MANILA -- Mantra has several meanings -- it can be a chant or it can be what gives zest in life.

According to Ranjit Chimni, the owner/proprietor of Mantra Indian Kitchen & Bar in Makati, it’s what makes you tick. And what makes this genial restauranteur tick is serving up amazing Indian food that’s value for money.

Chimni started Mantra back in 2016 after leaving his job at a BPO. Back then, the restaurant only occupied half the space it now has on a small street in Legaspi Village. Chimni rented the space beside it for a tapas place, but his food was so good that customers treated it as an extension of the restaurant with guests coming in just to order more biryani and butter chicken.

Chimni eventually gave in and gave Mantra the space it deserved.

One side is home to Mantra’s bar where guests can chill out and have a drink or two before dinner. The bar features an assortment of drinks and cocktails. Take a dram of Indian Amrut Single Malt Whiskey to wind down, or check out bar’s exotic cocktails like the spiked Buko Pandan Cooler, and the refreshing Siddharta. For Indian food purists, a teapot of authentic chai is a great way to open up or finish a meal.

During the COVID lockdowns, Chimni kept his staff employed by turning the whole space into a commissary for takeout and delivery. He recounted that there were even times when he delivered the food himself bringing him to all points of Metro Manila.

One of Mantra’s biggest hits during the lockdown was the Great Indian Rice Bowl. Indian food is perfect to package as rice toppings and one wonders why there aren’t more restaurants offering this. Chimni’s no-compromise version of this has loads of basmati rice layered in between the viand.

For example, if you were to order Mantra’s best-selling Butter Chicken as a Great Indian Rice Bowl, you’d get some butter chicken at the bottom, basmati rice in the middle, and another layer of butter chicken to top everything. When asked if he’d make a cheaper non-basmati rice version, Chimni just politely smiled and said that basmati is a big part of Indian food and it just wouldn’t be the same with regular rice.

Chimni describes Mantra’s food as predominantly Northern Indian where he’s originally from. That is, the curries are made with tomatoes and chili in contrast to Southern Indian recipes that have a bit of coconut in the curries. The dishes are more spice-forward as a result with less of the sweetness to hold it back.

While Indian food in Metro Manila is nothing new, what Chimni and his team at Mantra did was to show his Indian food in a whole new, sometimes practical, light. This is Indian food that can be eaten every day with its value-for-money prices and options for transport-friendly packaging. All one can do is to chant “Ommmmmmm” after a meal at Mantra.

Many are familiar with Palak Paneer, or Indian cottage cheese cooked in a spinach gravy. Mantra marinates its paneer, cooks it in the tandoor, then plates with cream. The cream and the marinade give the dish its yellow color and make this a very tasty appetizer. This makes a tasty pairing with the red picked onions on the side.

Chicken 69 is Mantra’s version of Chicken 65. Think of this as a spicy Indian fried chicken, with the crunch matching the balanced spice of the dish. Chimni said this is the only dish he would make spicier if a guest requests it.

Having an in-house tandoor makes it possible for Mantra to make its own Indian breads. From the humble chapati to stuffed breads like the Chili Cheese Naan, these are highly recommended in place of rice. Scraping off the last remaining bits of curry with bread is a nice way to end a meal.

Raita is a side dish made of yogurt and cucumber. If you find the curries too spicy, add a dollop of raita to cool the curries off a bit. Or just have this with salad or rice.

What’s an Indian restaurant without its own version of Butter Chicken. Oozing with spice and flavor, this will definitely get diners to order loads of rice.

On the healthy side, one of Mantra’s bestsellers is this vegetarian plate made of broccoli with cheese, corn patties, pea patties, and paneer with yogurt dip.

Biryani with a side of raita is another Indian staple that Mantra does well. The prawn and chicken biryani are meals on their own. If you’ve ordered other dishes, stick with the vegetable biryani as any of Mantra’s curry sauced dishes complement this traditional rice dish.

The Mutton with Black Pepper Sauce is one of the southern Indian dishes that made it to the menu and is a specialty of Mantra's chef. The sauce takes its unique flavors from the sweet spice mix of black pepper, coconut, and curry leaves.

Mantra Bistro is located at Unit G-07 of the Grand Midori, Bolanos St., Legaspi Village, Makati City and is open from Tuesday to Sunday. Lunch seating is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while dinner seating is from 5-9 p.m. For their complete menu and to order for pick-up or delivery, visit their Instagram page.