Eating at this establishment may be the closest many of us will get to dining like royalty. Those wishing for a quick sample are requested to pick up Punjab Grill’s heavy-duty Sola cutlery (flown in from Switzerland) and treat their taste buds to a forkful of double-marinated salmon (caught in Norway).
How about a glass of spring water, sourced from the lower foothills of the Himalayas in Bhutan, to wash down the subtle flavours of dill, fennel, and honey present in that tandoor-grilled fish tikka?
This Gurgaon-based upmarket brand knows what it’s doing—elevating the cuisine of Undivided Punjab. During the last decade, they’ve opened over 14 branches around the world, serving gourmet variants of pre-independence era delicacies. Dhaniya mirchi da kukkad, anyone?
Currently, they’re working towards starting eateries in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Washington DC. Barely a week ago, they launched their very first outlet in Kerala at Lulu Mall. This 3,200 sq ft spot, with it’s large-sized gold string mural of a lion’s head, is hard to miss. My colleague and I, immediately find the restaurant located right across the brand-new skywalk in the Edapally metro station.
Frontier food
A smiling hostess directs us to our reserved table positioned beneath various monochrome photographs depicting the life of Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh. This theme of royalty and opulence reverberates across the menu of this 89-cover diner featuring regional specials from Lahore, Pind, Amritsar, Patiala, and beyond.
While the paneer tikka multani—with its batter-coated and herb-infused soft cottage cheese—is a delight, their sweet-savoury dahi moongfali de kebab fails to impress. Our favourite starter is the slow-cooked raan-e-sikandari, delectable lamb leg roast marinated in cloves, caraway, and
cardamom. The service here is prompt, the wait-staff aim to please, and the food is well worth the scarring it will leave on your wallet/purse.
Which is why we recommend trying chef Mohammed Kashif’s dum-prepared chicken chutney pulao, Ambarsari kulche (keema), and a classic lentil preparation of dal Punjab Grill which features urad cooked overnight in cream/butter and tomato paste to achieve the perfect texture and rich flavour.
Be sure to try their meetha patha drink (betel leaves in lime fizz sweetened with gulkand) or aam ras ki rabri (crumbled roti and pureed candied mango) before leaving. Chances are, like me, you may end up leaning back on their plush leather chair to stare up at the chandelier-lit ceiling while contemplating about ‘the good life’.
Open from noon to 10.30 pm.
anoop.p@newindianexpress.com
@godsonlymistake