78 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Pasta dish. Five years ago, on an episode of Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, Manish trounced the celebrity chef with this Indo-Italian-style spinach paneer lasagna with brown garlic, fenugreek leaves and mozzarella. “It’s a mind game,” Manish recalls of the competition with a chuckle. “I had butterflies in my stomach. The floor is sinking… Time, clock, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.” But, “Once I survived the first round, then I was more confident. After the warmup, you’re ready for the main game!” In Aurum—a vibrant space of coral and aqua with golden chairs, gilded ferns painted on the walls and flower-like sconces—Manish dishes out paneer and paratha, kebabs and curry with alacrity. “I’ve worked in so many downtowns,” he says—but there’s something about this small town that thrums like smooth jazz. “Los Altos is a very tightly-knit community,” he reflects. “You have to go with the flow, the rhythm.” You’ll have to let us know… Can you taste the music? savor & sway aurumca.com {food coloring}
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