I visited this place as part of an invite along with a couple of foodie friends. It was already on my list to go, so why miss this opportunity??
The first thing that attracts you when you step into the restaurant is definitely it’s ambiance, the 142 spoons tangling from the roof at one of the spots which signify the number of spices the restaurant uses in their dishes. AMAZING!!
The coppery color and shimmer all over, the glowing dim and beautiful lights, the dining area, the cutlery..all of this kinda bring an excitement about the next thing that we were eager to try. “The Food”!!
While our food was being served, we also got to know a little story behind coming up with this restaurant. The owner who’s passionate about food wanted to introduce a restaurant which not only served great food but also which has its own identify in being “different”, not just in the name but also the highlight being the “presentation” of the food. So his friend and Chef, Akshay Nayyar came up with whole concept of their unique food, presentation etc.
Here’s my view on the dishes we were served:
BEVERAGES
1. Kiwi ambi panna : A green colored drink made of raw mango, Indian gooseberries and Kiwi without any artificial essence. The rim of the glass was coated with spices and gave a nice kick at the end of every sip. It was a very refreshing and delicious drink!
2. Chat Mila fatafat: This was yet another refreshing and tangy drink that gives a taste similar to hajmola goli. Quite nice and the way it’s presented was lovely!
3. Narial passion mantra drink: It was nice too but a little too sweet.
4. Lassi: The lassi can was placed in a toy truck with ice cubes. Fantastic presentation, lassi was tasty but wasn’t too thick.
STARTERS
5. Challi kolmi kebab:
This is their “award winning dish”. Don’t be deceived with the look and presentation. The kebabs look exactly like chicken drumsticks and the size is quite huge but it’s a pure veg dish, a heavy starter. The crisp bread stick is made to look like the bone and the phyllo pastry wrapped around stuffed veggies made it look like meat..GENIUS!! The stuffing was delicious with sweet corn and other vegetables.
6. GANNA (sugarcane) chicken with sweet chili sauce:
Wow, this is their 2nd award winning dish. The presentation was different again and the Chicken sheekh is served with a thin ganna stick which serves the purpose of a skewer!! The only difference is you can chew on this at the end. I usually don’t like sweet elements in my savory dishes but this was just mind blowing. The Chicken meat itself was well marinated, well cooked and tasty but the sweetness from cane and the sauce only increased the overall taste. I ate 3 of these, yummy
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7. Lucknow dahi ki shammi:
These patties were soft and flavorful and you get the hint of curd.
MAINS
8. Royal fresh Kabab platter:
Served in charcoal iron box! Who would’ve thought of presenting food in this manner? Great innovative ideas I must say.
There’s a theatrical feel when you open the lid of the iron box, you see smoke coming out if it and….there you go… there’s chicken kebab, lamb chop and fish in the platter.
The fish was marinated with mustard paste and gave out a strong flavor and it was okay as not many people like the taste of mustard. The lamb chop meat was quite hard and I couldn’t get a bite or flavor of it. It must be because we left it untouched in the hot iron for too long while we were gorging on previously served items. So both, the restaurant guys and customers need to be aware of this so that you don’t miss out on enjoying the food.
9. Malmal sheekh kebab and murgh Malai sholay: Another two good dishes, succulent and yummm. Well marinated and flavorful.
10. Wargi dal-e darsan – dal makhani with a twist
11. New Delhi butter chicken
12. Cooker mein kukkad – actually served in a tiny cooker with its last whistle released at the dining table. Wow!! What a way to serve and make you feel as if you are eating at home with your family.
These 3 dishes curries were nice and served with soft kulchas. But I feel they can be made a lot more flavorful and tastier and not lose on the true essence of the dishes. A punch of more flavors in these too would be an icing on the cake as the retaurant boasts of authentic north Indian cuisine but actually needed bit of more work.
13. Mastawa – this is similar to HALEEM:
HALEEM lovers, you’ll love this. Won’t have to wait till next Ramzan for this!! It’s soooo creamy, sooo fatty and yet delicious. It’s pretty heavy and you can’t eat beyond couple of spoons. So make sure you order this for 3-4 please people who could share and eat!!
DESSERTS
14. Delhi wali fruit cream : A cool and creamy dessert topped with cream. Its nice to end your meal with this.I have had better and tastier fruit cream so there is scope for improvement.
15. Nutella dodhalava: Another nice dessert, heavy again and could have been tastier too.
It was such a fantastic experience to try out sooo many delicious dishes, we were served really well, like royals. Thanks to such hospitable people.
I really wanted to try their biryani but I was so full, I didn’t have any space in my tummy.
The bill comes in a miniature cute post box!
So if you….:
1. Want an exciting fine dining experience
2. Wanna dine at an award winning restaurant, whose menu is created by celebrity Chef Akshay Nayyar
3. Wanna try award winning delicious signature dishes
4. Love unique and beautiful presentation of dishes which would make you excited
5. NOT mind spending higher amount on good/innovative dishes
If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then this place is FOR YOU, definitely a place fit for your taste!
Additional info:
* Their Veg n non veg food is prepared separately in separate utensils.
* Their service takes time as they make every dish afresh!
* They have ample parking space.
Food – 3.8/5, Cost – 3.8/5, Ambiance – 4.5/5, Service – 4/5.
Noor in Foodistan 