OTW has an impressive ambience, but the lack of variety on the menu is a dampener
Setz’s two-week old cousin OTW — On The Waterfront — at the The Aman Hotel, scores full points for its pretty looks, and could’ve been one of the most sought after eat out places popping up in the Capital, if only it did not leave much for asking.
The ambience of this newest F&B offering, which we were invited to review, cleverly mixes the new and the old. As soon as you enter, a jaw-dropping behemoth installation, Tears of a Fisherman, by German artist and light objects designer Ingo Maurer, put up in the main dining area, plugs you.
The 132-cover restaurant is spread into different sections. On the ground level is the main dining area, with a splendid deli in the centre and a verandah with a casual seating. On the first floor, you have the Oriental dining space with a live kitchen that keeps you tuned to the kitchen dramatics. For those looking for some privacy, there’s a sexy jetty over the water body with private tables. But the restaurant that positions itself as a multicuisine lets you down when it comes to variety, more so if you compare it with the smorgasbord of dishes that Set’z lays out. Although the menu includes Thai, Chinese, European and Indian cuisine — and there are some creative dishes — course options in each are sparse. A Thai food lover, for example, may not be happy to know that there’s nothing like a curry on the menu. All you find in the Thai section are two soups and a few stir-fried options. And if you want a Chinese soup, there’s none. This they say, is to keep OTW distinct from Set’z. But the logic may not go down well with those who love taking their pick from multifarious options when eating out in a multicuisine fine dining.
But if you are content going by what the menu offers, disappointment in terms of flavours is least likely. The raw mango and sea bass salad spruced with peanuts and tossed in a spicy lemon dressing, was fresh and zingy with the fried fish adding just the right amount of crispness. The steamed tiger prawns with light soy and tobiko dissolved in the mouth, and the Japanese wagyu from the robata (you won’t find it at Set’z) with garlic chips stood up to the praise our server has
heaped on it.
But if you are content going by what the menu offers, disappointment in terms of flavours is least likely. The raw mango and sea bass salad spruced with peanuts and tossed in a spicy lemon dressing, was fresh and zingy with the fried fish adding just the right amount of crispness. The steamed tiger prawns with light soy and tobiko dissolved in the mouth, and the Japanese wagyu from the robata (you won’t find it at Set’z) with garlic chips stood up to the praise our server has
heaped on it.
Where: On The Waterfront, The Aman Hotel, Lodhi Road
Meal for two: Rs 4,000 plus taxes (without alcohol)