Lucknowi Musings

Cookie Singh,one of the two owner of the place,states that the restaurant aims to understand how Nawabs would have lived in the modern times. “The reason behind the Lucknowi paintings,the murals and the rich décor is to give an ideal setting to understand how the Nawabs would have lived the good life today. That along with the food here,is the USP of the place,” he says about the restaurant which recently opened on November 6.

For starters one can try the Kakori Kebab (Rs 260) that has minced lamb blended with saffron and other exotic herbs and cooked on an open char grill,or the Subz-e-Gilawat (Rs 180) that has minced vegetable patties cooked with spices,on an open tawa. The more adventurous can try the Chicken Kheema Naan (Rs 200) Sabut Raan (Rs 590) or the Karare Kekde (Rs 380) that has boneless crabs cooked in garlic and mustard sauce.

Speaking about the food served here,head chef Shafiq Quershi says,”The secret behind the cooking here is the fact that almost all our spices are either hand made,in house or are sourced from Lucknow,so that the food retains its originality. Moreover unlike the usual way of cooking food with a lot of spices to make it rich,we let the meats and vegetables cook in their own juices which gives it its richness and unique taste.”

For the main course one can try the Nehari Gosht (Rs 270) and the Murgh Lahori (Rs 230). For those who wish to gorge on seafood then the Tawa Jhinga (Rs. 330) which has prawns cooked with onions,capsicums,and tomatoes is a good option,and so is the Methi Wali Macchi (Rs. 290) that has fish pieces cooked in a fenugreek based sauce. As far as vegetarians are concerned the Methi Paneer (Rs 200) Dum Subz Handi (Rs 190) are good options.

Singh also says that they will be introducing dishes like the Kacche Gosht ki Biryani in the coming days. “As of now we do offer the Lucknowi Dum Gosht Biryani (Rs. 280) and the Dum Sufiyana Biryani (Rs 200),on the platter. In the near future we will be coming up with some unique seafood biryanis cooked in an Awadhi style to bring about a fusion of the two distinct cuisines,” says Javed Khan,Singh’s partner.

And if the good food,the rich old world ambience,would leave you feeling satisfied,then the Khubani ka Meetha (Rs 100) that features stewed apricots served with ice cream and the Zauk-e-Shahi (Rs 100) which has honey soaked toasts covered with saffron flavoured cream and dry fruits is sure to leave you with that feeling of a Sunday well spent.

Food-o-meter
Ambience:4 on 5
Taste:4 on 5
Pricing:3 on 5
Service:4 on 5