Indian adventure

Indian snack punjabi samosa. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The cooking time seems just right. The meat gets a slightly charred exterior without losing the moisture of its interior texture. It is a lip-smacking dish for all chicken barbecue lovers.

Chef Vikram Singh boasts that Hazara is the only restaurant in Beijing with a traditional Indian-style tandoori clay oven. It was customized and constructed in New Delhi and transported to Beijing.

The grilled chicken was served on a bed of lettuce with fresh lime and a creamy mint sauce, a common dipping sauce to pair with tandoori in India. It's an intense sauce made of green chilies, garlic, ginger, mint, yogurt, coriander, and a host of other spices, adding a delectable twist to the smoky-flavored chicken.

The tandoori-cooked "lazeez naan" bread looks plain, but tastes outstanding. Leavened bread made of white flour, cheese, butter, eggs, and milk takes on a thin, yet fluffy texture.

Hazara has an extensive menu, with the tandoori-baked naan alone offering dozens flavors. It may be difficult to order at an Indian restaurant unless you know the glossary of Indian food terms, but this does not apply to Hazara because the menu explains indetail the ingredients and cooking methods of each dish.

Though the portions are not substantial, they soon satisfied our appetites, filled our stomachs, leaving with rich aftertaste. For an Indian meal, too much isn't a good thing because each dish is full of flavors and various spices.

The bill may be some 200 yuan per person, a little higher than other Indian eateries in Beijing, but youget what you pay for. The restaurant's Nepalese manager Prem Karki said, "Our cheese is from New Zealand, saffron from Spain, and all spices are flown in directly from India."