Food review: For an authentic Punjabi fare, head to Punjab Grill

There is a nip in the Mumbai air, but winter seems to be a far distance! But nevertheless, this weather does make you feel a tad bit hungrier and the want of tasty Punjabi food is what I felt like this week. Giving into my hunger pangs, I explored the menu of the highly recommended Punjab Grill at Palladium for you.

The third floor of Palladium is turning out to be quite a fine dining mecca. And Punjab Grill is definitely on the classy, fine dine side in terms of ambience and environment. The decor is quite pleasing to the eyes and the privacy of the family cubicles gives one a pretty personalised experience.

You have massive shiny chandeliers, hostesses and waiters dressed in salwar kameez and churidar kurta, massive goblets for water and a little arrangement of artificial leaves on each table. The huge glass window that allows patrons a look into the tandoori section, adds to the overall ambience and lets you connect with your food instantly.

I was first impressed by the way the normal bottled mineral water is served in a stylish bottle cover!  The service was excellent and the advice that we received regarding the portions to be ordered was excellent and spot on. Since it was Punjabi food, the obvious thing that came to my mind and to order was their kebab platter. The kebabs were freshly made, done just right and were melting in our mouths. They were succulent, juicy and yummy, flavoured with the right ingredients and spices.

My recommended pick from the veg and non veg platter would be Paneer Tikka, Dahi Kebab and the Galauti Kebabs. The galauti kebabs were served on a tiny little paranthas and were without the strong kewra essence, which you often get in Mughlai or Lucknowi versions of it. Another great innovation that we sampled was the Chicken Kurkure...while the dish in itself was pretty ordinary, the innovation was the small tasty sauce-filled glass that came in with every portion.

Having gone through an extensive round of appetisers, we decided to play safe on the main course and order the popular Punjabi dishes. The Dal Makhani is usually the litmus test for any North Indian restaurant and the restaurant passed this test with flying colours. Though the dal was a bit heavy and creamy, it had a distinct strong taste, which matched exactly to what I was looking forward to eat. (The only other place that I enjoy Dal Makhani in Mumbai is the ITC Grand Maratha).

The Sarson da saag is a must have as well, I really enjoyed it! We ordered makai ki roti and laccha ka paratha to go along with our main course dishes. These were served to us with white butter and jaggery. What else could one ask for! It was a thoroughly satiating full-on Punjabi meal. We also ordered for some biryani which I think needs to be improved. Personally, I prefer the whiter variety of biryani with less masala where you can taste every morsel of rice with the aromas of its garnishing.

They didn’t have much choice in the desserts section, but we went with my all time favorite Phirni, which was as good as what I get at home. The meal ended with a surprise item from them, which they call a Paan shot (to decode it for you — it was an innovative form of a liquid paan). This one was much needed in the end and was absolutely refreshing. I couldn’t stop myself from asking for another and it was promptly and cheerfully served.

Verdict: Rarely do we come across a restaurant that scores on all fronts — food, service, innovation, ambience. This is one of them.  It is also an ideal place to bring out-of-towners, foreign visitors and of course your own friends. I give it two thumbs up and will come back for sure when I am craving for some Dal Makhani!

Asin is an actress and a foodie.

Punjab Grill, T-17, 3rd Floor, Lower Parel, Palladium Mall 
Call: 022 43473980 

Meal for two: Rs 1,500 (Plus taxes) 

Rating: ****