A royal indulgence from the kitchens of the Nizam

A degustation menu is often a delight as it brings forth the chef’s special culinary skills and puts regional dishes using locally sourced ingredients at the top tier. At Aish, a restaurant that has always been known for the quality of its Haleem, a specially curated seven-course menu puts the spotlight on royal culinary indulgences. All of this is paired with select alcoholic beverages to enable you to enjoy your afternoon even more as you work your way through an unhurried brunch.

We started with the Gosht ka marag, a traditional mutton soup made with onions, cashews, curd, coconut powder, and boiled milk. Simmered for over six hours, it is a thin, highly flavourful soup that always has a piece of mutton with bone. Ours came with a nalli, and the large chunk of meat was so tender that it immediately came off the bone. The marrow tasted yummy too. After a soul-satisfying slurp, we were served a starter plate of kebabs that included mutton, chicken and fish. The meat was quite succulent in all three, but the award went to Kodi seekulu – nice cuts of chicken breast marinated in spices like ginger, garlic, chillies, garam masala, and then skewered on long skewers (seekhs) and grilled over charcoal. It came with a mild green chilli sauce on top, and the charcoal gave it a smoky yet spicy flavour – this one was too good to miss.

Next up was the chaat platter – you had traditional chaat items like samosa chaat, paani puri, bhel puri – the usual suspects, though we must admit that we did not enjoy this one too much. This dish is common on the vegetarian menu as well. Our next course was much more exciting. Chicken, fish, prawns, and some fruits like marinated pears, pineapple and apples all cooked over a grill. This had some interesting flavours, though the fruits may not be to everybody’s taste. The next course is what we were aiming for: the magical Haleem. Simmered for hours on a low flame, this magical combination of shredded meat, lentils and beaten wheat is one of Hyderabad’s specialities and here at Aish the chef has taken it to another level in terms of taste. You can actually taste the meat blended with the lentils – a soft, silken flavour that teases the palate. Combine it with sheermal bread, and you have a match made in heaven. Rogan josh was the next main course. Rich and spiced just right, this one was quite a treat. There was also a saffron-infused chicken curry and fish cooked with red chillies. Again, the best part that we liked with all these dishes was that the spice level was just right and did not tear into our tastebuds.

Dessert is something we cannot forego, and here it came in the form of a badam halwa and desi gulab ki kheer. The badam halwa felt rich and nutty (as it should be) and was a fitting finale. The cold desi gulab ki kheer was also full of flavour and gave a fitting contrast to the halwa.

The Nizami chef’s menu at Aish is a great outing for a summer afternoon. You get a full spectrum of flavours from all kinds of food items, and a vegetarian option is also available. Now you know where to head with your family this Sunday.

Meal for one: ₹3,500++ onwards

12.30 pm – 4 pm, Every Sunday

At The Park, Somajiguda

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