A Fiery Feast

To start with,the theme has been well put together with the entrance to the restaurant lined with “antique” artefacts (also for sale) that have been labelled in chaste Hindi. A large poster of the Charminar and a line-up of ittar (perfume) bottles in different shapes,sizes and fragrances build up the Nizam elements very well. To add to the drama,an old gramophone has been placed,which can be put to use on request. We suggest you do so only if you really want to see it work. Don’t expect it to recreate a mehfil,for it does little but play a scratchy record.

That said,the real highlight is the menu. And there is truly a lot to choose from. There are set menus starting at Rs 950 (excluding taxes) but we suggest you savour the specialities of your choice. For starters,we tried the Kuti Mirch Ka Jheenga that was high on flavour,and the sigdi-roasted prawns were definitely better done than the Murg Roast,which had spent too much time on the charcoal. If Lucknow is famous for Kakori Kebabs,then Hyderabad has its Pathar Ka Gosht. The latter brings in spice-rubbed lamb kebabs that have been cooked on hot stones and were served to us on a stone platter. The meat was succulent but very spicy. In fact,all the starters are heavy on spices and flavours. The minor gripe we had is the excessive use of salt in the starters. We are unsure if that is to stay true to the cuisine but in our case it was too much. The main course had no such issues. The Deccani Haleem that is a Persian specialty,was spot-on with flavours and texture. For the uninitiated,the shredded lamb is cooked with five lentils,broken wheat,ghee and whole spices,and eaten with Sheermal,a sweet bread. Chef Ravindra’s Sheermal and Haleem were perfect.

Even though Hyderabadi meals are essentially known for non-vegetarian dishes,the chef has tried to maintain a balance with vegetarian dishes. You won’t regret ordering Shirazi Gulistan that brings char grilled vegetable kebabs made using lotus stem,corn kernels and walnut. Other options include Dakhni Makai Palak and Kaddu Ka Dalcha. We rounded up our meal with Double Ka Meetha,the traditional Hyderabadi bread pudding that was finished off at a live counter before it was served. The recipe comes free and a second helping is well worth it.

The festival is on till August 15.

Meal for two: Rs 3,000

Location: Saffron,JW Marriott Chandigarh,Sector 35-B,

Dakshin Marg

Contact: 3955714