I don't know why I didn't realize that Curryfest would be spicy - I mean, it is in the name! - but damn, were my tastebuds severely unprepared. Everything was so flavourful and delicious, but some dishes also left me with a burning mouth. I guess that's the price you've got to pay for intense flavour, though!
Tickets to Curryfest included free entrance to the Aga Khan museum from 6-7 pm, an hour before the food was officially served. M and I took the opportunity to explore the exhibition and take some photos of the exterior. It's honestly one of the most photogenic buildings I've laid my eyes on. So. Pretty.
We saw a few people in tour groups, and on second thought, I wish we had looked into it a little more and went along with a guide. Even with the descriptions under the art (and iPads for your use!), I felt like we were missing out on a lot of information.
I'm always one to appreciate Turkish rugs & gorgeous mosaic tiles. No explanation needed to enjoy those :)
First stop: Pai. I correctly predicted that it would have the longest lineups, so M and I booked it to their stall as soon as they started serving. No wait for us!
On the left is Kua Gai, chicken thighs over rice with lemongrass, galanga, turmeric and chili (my pick). On the right is Kanom Jeen, a wild ginger and tomato curry with fish and chicken (M's pick). Both were a little too hot for me, but M added even more spicy sauce to his noodles. That boy has an insanely high spice tolerance.
Next up, we went to Saffron Spice Kitchen's Stall. On the left, M got Curry Chicken on rice, whereas I went with Butter Chicken on the right. The Butter Chicken was served over Godhamba roti, which is a Sri Lankan dish made from Godhamba roti, vegetables, egg, and spices. It was such an interesting texture and worked great with the flavours from the Butter Chicken.
My favourite eat of the night was from Little Sister, an Indonesian Food Bar. We got Semur Java, which had Javanese-spiced braised beef with crispy potatoes and green onions. It wasn't too spicy (perfect for me!) and the beef spent quite some time marinating in the sauce, so it was juicy and tender. I'm so impressed with this meal that I've put Little Sister on my "visit soon" list!
For desert, Nana made ice cream sandwhiches. I could swear that there was a hint of spice, and indeed when we looked at their menu, we saw the cookie was chili chocolate. Such an interesting mix with Millie coconut gelato and curry peanut brittle. A great finale to an evening of stuffing ourselves with food.
If next year is anything like this year, I highly recommend you check out Curryfest. Sure, it's on the pricy side (including tickets and food, we probably spent $50 per person), but it's a great way to sample many different and unique dishes all in one place, and check out the Aga Khan Museum as well.
