garlic, which somehow balances the whole flavor of the dish.
The vegetable curry held its own surprises. Above the rich taste of curry was a sharp but surprisingly complementary flavor of green cardamom. And the chicken korma was good, too. The sauce wasn’t how I expected it to be, as I’ve had korma in the past and the sauce was a lot thicker. Perhaps it’s a different recipe from another region of India…
And then for dessert, they served us Carrot Halva and Chai Tea. The halva is sweet enough but not overly so, and goes perfectly with the tea.
If you’ve never tried this gastronomic interplay of Indian spices, head on over to Taj Minar!
The restaurant opened last December 2007, and is in the Damosa Gateway complex, Mamay Road, Lanang, Davao City. Tel.: (82)305-5849.
As a bonus that day, we had photos with the singing group, The Akafellas. They were having lunch at Taj Minar as well, and two of our group knew them. Check out the photos.
Photos by Christian Te.
