We check our watch, it’s 9 p.m. It took us two hours to navigate the aggressive traffic and get from Anna Salai to Anna Nagar. The one-ways and road diversions ensured that we got lost. It’s like being part of the The Crystal Maze . The final task involves climbing a flight of stairs where a red carpet awaits the victors. Now that we’ve reached our destination, it’s time to satiate our hungry, tired selves.
A fairly new restaurant, Almaza’s specialty is kebabs. The food here has been inspired by the royal kitchens of the nawabs, we are told. Pushing back shots of the watermelon-flavoured welcome drink, we sit by the kitchen and look at the chefs from Lucknow, Amritsar and Dehradun involved in an animated discussion. They then hover lovingly over a large container of biryani.
We order the dudhiya kebab and a portion of the kebab e hazarvi along with a glass of thandai and cream of tomato soup (the menu has a mix of continental as well).
Rich with milk, almond syrup, rose water, melon and aniseeds, the thandai, as the name suggests, is cooling. The soup is a lovely peach colour but lacks any flavour. When the kebabs arrive the soup is banished to one corner of the table. With a mix of paneer, cream and cheese, the soft dudhiya kebab is a hit. The mildly spicy kebab e hazarvi is mushy with a cheesy centre, but it doesn't match up to its vegetarian counterpart.
From the way the chefs kept tending to the biryani, one could tell it would be worth the order. Only it wasn’t biryani but mutton zafrani pulao. So we order the pulao, a portion of kulcha and khumbh makai palak. The palak is as green as Cameroon's football jersey. It has juicy button mushrooms and kernels of corn and pairs well with the soft kulcha. Although the khumbh makai palak is fiery, it is addictive enough. And finally, we turn our attention to the mutton zaffrani pulao, which has been dum cooked with tender pieces of meat and fine grains of rice that are full of flavour. The dish reminds me of a movie where the heroine meets the love of her life after she orders a pulao that isn't up to her expectation. She calls for the chef, also the hero of the movie, and Cupid strikes. Fortunately for me, my pulao is excellent; unfortunately I didn't meet the love of my life. But at least the meal was scrumptious.
Almaza is located on No-30, A Block, 6th Street, Anna Nagar (East). For reservations, call: 45561717
