Aish reopens its doors in Hyderabad with opulent interiors and serves authentic Nizami cuisine

Taking pride in their Nizami cuisine and biryanis, Aish at The Park Hyderabad has always been the city’s go-to place for private dining affairs or special celebrations. The fine dining restaurant which was closed when the pandemic began, reopened a week a go, with an all-new menu. We stepped into the restaurant for dinner and were welcomed into the royal space with a garland of pearls! Yes, you read that right! What else? A silver door, a wooden treasure chest that plays music when you turn it on, lamps studded with Swarovski jewels, portraits, and paintings hung on the walls, which belonged to the Nizam rulers — all lend to its old-world charm. The opulent interiors are complemented by floors embellished with pearls. Think luxury and plush and the outlet serves you food in pure silver cutlery. Everything about Aish will take you back to the Nizami era. As for the food, they launched a couple of set menus. The chef suggested we try their Ishq-e-Moti menu — a nine course meal prepared with recipes handed down since generations.

The pull of paya

First to arrive was the Santare aur Adrak ka Sherbet, a mocktail made with orange, ginger, mint, and sparkling water — the refreshing drink was indeed, a great start. A bowl of Paya Sherwa was next, a local favourite, this soup was made with lamb trotters and seasoned with pepper powder. It was warm, soothing, and delightfully flavourful. The lamb was perfectly cooked and fell off the bone with ease.

For the next course, we were served three different varieties of kebabs — Sigri wali Mahi Tikka, Murgh Burhani Gilafi Sheekh, and Shikampur Kebabs — the first one being the highlight of this platter. The River Sole cubes marinated in hung yogurt, Guntur chillies, and fennel seeds were cooked in a tandoor, which gave it an earthy and smoky flavour. We paired this with a pineapple chutney that gave the kebabs an added zing.

As a palate cleanser, we had the tamarind sorbet, which made us nostalgic as it tasted just like the imli sticks that we loved eating as kids. As we enjoyed our sorbets, we were happy to find out that our next dish on the menu was haleem, which we were told will be available throughout the year. Now, we know where to head out when we miss haleem duirng the non-Ramzan seaon.

Kiss from a roselle

The main course was divided into two meals and the first one being a  thali. It came with an assortment of dishes such as Daal-e-Aish, Zaffrani Dum Ka Murgh, Arvi Gosht, Lal Mirch ki Machi and Punti Kura Mamsam. Of all the curries that we sampled, the Punti Kura Mamsam had to be our favourite part. Made with bite-sized lamb chunks, spices, green chillies, and roselle leaves, this curry was delicious. It was spicy and the addition of punti or popularly known as gongura leaves gave it an added tanginess. The final section of the main course was biryani and we tasted their Kacche Gosht ki Biryani. This mutton-based biryani came with ghee and saffron flavoured Basmati rice. If you are someone who enjoys mildly-flavoured food, then this one is the right pick for you. But, as for us, we gave it a pass, as we prefer our biryanis with a solid spice kick.

Apricot delight

For the last course, we sampled their dessert platter. The Qubani Cream Cheese Mille-Feuille, a baked phyllo pastry stuffed with apricots and cream cheese, was a beautiful mélange of flavours and textures. The rose-flavoured kheer and badam halwa were also a great addition to this plate.

Rs 2,000 upwards. At Somajiguda.

— bsuchitra@newindian express.com