Northern musings

We believe that a place that offers fine dining should have an ambience to match up to the food. Post renovation,Kwality provides something us with something of the past with miniature paintings from the olden days and newer features like the mother-of-pearl furnishings on the table tops,and the genuine leather seats for the single cut rosewood chairs.

The menu boasts of an impressive list of starters and main course dishes along with beverages. Under ‘starters’,the Kakori Kebab and the Dahi Palak Kebab are absolutely must tries. Executive chef Ashok Malhotra says the the Kakori Kebab is prepared by actually rubbing the meat until it is tender and then marinated with the spices and cooked until it obtains the tender consistency. The meat was tender and pretty much melted in the mouth,as did the Dahi Palak Kebabs ,which was as unique as it was good to eat.

While the main course is a delightful mix of the old and new world,a lot of care has been taken to ensure that the dishes do not go overboard with the experimentation. Speaking more about it Ashish Pandey the VP of the restaurant says,“It really didn’t make sense to label the restaurant as a place that offered fine North Indian dishes with a European flavour. That is not what cooking in the North is all about. Not only is it a mixture of cuisines from Rajasthan and New Delhi,and Avadh,but also from the far north,that includes the unique Balti Cuisine ,found only on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.”

Coming to the main course,the Dum Mutton Biryani ,was average fare and did not quite live up to expectations,but the Nihari Gosht ,and the Mutter Methi Malai were spot on. While the former dish consisted of succulent lamb pieces marinated and cooked until the meat was just about ready to fall off the bones,the latter was a simple concoction of a couple of spices and methi and peas,that showcased how amazing dishes could be wrought with pure simplicity. Another dish that was really worth a mention was the Kheema Parantha. Made with well-diced meat,the parantha was just right. An interesting aspect about the food that has been served here,outside the Dum Biryani,was the fact that everything was very rich on the flavour and not very heavy on the taste. The place is a stark contrast from the regular fare that one eats at most restaurants,and also a good reminder that presentation and smell also do wonders to enriching the gastronomical experience. The restaurant in addition also has a good collection of Scotland Whiskeys,single malts and wines.

On the whole good place to visit when one is in a mood to just spend a long relaxed evening,without caring too much about the dents on the wallet.

Rating Ambience:4/5
Food: 3.5/5
Pricing: 3/5
Hospitality: 3.5/5