LOVERS of fine Indian food have surprisingly few options in Yangon given the city’s proximity to the subcontinent.

But since late June, a new arrival has been spicing up taste buds with superb and authentic Northern Indian cuisine.

Zaika-Bar Tandoor & Bar-be-que, on the second floor of the somewhat ropey-looking Asia Plaza Hotel, is the first Indian restaurant in Yangon with a clay tandoor oven, giving marinated meat dishes a deep and delectable smoky flavour.

The focus at Zaika-Bar is on authenticity, said Gaurav Rawat, the restaurant’s congenial Calcutta-born co-owner. All the spices are imported from India, the naan (flatbread) is never rubbery, and the cottage cheese is made fresh daily by the restaurant’s Indian master chef.

Our meal proved over and again that this attention to detail pays off.

For appetizers we sampled the chicken tikka sticks – marinated for six hours in yoghurt and spices before it’s baked in the tandoor – as well as tandoor-cooked cottage cheese and prawns, and a juicy Chinese-style chili chicken, deep-fried in a spicy sauce that’s shipped direct from India.

The main courses were equally impressive. Our fish reacheado was a pan-fried pomfret stuffed with a spicy tomato-based veggie mix, small but delicious. The masterpiece was the vegetable roghan josh, a dish Mr Rawat said is exclusive to Zaika-Bar. Experimenting with the roghan josh curry, which is normally used with mutton, the chef discovered it goes perfectly with vegetables.

The results were exquisite, especially accompanied by piping hot naan filled with shredded homemade cottage cheese or butter. The raita – a yoghurt salad with mint, tomato, cucumber and spice – also proved a perfect complement.

Our dessert alone would make Zaika-Bar worth a visit: strawberry gelato (ice cream) served with maraschino cherries. Mr Rawat said the ice cream is homemade here in Yangon by an Italian friend.

The atmosphere in Zaika-Bar is tastefully understated, with a small 10-table dining room accented by parquet floors and hand-painted ceilings. The seven-seat bar features a full range of liquors as well as lassis and other fresh fruit drinks.

Prices are reasonable, with starters ranging from K1700-3400 and mains from K1750-3600. They also offer set meals for K2100-4100.

There is one drawback, especially for a downtown location – that Zaika-Bar is not open for lunch. But they make up for lost time by staying open late, taking orders until 11:30pm.

Friday and Saturday nights feature a DJ spinning mainly Indian music. Fridays are the most happening, Mr Rawat said, while Saturdays offer a buffet with free flow of red wine for K6000.

For a taste of authentic Indian cuisine in downtown, Zaika-Bar is highly recommended.

What: Zaika-Bar Tandoor & Bar-be-que
Where: Second floor of the Asia Plaza Hotel, 277 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada township
When: Daily 5pm-12:30pm