The Kayu Aya street in Oberoi is generally thought of as a pretty casual location for dining and a date, but now Salazon has raised the bar without amping the price up too far. Formerly known as an up-market restaurant with a menu accentuating wood-fired cuisine and grill, Salazon had the reputation of being slightly on the heavy side, but that’s all changed and there’s nothing heavy about it anymore!
They have added a multitude of exciting and “friendlier” dishes to the menu. Keeping things light, but still inventive and tasty, with additional flavours from East Asia added to the mix, as seen in their Penang Duck Curry, Massaman Lamb Shank and 3 Way Tacos to name a few. The expert team behind Salazon prides itself on serving their home-made versions of just about everything – from the famous dry aged meats, tomato sauces, relishes to the sourdough bread and even the butter that is served with it. After getting the run-down on the new direction, Salazon has taken, my date and I were quite excited to see what they could muster.
First up on the menu, the Charcuterie platter (190k) – a classic here and the perfect appetizer to get a taste of what Salazon is all about. Top quality meats with incredible amounts of depth and flavour. Next up was a dish I wish I didn’t have to share, the Baked Burrata Cheese (95k), a seriously tasty tomato tart pastry with pancetta, honeycomb, basil and oozing burrata. 100% recommended.
We then moved onto the new side of the menu, amongst conversations about fashion and the parties we had attended in 2018, including upstairs at Envie Lounge. We couldn’t wait to try the pizza & pasta section, and I was surprised with the creations that appeared before us. Indian flavoured pasta! Our Vindaloo Fettuccini (95k) came with shredded beef, coconut and salted egg – a flavour bomb commenced to explode in my mouth. I loved the inventive nature of these dishes. Next up was the folded up Turkish style Pizza, with five options to choose from. We opted for the Chicken Tika (90k) w/ orange yoghurt and burnt pineapple. It was juicy, crunchy and flavoursome!
Ending your date with dessert is a must, and Salazon outdo themselves in the sweet tooth department. We were served another interpretation of a classic dish, the Crème Brulee (65k), with this one having a delicious black pudding layer at the bottom and was accompanied by a fresh chilli mango fruit salad. To top it off we also enjoyed the Burnt Pineapple (65k), served with marshmallows, mint, caramel and ice cream.
We concluded our time at Salazon with the special, smoky Negroni made directly in front of us on the cocktail trolley, which helped to put the conversation into full swing.
That was a romantic ending to an amazing culinary journey. Treat yourself to the new Salazon, the taste is always great, but now, the value for money side just got very reasonable.
