An evening filled with stirring ghazals awaited us as we walked into Kanak, the Indian specialty restaurant at The Trident on a chilly Friday night. Taking a seat as close as possible to the live musicians paying tribute to the musical greats, we soaked in the restaurant's opulent ambience while perusing the menu.
The Kebabs and Ghazal menu consisted of the choicest kebab and grilled preparations from across the subcontinent, ranging from Lucknow to Malabari cuisines. We started our meal with a portion of the Nizami Pomfret, a pan-seared whole silver pomfret marinated in Nagpuri style thecha — a coarsely ground paste of green chilli, peanuts and garlic. The pungent yet delicious flavours of garlic made the fish preparation enjoyable. A standout dish from the vegetarian items was the Anar Badam ke Aloo that contained tandoori kufri potatoes stuffed in a spice mixture with milk condensate with a generous mix of sliced almonds giving the dish a delightful crunch.
As the live musicians belted out iconic Mehdi Hassan classics, a couple of chicken based kebabs were brought in next. Bhatti ka Chooza — spatchcock chicken marinated in Punjabi spices stole the show. “The chicken is poached in buttermilk for nearly six hours, giving it the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth texture,” says Rohit Singh, sous chef at Kanak.
We also tried the Sunehra Koyla Chicken, marinated in a spicemix with activated charcoal. The highlight? A garnish of 24 karat gold leaf which sparkled even more on the dark chicken base. With mild spices, this chicken dish too, was just as succulent. Having tasted the kebabs of the North, we then travelled down South with the Malabar Varuval — lobster stir fried in crushed pearl onion, curry leaves and garlic served in a lobster shell. The presentation was as noteworthy as the dish itself, quickly transporting us to the serene vistas of Kerala. Aside from the exclusive Kebabs and Ghazal menu, we also got to try some of Kanak’s most loved mains. In signature Kanak fashion, a humungous portion of Kadak Rumali was brought in prior to the mains — a crispy and thinner rumali roti base with spiced tomatoes, onion and shredded cheese. Despite the deceptive portion size, the crunchy base made everyone at the table reach out for more. The Dal-e-Kanak, the restaurant’s take on the Dal Makhni was nothing but buttery goodness in every morsel. The Rampuri Tar Korma — a Nawabi delicacy of lamb cooked in ginger, garlic and fried nuts was an absolute star of the show with layered flavours, paired with kulchas.
Rs 2,000 for two.
Every Wednesday and Friday.
At HITEC City.