Cheyenne Suarez

Makati eats: Mantra owner unlocks flavors of India with Agni

Article (news)

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771576022486cover.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Agni is located at Comuna in Makati. Jeeves De Veyra"/>Agni is located at Comuna in Makati. Jeeves De Veyra</div>If someone asked me for Indian food recommendations in Manila, Mantra featuring homey North Indian specialties in a comfortable family setting is at the top of my list.Thus, I was really looking forward to Agni, Mantra owner Ranjit Chimni&#x27;s foray into the rest of the Indian culinary region.Despite having no previous restaurant experience, Chimni built Mantra into a relatively successful venture. That&#x27;s no mean feat since Indian cuisine&#x27;s local reputation ranges from foreign and unknown to scary and intimidating because of the perceived heat and spice. In his words, the Filipino market for Indian food is evolving and it has enabled him to open two locations: one in the Makati Central Business District, and the other in the environs of Alabang.But even then, Chimni didn&#x27;t find opening new branches that exciting anymore.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771575951404Ranjit Chimni.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Ranjit Chimni, owner of Mantra and Agni. Jeeves De Veyra"/>Ranjit Chimni, owner of Mantra and Agni. Jeeves De Veyra</div>Agni is Indian for &quot;flame,&quot; and it was just what Chimni needed to re-ignite his excitement. He calls it a form of personal progression where he moves toward elevated dining with more intention, detail, and experience-driven service.Comparisons to Mantra just can&#x27;t be avoided. Where Mantra was family cooking, Agni is more upper casual, more suited for dates or a night out with friends, with drinks befitting its elevated interiors.The centerpiece of the space is the two-story painting of an orange-violet flame that rises from the floor.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771576064325interiors 1.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>At the bar, Chimni continues his advocacy to introduce Indian liquor and spirts to Filipino drinkers. While he has bottles of Indian single malts Amrut and John Paul in Mantra, in Agni there are lesser-known whiskies like Rampur, Indri, and Godawan, as well as the Indian craft gin Cherrapunji. On the second floor, there is more seating for those who&#x27;d want a more secluded space.Start out the evening with a pour, or Agni&#x27;s select cocktails like the boozy milk tea Masala Shang, the Darjeeling Tea highball, or the Am Antica mango cacao negroni.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157612672700 - COCKTAILS 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>The restaurant follows what&#x27;s expected of an upper casual dining menu. For one or two diners, Chimni recommends having a selection of small plates where one can run the gamut of flavors and dishes Agni has to offer. The large plates are good for bigger groups, though it would be prudent to have more than one.Think of the Palaak Tempura Chaat as crispy kangkong with toppings that explode with Indian spice and flavors. It&#x27;s a definite must-order appetizer to open up the palate.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157620446701 - SMALL - Palaak Tempura Chaat.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraFrom Lucknow in Central India is the Beef Galouti. With this, Chimni shows off what Agni is all about. Balanced heat, distinctive flavors, and unfamiliar textures that somehow come together. </div>The galouti brings &quot;melt-in-your-mouth&quot; to all new levels as this is almost paté-like. This also has a vegetarian-friendly option, with mushroom used in the pate instead of beef.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157624700702 - SMALL - Beef Galouti.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>Indian cuisine is known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes. Agni&#x27;s peppery jackfruit can be mistaken for chicken could be too in-your-face when taken alone. But spread on paratha, it&#x27;s a great bite.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157629152603 - Jackfruit.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>Vindaloo is often thought of as the spiciest of Indian curries. Agni&#x27;s version still packs some heat but it&#x27;s nowhere as exceedingly spicy as reputed, especially when taken with the buttered bao which tempers the spice even more.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157634944704 -SMALL - Prawn Vindaloo.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraA proper Indian restaurant should have a tandoor. Agni&#x27;s Chicken Tikka is marinated in saffron, with brightness from the yogurt and beetroot sauces with nutty notes from sesame seeds. There is chili should you want more bite.</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157638360705 - SMALL - Chicken Tikka.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraMeen Polichatu comes from Kerala in Southern India. Sea bass is slowly cooked in banana leaves in a tamarind curry. </div>Unwrap the banana leaf and twine to reveal the fish that just falls apart with a touch of the spoon, with more defined flavors of curry and tamarind baked into it.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157642330706 - SMALL - Meen Polichatu - Wrapped.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraThen there are the large plates.</div>Chimni admits to playing with the recipes by subtly changing some techniques or some ingredients. For the Lasooni Saag, palak is usually cooked with blocks of paneer cheese. But Chimni&#x27;s version uses a creamier burrata instead, which goes well with the spinach curry’s heat.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157652446707 - LARGE - Palak Burata.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>HandoutWhat else can be done with Butter Chicken? In Agni, Chimni smokes the nuts used in the sauce. </div>Added to the tandoor baked chicken with bites of the fermented chapati, this supercharges the smoky notes of this dish.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157656190608 - LARGE - BUutter Chicken.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraThe Daab Chingri is pressure-cooked inside a coconut that&#x27;s been sealed shut with clay. Tiger Prawns and shaved coconut meat are stewed in coconut and mustard leaves. </div>This dish just demands extra servings of rice as one would really need them to slurp off every drop of that herby and spicy soup.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157663464709 - Prawn in Coconut.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraIn a nod to modern cooking methods, Agni&#x27;s butter-poached lobster tail is cooked sous-vide. </div>On the plate, it comes with a tomato-mango chaaru style sauce with basmati rice.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157668260810 -LARGE - Lobster Tail.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>In Lucknow, Nihari is usually cooked with goat meat. But here, Agni has slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone lamb leg with spicy marsala and a fermented, slight sour Khameeri roti.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157673724911 - LARGE - Lamb Shank.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De VeyraFor dessert, Agni has a rice soup that&#x27;s like a Gulab Jamun porridge, and a panna cotta made from manual coffee brewed with Indian specialty coffee beans. </div>Both aren&#x27;t overly sweet and make for a nice ending to this guided journey into Indian food.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177157677530912 - Desserts.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jeeves De Veyra"/>Jeeves De Veyra</div>Agni really fanned Chimni&#x27;s flames as I could sense his excitement as he laid out what else he wanted to do with this new restaurant.Since Agni&#x27;s menu is from all over India, he will be changing menus every so often. &quot;India has enough specialties for me to change the menu over several lifetimes,&quot; Chimni said with a grin.The experimentation will extend to special events as Chimni wants to play around with pairings with different wines, liquors, and spirits. A sake pairing dinner is what seems to be coming soon. Personally, I&#x27;d look forward to a tasting or pairing session with select sips of the Indian spirits at the bar.Comuna is fast becoming an eclectic collection of restaurants. Agni is a deserving addition to this food destination and should heat up the appetite for a deeper and more delicious exploration into Indian food.Agni can be found on the ground floor of Comuna along Vito Cruz Extension, Makati and is open from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight. Reservations are recommended. Please check out @agnibymantra on their social media channels for more information and for reservations.

Agni is Mantra owner Ranjit Chimni's foray into the rest of the Indian culinary region.

Agni is Mantra owner Ranjit Chimni's foray into the rest of the Indian culinary region.