I stay in Noida but have never really been impressed by any of the restaurants when it comes to dining. So I was pleasantly surprised by Basil Tree in Sector 18, the restaurant where I went to review the new additions in their menu.
The 98 cover restaurant was packed even on a week day and I saw people pouring in till the time I was there. Originally started as an Italian restaurant some two years back, to survive without some Chinese and Indian additions, was a struggle. With the additions, the menu is now extensive and offers a veritable fare. As a habit I started with a soup bowl which was a chicken soup with lime and coriander. Served piping hot, this clear soup was perfectly seasoned. Even the Greek salad which followed had a nicely balanced dressing with fresh crisp veggies. For appetisers I thought of having a mix of Chinese and Indian offerings. I loved whatever they served me from the Indian section specially their tandoori chicken and seekh kababs. There are very few places which do good seekh and I was glad to find reasonable ones at Basil Tree. Though slightly overpowering with cardamom, the kababs were very succulent and flavourful. I loved the mustard flavour in their fish tikka and the creaminess of their Afghani tangri. The only disappointment was their roasted BBQ wings which didn’t have BBQ sauce but were loaded with tomato ketchup.
Every starter which followed seemed to be better than the previous one. For mains I ordered their grilled fish, braised lamb and oven roasted chicken. I must say it was one of the best grilled fish I have eaten in Noida. The juices of the fish were intact and the seasoning was balanced to perfection. The marination didn’t overpower the flavours of the fish. But my recommendation, when you visit Basil Tree, would be their brick oven pizzas. I mean it’s really challenging to sell pizzas when you are surrounded with pizza giants in the market but their pizzas can easily be the winner amongst them. Even trying their lasagna and calzone is not a bad idea as they offer good variants in each category.
Meal for two: Rs.1200 plus taxes
