A Monday evening is not the best time for a barbecue dinner, but that’s exactly what we had signed up for when we dropped by at Ministry of Barbeque earlier this week. The restaurant replaces BonSouth, which specialised in South Indian cuisine. This new entrant into the city’s culinary circuit boasts a few innovative features, such as a Turkish cooking station, where food is cooked over heated sand. Other features include a wood-fired pizza station, barbeque on the table, a live pasta counter and dishes spanning Indian, Asian, Arabian and European cuisines.
We started with a serving of Crispy Chilli Vegetables and Crispy Corn. While the dishes were generic, they were delicious and a great way to start the meal. As we sipped on our wine cocktails, we waited for the skewered meat on our table to cook. Once cooked through, we sampled the African Grilled Prawns, Ministry’s Special Chicken Tikka and Bevda Murgh. Our pick of the three was the prawns, which were piquant and citrusy. We left them on the barbecue till they were slightly charred, so the smokiness added to the flavour. Some vegetarian options we sampled were Brazilian Pineapple, Tandoori Broccoli, Barbeque Bhutta and Desi Paneer Tikka. Another unique offering was the Pav Bhaji Fondue, which was bhaji served in a mini kadai, heated over the barbecue, and eaten with breadsticks.
At the ‘Turkey Turki Cookery’ station, one may create their own pita pocket with a range of fillings such as BBQ Doner Chicken, Chilli Pineapple Prawns, Arabian Dates Emu, Tangy Mushroom and Creamy Broccoli. We opted for Tangy Mushroom and Creamy Broccoli. After being filled, the pita is toasted and served with fresh vegetables. The flavours were on point, but the bread didn’t hold together.
For mains, the options on offer were Rajputana Gosht, Garlic Crab Masala, Muradabadi Murgh Biryani and Dahi Baingan. The biryani was fragrant and delicious, and we also enjoyed the spicy mutton curry with some warm naan.
Those with a sweet tooth will be happy to note that the dessert counter is elaborate. Some favourites from the spread were the Strawberry Short Cake, Gulab Jamun, Walnut and Honey Pie and Kesar Badam Cupcake.
By offering an eclectic array of dishes, the restaurant sure has something for everyone.
Rs.595++ upwards. At Koramangala