Zyka is a true taste of India

It's one of those places that just goes about its business of feeding people without any fuss, pomp or ceremony '“ but it should be shouting about its grub from every street corner in Newton Mearns '“ Zyka really is that good!
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Jun 2016, 09:00 BST
The dishes hit all the right notesThe dishes hit all the right notes
The dishes hit all the right notes

Zyka, named after the Indian word for taste or flavour, a race that knew the secrets of fine flavours before anyone else, is located in the Greenlaw shopping centre, Newton Mearns.

The restaurant comprises two completely separate sections, one being the Indian restaurant, the other side comprising the bar, grill and TV lounge. The place is so flexible in its dining arrangements however that patrons can eat from either menu in any area.

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It’s a very slick operation with staff knowing exactly where they should be and what they should be doing. The first impression one gets is the overall friendliness of all the staff.

Drinks duly arrived along with the obligatory poppadoms and spicy onions – nothing offensive about this taster with crispy, dry, dinner plate size poppadoms and fresh, fruity lightly spiced onions.

I will admit now to salivating as I read the menu and found that they offered three of my favourite ingredients, king prawns, monkfish and salmon. So imagine my delight at being offered all three as tandoori cooked starters and a side order of haddock pakora just in case we got peckish part-way through!

A sizzling plate duly arrived piled high with goodies cooked to perfection. All too often I’ve eaten king prawn and monkfish in restaurants and they’ve been like rubber bullets, while salmon has often been dry and tasteless. Not so at Zyka. This was a plate of very well seasoned and cooked gifts from the sea.

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The prawns and monkfish were sweet, succulent and tender with just the right level of spice. The salmon, flaked perfectly, was soft, just ever so slightly charred, as tandoori cooking should be. The haddock pakora was as good, a light, yet spicy batter wrapped around succulent and chunky pieces of beautiful white-fleshed fish.

In order to truly sample the kitchen skills, we were supplied with four dishes, a lamb Lazeez Gosht. Tender lamb cooked with finely chopped onions with a touch of cream sauce, blended together with cashew nuts and fresh ground spices. A king prawn Ceylonese Korma, a chicken Chasni and a garlic chilli chicken.

It’s difficult to truly explain to a reader the taste sensations that these dishes provided, we had sweet, spicy, tangy and all with a fragrance from the freshly prepared spices in the sauces. The lamb was a standout dish here – soft, tender, succulent, it literally melted in the mouth. All the dishes provided a taste explosion, and no matter what you choose you won’t be dissapointed.

The only problem you might find eating here is that the portion sizes are large, so do bear that in mind. It’s never been a problem for me though ...

Zyka Bar and Grill, 12 Greenlaw Place, Greenlaw Village, Newton Mearns, 0141 639 3279

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Related topics:India