(由 Google 翻译)马杜赖面包帕罗塔(Madurai Bun Parotta)已成为许多人的朝圣之地,一道令人引以为傲又充满怀旧情怀的美食。带着好奇和饥饿,我们来到了马杜赖面包帕罗塔卡代(Madurai Bun Parotta Kadai),却发现他们的“关门时间”出乎意料地严格,晚上11点就关门了。对于一种本应是午夜美食的守护神来说,这简直像个天方夜谭。不过,店员们却异常热情。尽管我们来得晚,他们依然真诚地欢迎我们,毫无不耐烦地帮我们点餐,并像真正的主人一样热情地提出建议。
店里的氛围乏善可陈,但也无可挑剔。干净、简洁、朴实。桌椅就像大学食堂里那样,实用而真诚,但与即将品尝的价格相比,却显得有些格格不入。
最先上桌的是面包帕罗塔。它个头小巧,精致可口,还配有四种萨尔纳(salna),让整盘菜看起来比实际分量要丰盛得多。外层酥脆,内里柔软,但层次感较弱,不够酥脆。萨尔纳(salna)拼盘很有趣,每份只有一两小块,可以随意混合。但新鲜感过后,这道面包帕罗塔(bun parota)就让人失望了。它缺乏层次感,我不禁怀念起正宗马拉巴尔帕罗塔(Malabar parota)那种层次分明的美味。
接下来的鸡蛋科图帕罗塔(egg kothu parota)还算可以,既不惊艳也不糟糕。柔软的帕罗塔面条、蔬菜和鸡蛋融合得不错。之后上桌的羊肉丘卡(mutton chukka)分量少得可怜,简直像是试吃装。肉质鲜嫩,汤汁辛辣,但考虑到价格,分量实在少得可笑。
然后是咖喱薄饼(kari dosa),这道菜成了当晚的败笔。那张薄饼又厚又硬,完全不听话,上面的咖喱酱孤零零地堆在那里,几乎没几块,仿佛在制作过程中就放弃了希望。它没吃完,这在任何一家南印度餐厅都是罕见的耻辱。
然后账单来了。这家餐厅的环境就像个校园食堂,味道也只能算勉强及格,但价格却大胆地飙升到了五星级水平。这令人震惊,但这种大胆也几乎令人钦佩。
最终,这次光顾不过是走个过场,为了尝一次马杜赖面包帕罗塔而打了个勾。我会礼貌地结束这次探索之旅,回到我挚爱的马拉巴尔帕罗塔。至于咖喱薄饼,我仍然抱有希望,但不会再来这家了。
这家餐厅的服务确实热情,但除此之外,几乎没有什么值得再次光顾的地方。
4/10
(原文)
Madurai Bun Parotta has become a pilgrimage for many, a dish whispered about with pride and nostalgia. So with equal parts curiosity and hunger, we found ourselves at Madurai Bun Parotta Kadai, only to discover that their “closing time” was an unexpectedly strict 11 PM. For a food meant to be the patron saint of midnight cravings, this felt like a cosmic joke. Still, the staff were remarkably warm. Despite our late arrival, they welcomed us with genuine affection, took our order without a hint of irritation, and offered suggestions like hosts who still believed in hospitality.
The ambience offered little to admire but nothing to complain about. Clean, simple, straightforward. The tables and chairs felt like a college mess, utilitarian and honest, though certainly not matching the prices to come.
The star arrived first the bun parota. It was small, neat, appetising, and accompanied by four salnas that made the plate look far richer than it was. The outer layer had a gentle crispness, the inside was soft, though the layers were more tangled than flaky. The salnas were fun to explore, each offering a small piece or two and encouraging playful mixing. But once the novelty passed, the bun parota fell flat. It lacked depth, and I found myself longing for the layered beauty of a proper Malabar parota.
The egg kothu parota followed and was acceptable, neither glowing with brilliance nor sinking into disaster. Soft parota strands, vegetables and egg blended well enough. The mutton chukka then arrived in a portion so tiny it could have been mistaken for a tasting sample. The meat was tender, the gravy spicy, but the quantity bordered on comedic considering the price.
And then came the kari dosa, the tragic downfall of the evening. The dosa was thick, stiff, utterly unwilling to cooperate, and the kari on top was a lonely spread with almost no pieces, as though it had lost hope along the way. It was left unfinished, a rare dishonour in any South Indian meal.
Then the bill arrived. For a setting that resembled a campus canteen and flavours that hovered somewhere between decent and disappointing, the cost soared bravely toward five star territory. It was shocking, almost admirable in its audacity.
In the end, the visit became nothing more than a formality, a checkbox ticked for the sake of trying Madurai bun parotta once in life. I will politely retire from this quest and return to my beloved Malabar parota. As for kari dosa, I still hold hope, but not within these walls.
A place that serves warmth in service, yes, but little else that warrants a return.
4/10