"Lucknow" City of Nawab's Part 1

Our Last Post was about "Nawabi Kabab" and recently I had the opportunity to visit the City of Nawab's "LUCKNOW"

This will be first post not based on a restaurant but on different food findings of a City.

When you hear Lucknow the first thing comes to mind is "Kabab". I had decided to taste all the different Kababs Lucknow city has to offer (technically not possible as I had 2 days only).

Day 1 - DASTARKHWAN - 

"Dastarkhwan" literally means big Ceremonial dining area.

I went there at 9.00 PM and could not get my foot inside the Road side joint. After waiting for

another half an hour got the opportunity to finally sit down and get down to business.

Following the principle of  "messier the place testier the food" I had good hope and expectations.

Menu was simple around 14 dishes in total and surprisingly one VEG dish - Paneer Butter Masala (which was out of stock).

Specialty of the joint is Chicken Masala and Galawat Kabab*.

*Galawat Kabab / Galawati Kabab this too has a history behind it. As the story goes the Nawab of Awadh become too old to eat (without teeth) his favorite Kababs so Royal Chef came up with new recipe of this kabab. I am sure you got the concept now whether the story is true or not will leave it at that.

Along with Chicken Masala you can order Parathas or Roomali rootis. Parathas are almost fried in Oil and is made crispy. It compliments the texture of Chicken masala and the Galawat Kababs.

Chicken Masala is actually only masala and lots of oil. Masala is made up of usual garam masala , double G's (Ginger & Garlic) and loads of Cashew Nut paste.

Cashew Nuts give a different texture to the complete dish along with richness.

Overall Experience was good but after comparing to other joints in Lucknow will rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Cost wise it is very economical , for two people it will be around Rs. 600.

Again same advice go with friends and family to enjoy variety of dishes

Address - Dastarkhwan -29, B N Road, B.N.Road, Near Lalbagh Girls Inter Colleges Lalbagh Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001

More from Lucknow....


To be continued...


ENJOY FOOD...

Nawabi Kabab Junction

NAWABI KABAB JUNCTION


Craving for smoking hot delicious kababs in a winter evening?

You can head straight to this joint called NAWABI KABABS! If you don’t mind seating roadside, you can enjoy fresh and hot kababs straight out of tandoor, otherwise you will have to take a parcel. As the joint is situated just outside a chicken shop, supply of fresh meat is
guaranteed which reflects in the juiciness of the kababs. It has another branch at Vidyavikas circle which has a bit more seating facility.

Menu offers variety of dishes in chicken, fish and mutton. Of course, the main attraction is kababs. Well marinated kababs of different variety are arranged on a platform and are grilled on a Tandoor as per ordered.

 We tasted few varieties like Chicken Reshmi Tikkas which are mildly spiced in white marination with curd, cream and cashew paste. As the name suggests, these kababs are really subtle in flavor and could be enjoyed by kids also.Those who like it spicy, can go for Chicken tikka or Chicken Pahadi tikka. Chicken tikkas are with red marination with just the right amount of spices which makes them really delicious. Pahadi tikkas are marinated in green paste made of mint, green chillies and coriander. All these herbs bring freshness in the taste of kababs and make them light. Only thing is the amount of food colour used in marinations can be reduced a bit, but again overuse of food colours is very common in such cuisines.

Now about the most popular tandoor dish..Yes..The one and only Tandoori chicken!  You can higher your expectations on that one. Better than I have ever tasted in any reputed hotels in nasik.  Just the right amount of spices and chilly which makes you lick your fingers. A butter Nan along with tandoori chicken would have made a perfect dish for me but Nan was not available through its listed on the menu, so slight disappointment there.

Prices are at par with the quantity of food. Within Rs 500 , two people can enjoy 2-3 varieties of kababs.

For Biryanis, kheema and other dishes you might have to check the availability.

Enjoy the food ..

do keep us posted with your feedback and suggestions..

The First Take on “Steak”

The First Take on “Steak”

We had been trying to find out a good Steak Place for a long time. Finally the opportunity came at the least expected trip to Kolkata.

I found the Bangali Cuisine to be on the sweet side for my palet. So finding a good steak house was not on my agenda.

I was staying at Ballygunge area of Kolkata so Steak Factory was not very hard to find.

On the first sight it was a very small congested space and I had my doubts about getting good meal after walking 4 KMs to this place.

Once in the hotel fragrance and the atmosphere of the place ensured that we were in for a great treat ahead.

Interior resembled some retro Saloon (something right from Wild West movies) with posters of Old Classics on the brick walls and good light music in the background.
Furniture suggested simplicity of the venue and emphasis on food and taste.

The first impression for food is always the Menu card and this one was huge assortment. Problem at these types of joints is your own appetite. 

There is a limit for what you can try in a visit and if you are not going in a group the choices become more limited. So we decided to go for the absolute must haves from the menu.

For starters it was French Onion Rings – I had one of the best Onion rings at this place I would rate them ahead of Onion Rings at Burger King. As per me , Onion ring should be crunchy from outside and still the Onion inside the batter should be translucent and bit sweet which complements the crunchy crust.

Next on list was Bacon Wrapped Prawns; I personally liked the concept of crispy Bacon over Prawns but it was not available on that day so I guess we missed on that (Must have for the second visit).

Apart from that Zucchini Fritters looked interesting but we decided to give full respect to the Hero of the venue The Steak.

     

For Steak as you can see in the menu below there were good options from Chicken to Barbeque Pork ribs. Being the first Steak Out we went with a normal Chicken Steak and a Ham Steak to start the show.



As expected it took good 20 mins for the steaks to come but the wait was worth it. 
Just the look of steaks reassured our belief.

The portions were good and enough for a person. Both the steaks were accompanied by French Fries / Potato mash and serving of stir fried vegetables. 
Both the steaks were “medium to well-done” and as per Indian palate. 

The Ham Steak was with Black pepper sauce which gave an extra spicy punch for the slightly crunchy steak, the balance of Sauce was good and perfect in seasoning which usually is the key for a great sauce.

Chicken steak was served with Sunny Side up egg on top and mushroom sauce. Though I did not get the impact of the egg on a steak, overall mushroom sauce did gave a different texture to the complete dish.

For Vegetarians I think the menu will be little limited (it is a steak house so one should not expect an extravagant menu for Veggis). 

The pricing is also very reasonable considering the Portion Size. For two people we managed to get good starters ,mock tails and great steaks for around Rs. 1600.

So this is highly recommended joint for anyone visiting Kolkata and looking for something other than Sweet Bangali Cuisine. Also recommended to go in a group so you can try more dishes and enjoy the evening with friends and family.

A Coastal Treat..."Abhishek" Chiplun

For sea food lovers, visit to Konkan region is a real treat. We are no exception! Just when we start planning our trip to Konkan, our first thoughts are about fish, fish and fish! 

Recently we were heading to Ratnagiri on NH 17. As usual our Eating Stops were decided before the actual Journey started. On our agenda was Hotel “Abhishek” in Chiplun. This place was highly recommended for its coastal delicacies. 

The hotel is situated in a small lane off the highway. But as this place is quite famous, can be quickly found.  The ambiance is ok but the service is prompt and efficient. If you go there during peak dining hours, there are good chances of you being on the waiting list.

Luckily we didn’t have to wait and ordered, which seemed, heaps of food, but nothing was left on the plate except bones. One can imagine how tasty it was!  

Any coastal cuisine starts with an appetizer drink “solkadhi”. We were served an authentic solkadhi which promised us that the coming courses also would be as good.

As starters, we opted for fish fry. Amongst which we tried Bombil Fry (Bombay Duck) , Pomfret Fry and Bangada (Silver Fish) Fry. The fish was so fresh as if it was straight out of the sea and on our table! All were crispy and cooked to perfection, which is crucial for any fish preparations. 

The Pomfret was coated in delicate malvani masala, which enhanced the original flavour of the fish. Size wise also, the Pomfret was a good catch!

The Bombil (Ola Bombil) in crunchy batter was superb. There was no masala on the fish , it was fresh and  needed just a dash of flavours. We like Bombil to be flattened and deep fried as this brings out the best flavours and one can actually eat the complete fish along with the bones. 

The best part of Fried fish was the Bangda (Silver Fish). For many, Bangada seems to be the level two fish! First level being Surmai and Prompfret which are easy to eat.

‘More the bones tastier the fish’ say the experts and it is sure correct when it comes to Bangda. Bangda has a bit strong flavour (many people don’t like it in first go but 4 yr old Asmi ate the complete fish in first attempt!), it needs proper amount of Masala stuffed in, to dilute the taste a bit. Bangda takes good patient time to cook properly, if overdone t it is not a great sight and taste. This one was perfectly cooked throughout. This Bangda was cooked along with its head which is unusual, we generally don’t get to see the Head.

The main course menu offered Thalis ( Fish/Chicken/mutton/veg). 

Fish thali consisted of one piece of fried fish, curry, chapatti or rice flour bhakri, rice and solkadhi. Chicken and Mutton thali offered an accompaniment of special malvani preparation called ‘vada’ (also known as dish called Kombdi Vada). These vadas are actually like Puris made of fermented batter of rice and urad dal. This combination of chicken and vada is the speciality of malvani cuisine and a must try. Other preparations like chicken/mutton fry/masala, egg dishes were also on the menu.

We opted for an ‘a la carte’ menu in which we ordered Prawns masala and Tisrya masala fry (shimple). Both were cooked in malvani spieces and lots of coconut of course. One of the most flavour full preparations we have ever tasted!

Usually most of the restaurants serve different kinds of fish in similar gravy / masala ; with Abhishek it was different! Every fish had its own masala which brought out the flavor of the Fish. The masalas were complementing the fish rather than overpowering it. 

Vegetarians can go for a Veg Thali or other usual options like Panjabi dishes. No malvani veg specialties on the offer.

Rates are also reasonable considering the quality of food. Non veg thalies are in the range of 200 to 250/- and veg is 150/-. If you go for other options also, it will cost you around 100/- per head extra. 

Overall, full marks to flavours!  A must visit place if you are off to Konkan and looking forward to eating fish! 

Adding Location Map for Hotel Abhishek ; It is Off Mumbai Goa Highway ,
There is one more Hotel Named "Subh Abhishek" which is on the High Way but don't be confused due to similar names.

Most prominent Landmark is "Shivaji Nagar Bus Station Chiplun" , take first right after bus Station.

The Kolahapuri "Opal"

This Blog was in Draft for a long time , just could not finish it through we tried it a lot.

(Every time we sat to write about it the taste of Spicy food just hits you and then you are hungry…)

The Hotel in Discussion is “The Opal” from Kolhapur City. The Hotel is there since 1968 (46 Years !!)

Kolhapur  - famous for Malalaxmi Mandir , Misal and Spicy food , was just a stop in our Tarkarli Holidays.

We are glad that we took the decision of staying a night at Kolhapur otherwise our taste buds would have cursed us for not getting to know “the OPAL” food.

The First look of the Hotel was not very promising they were currently in process of some civil work in front of the Hotel and it made just entering the facility a difficult task. We had a good feedback from friends which lead us to overcome these initial hiccups.

The Hotel has been awarded “The Times Foodie Award” in 2012.

Once you are in the Hotel it is not like what you expect it to be, it looked more like a Dinning Halls commonly found near ST Stations. But then the smell and Sight of Food hits you no more hiccups post that.

It is kind of preset Menu where you have Big Thali’s arranged just like any Thali Restaurant. The Choice just has to be made between Chicken , Mutton and Veg (Although the Menu Card offers ala-carte selection from Punjabi and also Chinese)

We usually get enquire about Recommendations from the Captain himself so that we don’t have to feel like we are on a blind date. If the Captain is enthusiastic it makes your dining experience must more memorable (that’s what I feel) in this case the captain was experience guy and looking at us he just got what we might be looking for.

He almost placed the Order himself just inquiring one or two times about Chicken or mutton preferences. And rest is History (Check the Photo of Dishes at the Top)

All dishes came simultaneously , I was looking forward to tasting Pandhara Rassa and Tambda Rassa (both are kind of Soups one should try at least once in your life and that too at a good place , if you eat it at a wrong place they it will be difficult to get over the shock and try it again elsewhere)

The Chicken was cooked to perfection and more than that the Mutton was superb in taste (though I thought a little more meat sections would have been helpful, most of Mutton Dish was with lots of Bones)

Main issue observed at such restaurant is service and not breaking the momentum of eating (We call it “Mausam”). In this case there was no such obstacle while eating. Chapatis (Poli in Marathi) just kept on coming like ordered almost instantaneously.

Green Chicken , Sukka Chicken / Mutton and Chicken / Mutton Curries were the entourage ; supported by the two Champion Rassas - Pandhara and Tambda Rassa. Green Chicken was the only dish which was a little less spicy and almost a cream based gravy specially for younger foodies. My personal favorite was Pandhara Rassa all the way , it has a lot of spices and surprisingly goes very well with other Spicy Flavors.

Pandhara Rassa was the Star performer for me in the complete meal followed closely by Mutton Dish.

Good thing about the hotel is that Vegetarian people can also enjoy Rassa and Spicy food much like Non Vegetarians (Though we did not order any Veg still thalis of people near by were looking good).

Though the Hotel offers selection of Punjabi , Chinese and Other regular preparations (ala-carte choice) but it will be strongly recommended to stick to Kolhapuri Special in this Hotel.  Specially the Pandhara Rassa.

All the food is flavoured with accurate amount of Spices with minimum amount of Oil.

It is very rare to find Spicy food which is not HOT. Current equation of Spicy food  is that it has to be Very Hot (almost uneatable) and submerged with Oil. This was an very good example which others can follow in cooking.

Hotel is not too heavy on the Pocket too ( around 400 per head)

It is a must visit Hotel during Kolhapur stay…

The "Grill" experience...

“Where to go for a good BBQ in Nasik?”  was a big question a few days ago..

"Barbeque Ville" a newly opened restaurant (off Mumbai - Nasik Highway), answers this question to quite an extent! The concept of’ Live Grill’ has been introduced for the first time, and have to say, it’s really exciting!

Now about food, though it’s a preset menu it offers you wide choices of veg n non veg food from starters to desserts and servings are unlimited.

A chat cart welcomes you with usual options like panipuri, bhel ects. But it’s advisable not to stuff yourself with chat as much more awaits you…

A real hero is the “Live grill” filled with sizzling coals which is placed directly on your table. An array of mouthwatering veg and non-veg starters (6 varieties each) grilled in front of you and served directly on your plate!

Amongst non-veg starters, Mutton seekh kebab just melts in your mouth, fish sholey n bhuna hariyali zinga are delicious as well. Chicken starters too are well spiced and tasty.

Vegetarians might get a little disappointed as there is no much BBQ touch to veg starters except paneer amrapli n filafila mushroom.  Other starts neither serve your taste nor the cost… now can you imagine that a starter in a bbq menu could b sabudana tikki??

Along with Live Grill you get 3 Oils and 3 Dipping Sauces to enhance the Test of Starters.

Once you are through with the Live Grilled Starters (Unlimited quantity is offered), then comes the Buffet Main course.

Buffet is like any other 3 Star restaurants with Veg Non Veg Soups, a Salad Bar (5 Varieties) .

Non Veg Main course offers one Indian style gravy dish of  each Chicken, Mutton and Fish. Nothing very spectacular especially once your expectations are high post the delicious Starters.

Veg Main Course also has about 3 varieties of veggies, Garlic noodles and Dal.

Veg Pulao and Chicken Dum Biryani are options in Rice preparations.

Biryani being pick of the lot post starters.

The Wide spread of Desserts (around 8 of them) raises once expectations, but White Chocolate Ball is a must try. Others seem to be just adding to the crowd. The Dessert menu can be shortened and more emphasis can be given on taste than variety.

No Tipping Policy is also first in this hotel which we saw in Nasik, saying that the Service is quite prompt and courteous.

Overall - Great Starters, ordinary main course and little disappointing Desserts but good ambiance and a unique experience of a Live Grill & Good service makes it worth the time & Money spent.

Photo Courtesy : Google Plus (Barbeque Ville)