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Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

all fresh A wide selection to choose from

And it’s pretty sad because there is so much that can be done with Hyderabadi food that leaves you so filled, and all taste buds left sighing in happiness.

Ash-e Aab limbo (non-veg soup) was a watery broth, with a typical lamb flavour lingering in your nose. Thankfully it was not swimming in oil, with onions for company. For thirst quenchers, there was the rather disappointing Kamruddin juice (apricot).

Among the salads, chicken tikka salad made for a nice, tingling spicy snack, sprinkled with onions. Tempered fish was mild and scrambled. Makdase was just like biting into a pungent vegetable that is doused in pickle.

The buffet main course had a variety of biryanis for you to take your pick. Tailili machli was burnt to a point of crispiness. Hari mirchi ka gosht was soft and not particularly appetising. Haleem was oozing, nice and yielding. Murgh musallam was tomato-juicy.

Bamhiya-bel zaith sounds exotic but is bland and only salvaged by the taste of the ladyfingers itself.

The vegetarian section is definitely a breather in comparison. Lauki tamatar ka kut was nice and piquant. Sukha gobi mutter was again, well soaked in all the goodness of the right spices. Shahi kalungi paneer, surprisingly, tastes more like kheer.

Bagara baigan was once again, bitter, and not even a touch of tanginess. Katti dal was comforting and thick to go with kudrat ki moti (white rice). Chef Rana Dominic Gomes who has worked in Saudi Arabia for four years says: “Nizam-ul-Mulk combined Persian ingredients with Mughal cuisine when he moved to India, so the food isn’t exactly Mughlai.”

The dessert section made up for the lack of the sweet and tangy tastes. Double ka meetha was a fine blend of both milk and sweetness. Zauki shahi was again creamy and rich.

Khubani ka meeta, the Hyderabadi favourite which I remember from childhood days, was the winner of the spread. Tender and luscious, it really had you generously helping yourself to more. Gil-e-Firdaus (kheer made from kaddu) was again for the milk-toothed.

But, sadly, this food festival which is trying to blend both Persian and Mughlai aromas, seems really to go nowhere and be stuck in some bygone era.

The buffet festival is till October 28 for dinner between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Pinxx, the Coffee Shop at Royal Orchid Hotel, 47/1 Dickenson Road, Manipal Centre.

For reservations, call 25588594.

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