Barbeque Nation, which has, in recent years, made its presence felt in Delhi NCR when it comes to grilled food, has come up with a nice Raavi De Naal food promotion. The festival, on since last week, offers hardcore Punjabi delicacies from Lahore, Amritsar, Patiala and other regions of the undivided Punjab.
I went for a tasting session at their Noida outlet. Decorated as a village of Punjab, the 160-seater was full of vibrant colours, with the staff also wearing turbans and shining silk kurtas. Though the weather has changed, their live grills right at the centre of every table are still a delight to watch. The skewers served are good to go, but one can grill them further on the tables as per one’s liking.
The staff seemed excited about serving me and offered a couple of times to bring my grills, even after my telling them twice that I will start with a soup. The mutton paya shorba was offered piping hot, which was welcome, but it was very spicy. Not the way a soup should be, as it’s the first course. It was as good as a curry to be enjoyed with steamed rice.
Now moving to their strength, which lies in grills, I had the Punjabiyan di tashan, a cheese delicacy which was just amazing. I have never come across such a delicious cheese grilled to perfection with such a wonderful texture and flavour. Asked which cheese it was, the chef smiled and said it’s an in-house creation and can’t be disclosed.
Amritsari macchi was crunchy and fluffy — the way it should be, while mutton boti kabab was full of flavours but lacked in succulence. Tandoori tangdi, one of my favourites, was tasty and tender. A staffer roaming around with a griller served keema champ directly on the plate and it was delicious.
It could have been spicier to make it more Punjabi. The menu had some main course dishes as well to offer. The Patiala gosht and Sindhi biryani were tempting options.
The gosht was good and tasted excellent with the lacha paratha. Though the biryani was aromatic, it missed out on flavours and was almost bland. The soya keema in the vegetarian section was a unique preparation. One relished the food with a live performance by singer Rehman.
The festival is on till March 30.
Meal for Two: Rs.1200
