Lucknow takes art and comfort very seriously. Among the many arts that they take very very seriously is the art of cuisine. The food in Lucknow is to die for, the rest of India agrees and envies the fact and yearns for more. However, over the times I have travelled to Lucknow, there seemed to be a gap to merge great cuisine and comfort. Sure for foodies, food beats leisure, but at times you look forward to the opportunity to enjoy great food in an ambiance where you can spend time with your colleagues and friends. This clear cuisine plus comfort gap has been identified and addressed by Zaafran, the Mughal Kitchen which has been started recently by Shivendra Seth and Mohd. Tariq Hasan and long may it prosper.What leads me to believe that it will are the attitude of the owners, one a gemologist, the other a finance professional clearly understand the importance and long term benefits of offering value. They are not into manufacturing the quick buck and have stayed away from quick imitations of the Tunday. They also understand food and stress on original recipes. The stuff you get here is the real deal, served in an ambiance that is as good as any restaurant in Mumbai or Delhi. I also had the opportunity of visiting the kitchen and can vouch for how clean it is.
I had the opportunity of sampling quite a bit of the food. We started with the Murgh Dhaniya Shorba - an outstanding broth to start your meal. The pieces of chicken are substantial and the broth nice warm and perfect for bracing you for the meal ahead without taking too much space. We tried the pepper fish, which is something i typically avoid at restaurants. It was brilliant and beats any Tandoor fish I have had in Kolkata hollow.
The Barra Boti which is Mutton barbecued in Galout Masala is out of this world. The meat literally drips of the bone and is worth going to the restaurant repeatedly just for than one dish. Its Lucknow and the serving is also very substantial. The best thing about the Barra Boti was that it was not over cooked in the least as most such Botis are. The mutton biriyani was typically Lucknowi and very delicious, the highight of the Biriyani was the quality and the softness of the meat. The owners vouched that they are not cutting costs and are buying the best quality from the market. Lucknow being Lucknow, there are three grades of meat quality and Zaafran buys
If all this was not enough, the meal was rounded off with the Rogan Josh, which the owners vouch for and not without reason. Pure ghee and all the right spices and none of the wrong ones, this authentic dish is served at the restaurant and tastes as good as any that I have tasted.
The gravy is so beautifully flavoured that all of us at the table were intent of polishing off the left over gravy as a soup after we were done with the mutton. A truly amazing dish and it is possible that the same will become the signature dish of the restaurant till they create something even more spectacular.
We did not have space to sample any sweet dish but given the experience and the conversation with the owners, if you are unsure at Zaafran just ask, and you need not be worried about the quality and the authenticity. The owners would rather not have the dish on the menu that keep something that does not conform to the integrity of Lucknow cuisine originality or is not of the highest quality. The outlet is a truly outstanding culinary experience guaranteed - you can take my word for it! It is pretty much the only place you go for authentic Lucknow cuisine with your family or colleagues in a completely comfortable and hygienic environment.
A meal for two at Zaafran, the Mughal kitchen without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 500/-
How to get there: From Puraniya Chowk, you have to go towards Sitapur Road, take the first right approximately hundred meters down the road. Zaafran is on the right, another hundred meters from the turning.
