January 16, 2015 | Posted in:Brunch
We had the pleasure of being invited to preview the new brunch being served at American Gymkhana. Located off of Sandlake Road, the theme of modern Indian cuisine shines through the varied menu and craft cocktails being served at this new Orlando restaurant. Enjoy your meal in the chic bar area, one of two dining rooms or the bright and airy veranda which offered a mix of tables and lounge seating.
Brunch is $25 per person, not including tax and gratuity, and includes 2 brunch cocktails, an entree and side. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30AM – 3:30pm and a DJ spins live from noon on, both days.
The cocktails at American Gymkhana are delicious. Each component is made fresh in house, with a modern Indian twist. The Burning Desire Bloody Mary is seasoned with traditional house blended garam masala, the heat is pleasantly zingy and not overpowering. (Fans of a well made Bloody Mary should be pleased!) The Peach Bellini is made with fresh peach purée, a hint of fresh ginger and housemade grenadine. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for these tasty cocktails! We also tried the Orange Mango and Lychee mimosas, which were lighter and refreshing. Look for additional brunch beverages to be added as brunch services settles in.
If you prefer to lighten it up- order one of several craft mocktails, which will be equally delicious thanks to the lovely, fresh juices and ingredients. Coffee and tea service are available for an additional charge and are sure to impress. Both coffee and tea are served in a French press and accompanied by sweeteners and steamed milk, a very nice touch as tea and coffee were warm throughout our entire meal.
The American Gymkhana brunch menu has a varied offerings of eggs, savory items, sweeter selections and a lunch entrees. Chef Aarthi is quite thoughtful in creating nicely balanced dishes; there was nothing we tasted that was overly spiced, too spicy (heat) or too sweet. We loved the Banjara Chicken & Waffles- juicy fried chicken breast chunks served on top of buttermilk tadka waffle with garlic yogurt. The crisp exterior of the large Belgian-style waffle gave way to a tender and airy center.
Also included with the chicken & waffles was flavored butter, Maple Ginger-Coconut syrup and Honey Zest syrup. We really enjoyed dipping the waffle and fried chicken into the individual syrups, instead of pouring the syrup over the dish. The spices in the chicken played differently with the flavors of each syrup.
Important to note, neither syrup was overly sweet, a nice change. If diners prefer, traditional maple syrup is available upon request. The Desi Omelette was equally delicious. The generously sized omelette is filled with serrano chili, sautéed onion, cilantro and Amul cheese and served with buttered toast and a choice of micro kale salad or Masala Potato Wedges. The mild heat of serrano chilis combined with the Amul cheese in the omelette was fantastic. Amul is a processed melting cheese, it has a nice creamy flavor and melty texture comparable to melted Brie.
The Masala Potato Wedges were well spiced and satisfying. The flavors complimented the omelette beautifully and the wedges came with a side of scrumptious roasted tomato and onion chutney. (Which, we were happy to dip everything into.)
The Mumbia Frankie wrap is filled with tender chunks of Gymkhana chicken (Chicken Tikka), sauteed onions & sweet peppers, appointed with garlic aioli and tucked into a flaky housemade partha. Also served with your choice of micro kale salad or Masala Potato Wedges. The kale and cashew salad was tender and we liked this lighter side paired with this flavorful entree. The Mumbai Frankie is a sharable item or will fill up a hungry diner with ease.
The Daily Bread Basket is available as an ala carte side and on our visit featured buttered toast, toasted potato rolls and garlic naan. We were happy to have the extra bread to soak up the tempting sauces and chutneys on the table.
Also available ala carte is the Black Cardamom & Hickory Smoked Lamb Bacon, which we enjoyed as fans of Lamb. It was lighter on the spice notes, we couldn’t help thinking this would be incredibly delicious to all with some kicked up spices or as take on candied bacon.
The Warm Spice Granola Berry Parfait for #brunch at @americangymkhana is so good! Chef Aarthi’s secret is adding a house blend of spices including cardamom to give it a savory sweet flavor that elevates this from your traditional cinnamon raisin granola you find everywhere else. This is one dish I did not share! A photo posted by Christina Thomas (@goepicurista) on
We also sampled a few bites of the Warm Spice Granola & Berry Parfait, which was a delicious end to our meal. (Thanks GoEpicurista.com for sharing and the great pic!) For those in and around the attractions area, American Gymkhana is one to put on your list to dine. Save me a seat, as I’ll be visiting the Dr. Phillips area again soon for Chef Aarthi’s delicious and inventive brunch menu. Reservations are recommended, call 407-985-2900 or book through Opentable.com.
Lisa Wilk
Hello, I'm Lisa Wilk! I'm a freelance food, wine and travel writer, photographer and presenter based out of Orlando, FL. While covering local restaurants and food events in the #1 tourist destination in the US, I find endless cooking inspiration when dining out. You'll often find me in the kitchen putting my own spin on those elevated chef creations to enjoy at home and when entertaining. I have a love and enthusiasm for wine, wine education and wine pairing. Find me about town teaching and demystifying wine as part of the popular @TheTastyTrio in the popular Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired program series I've co-developed. Taste, Cook and Sip along with me on Twitter and Instagram at @TasteCookSip and @WineChix! Cheers!
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LoveCompassionateLee
February 11, 2015
The Desi omelette, Masala wedges, and garlic naan look incredible! This is brunch on a whole new level. Happy Wednesday 🙂