Saffron Hues

Given how JW Marriott is positioned as a hotel for corporate travellers and visiting NRIs,it’s understandable why they wanted an Indian fine-diner on their property. The restaurant located at the hotel’s mezzanine level boasts of copper hues even though there’s no defining style in the interiors — apart from the glass-encased kitchen counter with hanging seekhs — perhaps to suggest that Saffron serves Indian/Punjabi cuisine.

But then the menu,placed on thick copper sheets,arrives. Gradually,one begins to notice the crockery,which is mostly earthern. It’s an added delight to see the food being served out of martabans (traditional ceramic pots); a Punjabi household would be incomplete if it didn’t have these pots heating up on the window sill.

A quick look at the menu and you realise it hasn’t been created with an urgency to do too much. The dishes are a mix of the usual — kebabs,curries,naans — as well as the chef’s own take on quintessential north-Indian meals.

Not many would be aware that Chef de Cuisine at Saffron,Ankit Sharma,spent a month taking a culinary tour of the region before he put together the meals at Saffron. “I wanted to find out why people rave about the dhabha fare. So,I visit villages in search of authentic flavours,” says Sharma.

In a state where culinary competition is fierce,Sharma had to work really hard at getting access to kitchens. “So,I would tell them I was a journalist working on a book on Punjabi food,” quips Sharma,who mapped his journey from Ambala’s famous Puran Singh’s Dhabha,Chawla Chicken in Ludhiana,Haveli in Jalandhar,some famous dhabhas in Patiala,Kotkapura and Amritsar. “Each place had its own unusual take on recipes. While it gave me a good idea of flavours,I decided to use this experience at Saffron without merely copying anyone,” says Sharma.

The result: dishes such as Paalak Patta Chaat — delicately coated spinach leaves fried crisp and served with amchoor chutney are a delight. So is the Barni Ki Boti. The clay-pot roasted lamb was light yet spicy and bursting with flavours,specially when teamed with Dal ki Roti,another speciality.

What’s nice about the menu is that it offers the usual mix with a conscious attempt to not just better it,but to add to it. Bhatti Ka Murg,Cream Chicken,Amritsari Cholle Kulche,Paneer Parcham and Atta Raan also find place in the menu. Unlike most restaurants that have gulab jamun-ice cream combo as a staple on the dessert section,Sharma offers a wider selection. We tried the Kulfi Paan that was a simple kulfi with a subtle paan flavour as an aftertaste. That and the traditional dahi tadka won us over.

Meal for two: Rs 2,500 (with taxes)

Contact: 0172-3955555