Pho-real experience

If you’ve been living in Bengaluru for a while, the name ‘Cafe Thulp’ will ring a bell. While many of us look forward to the juicy burgers available there, the cafe has a co-brand outlet called ‘Asia in a Box’.

This was earlier available for residents in Kamanahalli for home delivery, but thanks to its popularity, the owners decided to give it a new avatar and make it available at the restaurants.

Unlike other Asian restaurants, you won’t find the classic lanterns and dim light space. As ‘Asia in a Box’ is located in ‘Cafe Thulp’, you will experience Southeast Asian cuisine like never before, with a quirky comic book ambience.

The menu here is simple but has a few dishes that you wouldn’t have had elsewhere. Vietnamese noodle soup, Pho, is highly recommended. You can choose to have smoked beef, grilled chicken, pork belly, prawn or a mixed version of it. We tried the smoked beef and we couldn’t get enough of it. The rice noodles gave it the perfect balance to the salty and spicy broth. The bean sprouts, herb and garlic oil complemented the Pho.

In order to try something different, we ordered the Green Plantain Salad in which the plantain was crispy fried and tossed with soy sauce, garlic chilli, lime and coriander. This salad is a winner for those who like plantain, but if you’re like me, you can try something else instead.

The Smoked Beef Salad, on the other hand, was a palate pleaser. Unlike what you would expect, the beef was shredded and the seasoning of burnt chilli powder, fish sauce, lime and coriander took the salad experience to a whole new level. It was light, refreshing and just what you needed to try more dishes. If you want to try something fun, Lao Pork Sausage is a must. The spicy herb Laotian sausages are grilled and served with fresh ginger, garlic, chilli and sweet chilli sauce which you to wrap in a lettuce. It’ll definitely make you feel like you’re working on a DIY project.

Depending on what you want to have for the main course, you can choose to have either sandwich, meat/seafood items, rice or noodles.

We opted for Dan Dan Noodles and Nari Goreng. Both were equally good and the portions were good enough for two people.

The Stir Fried Chicken, Chinese Cabbage and Watermelon Rind with Cashewnuts was an interesting addition to our main course. Who would have thought that watermelon rind would make a good dish!

There are just a couple of drinks that you can have with your meal. The Lemon Grass Iced Tea with Palm Jaggery might sound interesting but we don’t recommend it. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee, on the other hand, is a winner.

‘Asia In A Box’ is located at 998, 1st Main, 1st Block, Near Wipro Park, Koramangala. For details, contact 40933355.