The weather in the Delhi-NCR is now perfect for barbecuing and grilling, and that’s the only way for me to beat the chilly winter. One of the best options in Noida — which, admittedly, hardly has any options to choose from — is definitely The Ancient Barbecue, better known as TAB, located in the Sector 63 market next to Haldirams. Hardly 10 days old, TAB is a nice 100-cover fine dining restaurant promoting barbecue and doing it right at your table with live customised singris. Though the concept was popularised by Barbecue Nation, TAB is the latest entrant to follow it.
Dharmender Singh, one of the directors, is also an ex-chef and put his experience to good use while setting up TAB. The format is such that all the starters are served right at the table and people finish the half done skewers themselves, enjoying the sizzling sound of the grill and experiencing the aroma of the charcoal. I did the same with my starters.
Angari murgh tikka to start with was nice and spicy. The Peshawari fish counterpart was good but lacked the fragrances of mustard. The good part about finishing the grilling at the table is that one can grill according to one’s preference. The mutton seekh, though not served on a seekh, was tender and succulent. The flavours were very nice too, and went well with the mint chutney.
The only starter that lacked zing was the prawn. If the chef were to use bigger prawns the flavours might be enhanced and the dish would likely taste better.
Among vegetarian dishes, the Mexican pineapple was excellent. The pineapple is that rare fruit that tastes really good when grilled. The mayo potato salsa is another dish that is likely to do really well, since it has all the flavours a Delhiite loves. Topping it with hand minced raw onion makes it even better.
Done with starters, I walked to the buffet and had some delicious selections of the day. Sarson ka saag topped with white butter and accompanied by makka roti, as well as the dal makhni, may be nothing unusual for this time of year — but that didn’t make them any the less delectable. However, one thing everybody visiting TAB should eat is the biryani. I don’t remember when I had such a fine biryani — that too in a buffet setup.
A small portion of moong dal halwa was the last sweet dollop in my cup of joy.
Non-Vegetarian Buffet: Rs. 579 plus taxes
Vegetarian Buffet: Rs.499 plus taxes
