Gajaa at 8 @ Bangsar

We’ve been wanting to pay this Indian restaurant a visit for a while now but everytime we called to make a reservation, it was always fully booked. As all our previous attempts were during the night for dinner, this time we tried to drop by for lunch instead and guess what – they had space to accommodate. Yippy !!

Gajaa at 8 might just be one of the fanciest Indian restaurants in this part of town, aesthetically. It is located right next door to Gravy Baby, along Lorong Maarof. Parking is a tad difficult. Whatever little parking they have within the vicinity of the restaurant are often fully occupied. Today was no different. We ended up driving down the street and parked by the roadside.

Customer service was okay. The waiter that served my table, there seemed to be some sort of language barrier? We had to repeat several questions a few time. For instance, is the briyani meant for 1 person or more? Luckily, before frustration kicked in, the waiter was upfront about it- that he does not understand, he don’t know. Rather than standing around being all clueless, he did head back to the kitchen to seek assistance. Although there were issues with communication, I appreciated the fact that the waiter was upfront about it, unlike waiters at some other restaurants whereby their ego and self righteousness superceded doing the job right and treating customers well. So, good job.

Kerala Chicken Biriyani, RM 27 + Fish Pakoda, RM 20

According to the Menu, this dish is a popular starter and since we’ve got plenty of space in our tummies today, we decided to give it a go. The pakoda was yummy, tasty and flavorful. There were about 10 medium sized pieces served on a platter with some sauce on the side. If you are hoping to find solid bits of fish in each pakoda – you are not going to find it … believe me, I did try looking, lol. I think it was all nicely mashed up prior to frying. I enjoyed eating the fish pakoda, besides tasting awesome, its texture was appealing too – crispy on the outside, dense on the inside.

To us, the Chicken Biriyani was a tad bland, it was missing something tastewise. Besides that, everything else was pretty much okay. According to the waiter, the dish was meant for two. It felt rather little for two though … hmmm, perhaps for 2 small eaters then. Having just the briyani between the two of us wouldn’t have filled us up but add in the fish pakoda, yup that did it. The dish comes with briyani rice + 3,4 pieces of chicken + 1 boiled egg served in halfs with raita served on the side. As mentioned about, the rice tasted a little bland. Maybe its just off today? My friend insisted I visit Gajaa because food was good and we generally have the same tastebuds, sense and likes. After all, Gajaa is faring well on Google review with plenty of ravings on how tasty the food served here is. So, perhaps another try is needed with the briyani?? I wouldn’t mind revisiting.