The mere mention of kebabs has me salivating. So, when I read about the ROYAL KEBAB TRAIL taking place till 17th April, 2016 at Mostly Grills, the rooftop barbecue restaurant at The Orchid Hotel, I could not resist the temptation of exploring it. I landed up with my foodie friends at the restaurant only to be welcomed by a site that resembled a scene straight out of the famous Mughal-e-Azam movie. The place was done up like an emperor’s court in the Mughal era with the staff adorning attire of the period. We quickly settled at our table and were filled in on the festival details, which is now in its second year. Chef Shadaab, who hails from Lucknow has curated the special menu for this food festival. This food trail entails kebab recipes from the gastronomy of erstwhile kingdoms of Awadh (Lucknow) and other regions once ruled by the Nawabs and the Nizams. The festival also includes offerings like delicious saalan (gravies), breads and biryani from the glorious past of these lands. Certain ingredients have been sourced from these regions to recreate flavors of this gastronomy in Mumbai. Here is a glimpse of my gluttony at this food festival: Dilkash Shuruwaat (Appetizers): Since the hotel is an ecotel, the kebabs are prepared using ecofriendly charcoal that does not let out a lot of smoke into the air. I did not know of the existence of such a variety of charcoal until I attended this food festival. Also, the hotel ensured there were separate charcoal fired grills for the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian kebabs. I relished the following kebabs to the fullest: Mansahari (Non-Vegetarian)
The kebabs were served with four different dips as under:
ROTIYAN (Bread): Two very different breads were served with the main course. These were Sheermal & Khamiri Roti. Sheermal had a flaky texture, a sublime sweet flavor and was served laced with ghee. This was one of the best breads I have had in my culinary journey so far. Merely a bite of this bread transposed me into a state of bliss that words cannot explain. Khamiri Roti on the other hand had a nice fluffy texture owing to the use of yeast in the preparation. KHAAS-E-KHAAS (Main Course): The menu aptly termed the main course khaas-e-khaas which means special as it boasted of some lip-smacking dishes. Here is a look at the three very different and delicious gravies we indulged in:
MEETHA (Dessert):
The desserts course provided a majestic conclusion to the aforementioned royal meal:
Do experience this Royal Kebab Trail and let me know of your experience. Here is information regarding the festival that will come to your aid Venue: Mostly Grills, The Orchid, near domestic airport, vile parle (east) Date: April 5 to April 17 Pricing: As per the menu Time: 7.30 pm to 11.45 pm Contact Number: 022 26164040 (Note: These are images from a special bloggers table night so actual portion sizes may vary.) |
AUTHOR- Regional Indian Food & Travel enthusiast Archives
January 2018
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