Persian Darbar, Bandra, Mumbai

Persian Darbar is one of Mumbai's more famous Mughal food eateries and has been welcoming its clientele since 1976. Persian Darbar tries to serve authentic food in an authentic setting and that needs to be appreciated. The Biriyani for example is served and is had by its regular patrons in the true tradition of community eating with people expected to have food from the same very large plate served at the centre of the table. Lately I have read advertisements of its Byculla branch renovating its decor to add to a truly Mughal experience and setting to sample some fabulous food.

Persian Darbar also drives home one of the oddities in my culinary discoveries in Mumbai. The fact that the non Mughlai dish of crispy chili prawns is so fantastic, yet so Non Mughal had been first discovered by me at Shalimar and the version at Persian Darbar underscores that fact. The dish if you can get yourself to order it is fantastic and the serving is also very, very generous.

The last time we were there, apart from the prawns, we ordered the Raan Biriyani and Bheja Tava Masala.

The Biriyani needs to be ordered just for the grandeur of the dish, the Raan is very obviously the star of the show and is covered with Biriyani rice and adorned with sliced boiled eggs, cucumber and onions on the sides of the serving plate. The biriyani rice does not have the greatest taste and sort of disappointed me but the Raan was succulent and with loads of flavours. I would definitely recommend the dish for the taste of the Raan and the way the dish is served up.

The bheja was also disappointing, the masala was greenish and sort of overwhelmed the taste of the bheja. I prefer the version at Bade Miyan and Jaffer Bhai any day. Overall though, the meal was still worth it because of the Prawns and the Raan!

A meal for two at Persian Darbar will cost you approximately Rs 450/- without drinks.

How to get there: Persian Darbar is on Bandra, Linking Road. If you are driving from Khar towards, the highway, Persian Darbar will fall to your left once you cross Shoppers Stop.

Karim's, Noida

Karim's at Delhi is undoubtedly one of the more famous eateries in Delhi and for that matter, the rest of India. My friends, and cousins in the capital now often look down on the place and claim, rightfully I am sure that there are other far better places. But then, Karim's is the stuff of legend, and for us Non - Delhi-ites, if we are in the capital and there is a choice of choosing the restaurant to have Mughlai food in, it is usually Karim's that is the number one choice.

Part of the reason for the allure of Karim's is its fame and longevity, the original one beside the Jama Masjid has been around since 1913. They also claim to have an interesting story line with the ancestors of Haji Karimuddin (who established the place in 1913) apparently having cooked and served food in the kitchens of Babur himself.

This makes for great narrative and provides an added flavour to the delightful food that is served in front of you. Karim's is famed for its Biriyani, which although tasty is a topic for much controversy and each foodie in India has their own favourite version. Mine, is Shiraz, Kolkata but then that is a never ending conversation. My favorite meal at Karim's and the one that I had when last at Karim's Noida is Mutton Barra Kebab, Kali Dal and Rumali Roti.

The decor in Karim's Noida is reasonably up market, there was actually a painting by MF Hussain to welcome us and it has none of the rustic feel that you experience at the Jama Masjid branch. The service however was the same as what you get at the original joint.

Thankfully the food was outstanding as it always is. The Mutton Barra kebab is basically the most basic of mutton kebab offerings but is in my mind one of the tastiest of mutton Kebabs, it is not as fine as a Galouti or Kakori and is less on the marination. The meat is more chunky and can be bit into. While the other kebabs are definitely finer, even more tasty, the Barra Kebab is texturally the heartiest and most satisfying for a non vegetarian lover still having decently Ok teeth. The taste is needless to say fantastic.

The kali daal at Karims while not particularly outstanding in isolation, is perhaps made for being the perfect accompaniment to the mutton. Light almost to the point of being bland, the kali daal with the mutton barra and the soft rumali roti, transports the customer to cullinary heaven. The Karim's at Noida does take away the ambience but does deliver on the food!

A meal for two at Karims will cost you approximately Rs 400/- without drinks.

How to get there: Karim's is at Sector 18 in Noida, in the main market. It is impossible to miss.

Punjab Grill, Juhu, Mumbai

Punjab Grill is an attempt to fill one of the most obvious need gaps in the culinary land scape of Mumbai. The city (at least the suburbs) really has relatively few options (discounting the 5 star chains) if you want to sample high quality North Indian / Punjabi cuisine and to a large extent Punjab Grill manages to fill that rather glaring culinary hole.
Punjab Grill is a fine dining restaurant aimed at bringing you the best flavours of the undivided Punjab and as soon as you enter the restaurant, one gets the impression that the evening will be an enjoyable one. They have two layouts, an air conditioned interior as well as an adequately fanned outdoor option. The outdoor option is very classily done up, so much so, that we decided to sit outdoors inspite of the Mumbai heat. What I particularly liked from a customer experience perspective is the outdoor bar they have set up near the entrance which can and was being used by guests while waiting to be seated.
What also strikes you is the amazing level of service you experience, the waiters are all smart and knowledgeable. Service is paramount and their is no division of tables or zones at least visibly, in case the waiter allocated to you is busy, others are most willing to pitch in. What I appreciated from the waiters was also their honesty with the items on the menu, we were very clearly informed when we were ordering some aam-panna that the same was not original Mango and so might not be as authentic as some other available options, especially the shikanji.
The food at Punjab Grill is something that they take a lot of pride in and not without reason as we experienced. We sampled their kebab platter, the galouti kebabs, Daal Punjab grill and Kheema naan. The Kebab Platter had servings of Mutton Chaap, Chicken Reshmi Kebabs, Chicken Tikka and Fish Amritsari. The chicken was soft, well flavoured and very tasty, the fish was authentic with the flavour of ajwain standing out. The star of the platter was undoubtedly the mutton chaap, well chosen pieces and cooked so that the mutton adequately stays attached to the bone while perfectly cooked. The melt-in-your-mouth Galouti kebabs were also very good, among the best I have sampled in Mumbai, the only negative being the way they were served, on a small bread with an onion slice. It looked great and tasted okay but it was almost presented too well to be interfered with. I like a little bit more freedom in the way I want to have my Galouti.
The Daal - Punjab Grill was as good as you expect in any high quality Punjabi restaurant and did not disappoint in the least, I however felt that there was room to improve with the Kheema Naan as I felt that the flavour did not really come through and got a bit awkward to finish and reduced me that I had opted for the Garlic Naan. Overall, while I would have to say the food was very good but did not floor me and make my mouth water. Call it being spoilt but the food of undivided Punjab makes me yearn for food I have sampled in Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. I expect the food from present day Pakistan to be as good as the kebabs in Lucknow. While Punjab Grill does a fantastic job, those levels of culinary experience are never quite achieved. To be honest I have sampled similar culinary excellence only at the ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai so the comparison might not be fair.
Punjab Grill however won my heart with the little touch at the end. I absolutely adored the complementary Paan shots. Served in Tequila glasses and with all the flavours of a good paan the Paan shot made me rank Punjab Grill as one of the restaurants I would definitely go back to, inspite of the slightly steep price.
A meal for two at Punjab Grill without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 3000/-
How to get there: Punjab Grill is opposite the Costa Coffee in Juhu. If you enter Juhu through Juhu Gali and turn right towards Juhu Circle, it will fall on your left. The gate falls to your left, after you take a left past the restaurant boards visible from the main road.

Al-hamadulillah Hotel, Nampally, Hyderabad

Al-hamadulillah Hotel in Hyderabad is an Hyderabad institution in authentic Hyderabadi cuisine and has been one of the preferred haunts of the "hard core" Hyderabadi foodie for quite some time. The words "hard core" have been mentioned in inverted commas and intentionally so, for Al-hamadulillah is not for those for whom cleanliness, presentation and hygiene is as important as food. That is not saying that the food is bad as the patrons of the restaurants are loyalists but the quality and the quantity of food at Al-hamadulillah take clear precedence over the presentation. When you walk into Al-hamadulillah, you pretty much know what you are getting into. You will see Haleem smoking in a couple of pots by the entrance, Paayas (cattle hoofs) let out to dry in marinade and the unmistakable smell of Biriyani pervading your senses. The seating is rustic, plastic chairs and tables seating four each. A couple of bowls, one of saalan and one of raita looking like they have been there for a good deal before you even decided to come to the restaurant. The food however is exceptional and I was treated to one of my better culinary experiences. We started with Tala Gosh and rumali, tala gosh is the signature dish of the restaurant and is basically small pieces of beef cooked in a red masala, the pieces are tender, well cooked and half melt in the mouth. The portion served to you is also generously sprinkled with mint leaves which add great flavour to the preparation. After the Tala Gosh we moved on to sample some Haleem and the Biriyani. I love haleem and I was not disappointed in the least, the restaurant is one of the few places which serve haleem all year round and the taste was very close to what you get all around Hyderabad during Ramadan, which is very very good. We polished off the meal with a bit of the Biriyani which was slightly spicier than the regular Hyderabadi Biriyani and had a lot more mutton. Overall a big thumbs up although the place I guess could do with some improvements in presentation. Its not a place where you should take your loved one for a romantic dinner, but there should be some places where its just about you and your food. A meal for two at Al-hamadulillah without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 250/- How to get there: Al-hamdulillah is at Nampally, Hyderabad. Its a bit difficult to locate for the Non Hyderabadi so you will need to depend on the local auto driver. They invariably know the place.

Cafe Bahar, Hyderguda, Hyderabad

Cafe Bahar (pronounced as "Kaif" Bahar as against "Cafay" Bahar) is one of Hyderabads more famous Biriyani outlets. Its the place where you will find the housewife with her famished kids having just finished a day in school, the BPO employee gang from the latest call centre shop out to celebrate an office birthday and local students just out of tuition challenging each other to devour the famous Bahar family pack. It is the place that the Hyderabad local goes to sample some of the best Biriyani that Hyderabad has to offer. I would take it any day ahead of the more touristy Paradise or Hyderabad House. Cafe Bahar is made for the middle class Hyderabadi wanting to sample some of the best cuisine in Hyderabad in a relatively clean and hygienic environment. The setting and the ambiance is almost like a regular Andhra meal joint. The place is packed most of the times so sharing your table with other famished patrons is the norm. The service is pretty good for a place of this nature and you are pretty much served your food quite promptly especially the Biriyani which is obviously mass produced. The last time we were at Cafe Bahar, we had quite a large spread. We started with some "Dum ka Chicken" and Rumali roti - the Dum ka Chicken is apparently the dish that finishes the fastest in Cafe Bahar, the chicken is cooked in a rich, slightly sweet gravy which was laden with a largish helping of nuts to enhance the richness and the taste. The chicken was cooked excellently and was very tender. The preparation was a great accompaniment to the Rumali roti and the gravy went very well with the Biriyani rice as well. We then proceeded to the highlight of the restaurant - the mutton biriyani. The biriyani was typically Hyderabadi and very good although I personally prefer the Lucknow and Kolkata styles, the rice was excellently cooked although the meat quantity was slightly on the lesser side. Raita and Mirchi ka saalan was served on the table to be taken as per taste. We obviously took a regular portion and not the family pack, but we were lucky to see the family pack being devoured by a largish group at a nearby table. The family pack is basically a catering counter full of Biriyani! Pretty unique in the way its served, its almost as if the waiter has picked up an entire counter of Biriyani from a wedding reception and has walked over to serve it at your table. I was speaking to a Hyderabadi friend of mine who was raving about the Bahaar, apparently the challenge during his school days was to devour the entire family pack alone at one go. To fellow Kolkatans who may be reading this, that equals around 4 packets of Shiraz mutton Biriyani portions! I admit defeat. Hyderbadis can have a lot of Biriyani! A meal for two at Cafe Bahar will cost you approximately Rs 400 without drinks. How to get there: Cafe Bahar is a Hyderabadi institution and anybody in the vicinity of Hyderaguda should be able to point you to the restaurant.

Kareem's, Galleria, Powai

Firstly, Kareems at Powai is in no way related to the similar sounding Karims in Delhi. Not only is the spelling different, the Mumbai chain spelling a “double e” against the “i” of Delhi, the font is different, the logo colors are different and alas from the point of view of the Mumbai restaurant, the quality of the Biriyani is completely different. Not that Kareem’s in Mumbai is devoid of brilliance some of the food at the restaurant is of a very high standard, but you need to know what to order. You need to steer clear of the Biriyani!

I love the décor at Kareems, it is one of my favorite restaurant decors in Mumbai. The restaurant has brilliantly used the natural beauty of the Hiranandani Gardens, has take advantage of the natural roof the Galleria building provides and has made the seating space in the restaurant completely outdoors. Yet, and this is where Kareem’s deserves a pat on the back, one does not get a sense of any lack of hygiene that is so evident in the food court next door. They also have an open kitchen and you can see the chefs at work, as well as the succulent kebabs hanging from well ordered sheekhs in front of you.’

My favourite dish at Kareems is the Peela wala daal and the Kali Miri Kebabs. Both are extremely tasty, the chicken kali miri kebabs have the overwhelming taste of pepper, but the chicken is very tender and very amenable to whatever the marinade that they used. The daal however is the highlight and is one of the better daals I have tasted in any restaurant, rivaling the Kaali Daal at Bukhara. The daal is definitely not at rich but is served with a Tadka, which Kareems does an excellent job of. It is however important that you finish the meal at Kareems with the daal, as the Biriyani really, really sucks, one of the worst that I have tasted. The other dishes whatever I have tasted are not very great either. Kareems is a restaurant that combines the brilliant with the pathetic. Hopefully when you do go there you will order the brilliant.

A meal for two at Kareems without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 450/-

How to get there: Hangla’s is on the first floor of Galleria in Powai.

Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar, Marine Lines

Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar is indisputably one of the best Biriyani offerings the maximum city has to offer. The fare from Jaffer Bhai is a slap in the face to all those (a few years ago myself included) who think that Mumbai does not have good Biriyani. I believe Biriyani should be the national dish of the country as while the essential ingredients - rice, saffron, meat, (substitute cauliflower for my vegetarian friends :p) remain the same, the subtle variations and innovations that each region of the country brings make the Biriyani their very own and in most cases their favourite preparations. As Indians we celebrate unity in diversity and we are proud of our Indianness, we also celebrate our Biriyani, the Indian Biriyani although the Dindigul and the Lucknowi preparations are as different as a Brahmin from Trichy, is to a Nawab from Lucknow. Jaffer Bhai's - who call themselves the Biriyani kings of Mumbai, offer a really sumptuous Mumbaiya Biriyani.
The decor is one of the most well done up you would find in a non fine dining Mughlai restaurant in Mumbai, the seating is comfortable and the A/C works fine. The service is also very well-meaning if not very efficient. The last time we were at Jaffer Bhai's we ordered, Paaya (they had mentioned in the menu that it was Mumbais best), Chicken Neza Kebab, Garlic Naan, Mutton Korma and the Mutton Biriyani. All were fantastic preparations and memorable apart from the Mutton Korma which was good without being exceptional. The Paaya at Jaffer Bhai is not a soup, my aborted attempt to have it like one resulted in a bit of a choke with the spice being a bit much to be had like a soup. It however went very well with the Garlic Naan and would be outstanding with a Rumali, the mutton stock is just outstanding as are the Paayas or the hooves, extremely tender and very delicious. The Chicken Neza Kebab had a strong flavour of Ajwain in it and the spice gave a completely different flavour to the preparation, it worked very well with the chicken and was fantastic to taste. The Biriyani was typically Mumbai, if you look at it thinking that it is different from Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad you will be right, but guess what it was incredibly tasty and I thought it took the best out of the Lucknow and Kolkata versions and added a bit of oil and spice to add the chutzpah that made it Mumbai's very own Biriyani. Long Live India and Long Live Biriyani! Jaffer Bhai also has a section on the menu called the Arab menu which I have to sample on my next visit there. I really did not have space to try a morsel more on my last visit!
A meal for two at Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 600/-
How to get there: Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar is on 1st Marine Street, opposite Metro Gol Masjid. The Masjid is a pretty decent landmark, I drove there the most simple way to get there would be to drive North on the road beside Churchgate Station. Just drive past the railway tracks and look left. You should be able to spot the Gol Masjid bang on the middle of the road on one of the rights near Marine Lines. Jaffer Bhai's is right next to the masjid.

Zaafran, The Mughal Kitchen, Lucknow

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

the best - as I said the people of Lucknow are very serious about their food.
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.

Tunday Kababi, Hazratganj, Lucknow

There are Kebabs, and there are Kebabs and then there is Tunday Kababi Lucknow. Quite possibly the most famous kebab maker in India and not without reason. Tunday Kababi owns the Galaot kebab in Lucknow and pretty much worldwide with outlets even in Dubai.
The Galaot kebab is known for its softness and its melt in you mouth quality - it really does. Tunday Kebabi serves the most famous variety of the preparation and definitely the best that I have ever had and I have had a decent variety. What is a Galout Kebab? It is a kebab that has been made after the meat has been marinated for a few hours atleast with 'papita' or Papaya. As the Lucknow gentleman and fellow foodie Mohd. Tariq Hasan emphasised - the Papita is what creates the family and makes the meat Galout, i.e. 'Gala', melt. From then on, its the different spices that make the kebab what it is and obviously the Tunday Kababi is not giving out his formula on the Internet.
Lucknowi people may not revere the outlet as much as the Non Luckowi, but it is the pride of the city and for every Non Vegetarian food lover a stop at Tunday Kebabi during a trip to Lucknow is a must. The Galaut kebabs come in two varieties Chhota - mutton and Bada - Beef. The beef is better but the mutton works brilliantly as well. They serve with 2 Parathas as part of the meal option available at the outley but I would advise you have it with the Sheermal - a roti made with eggs, milk and saffron. The colour - saffron and the combination is heaven and after you have the meal you will understand why the Nawabs of Awadh paid more attention to culinary excellence rather than military prowess.
The other interesting trivia about the outlet is the name Tunday - which means cripple. The inventor of the recipe was apparently a cripple hence the Kababs were christened as Tunday Kebabs. May the God of food bless his soul and those of the generations emanating for ever and ever. Inshallah!
A meal for two at Tunday Kebabi would cost you Rs 120/-. And it will be one of the best meals that you will ever have.
How to get there: Tunday Kebabi is on the top floor of the Sahara Mall in Hazratganj. The original outlet is at Aminabad but this one is the easiest to reach.

Nafees, Palasia Square, Indore

Indore is known to be a Vegetarian Paradise. Hence, Nafees restaurant is like an oasis for non-vegetarians. It is easily the most famous Non Vegetarian restaurant in Indore and the food compares with the best the rest of our country has to offer.
The Biryani is decent; the same is served covered in a pot in which the dish is supposedly cooked. The highlight however is the Kheema that you get in the restaurant. The same is outstanding and is the tastiest Mutton Kheema dish that I have ever tasted across India. What makes the Kheema special is not only the substantial size of the mutton pieces in the preparation but also the taste - Superb! As an aside, do not order Butter Roti if you have heart problems. They are truly munificent with the butter in the butter roti :)
Do definitely make it a point to go to the restaurant if you ever visit Indore.
A meal for two without drinks at Nafees will cost you approximately Rs 350/-
How to get there: Nafees is at Palasia Square. It is a famous landmark in Indore and you should not have any trouble in finding the same.

Hyderabad House, Masab Tank, Hyderabad

The land of the Nizams has always been renowned for their Biriyani and Hyderabad House along with Paradise are two of the most famous outlets for sampling the Hyderabadi Biriyani for visitors to Hyderabad. Among the two, I prefer the fare at the Hyderabad house because it simply tastes better.
Hyderabadi Biriyani is different from the Biriyani that you get in the other parts of the country. Each part of India has different innovations of the Biriyani and the same is well documented, however the difference in the Hyderabadi Biriyani is stark in the very way the dish is cooked. The Hyderabadi version of the dish is where the meat and the rice are cooked together different from the Delhi / Lucknow school where the meat and the rice are cooked separately and later mixed. Anyways, enough Biriyani Gyan, the Biriyani at the Hyderabad house is great and is a definite must do if you are at the city of the Nizam.
The decor at Hyderabad house is simple and to the point. The food as mentioned is very good. It is the best Hyderabadi Biriyani that I have sampled. You can also have it with the Saalan that is served alongside although I like my Biriyani slightly dry.
A meal for two at Hyderabad House will cost you Rs 300/-
How to get there: Hyderabad House has a number of outlets all across Hyderabad. The one at Masab Tank is near the flyover.

Kabab Lucknow Wale, R-City, Ghatkopar

The first time I had food from Kabab Lucknow Wale I had gone there with great expectations. I had recently read somewhere that Lucknow's great Tundey Kebabs were expanding to other centers and certain office colleagues of mine had told me that Kabab Lucknow wale was the place. I had immediately planned and gone. I had come away disappointed. Kabab Lucknow wale was no match for Tundey Kebabs. But hey neither is Michael Slater a match for Sachin Tendulkar - that does not mean he isn't a good batsman and isn't fun to watch.
However the experience had made me strike off Kabab Lucknow wale with a big red mark and not even consider it as an option in the R-City food court. It happened by accident when my younger brother ordered a plate that an offering landed on my table. I tasted and found that it was actually pretty good. Whether the serving was actually as tasty as it seemed or whether it was the effect of low expectations and hence surpassing of expectations we will know when I go there next. But the basic level of achievement has definitely been achieved. Kabab Lucknow Wale is where I will be having food from on my next visit to the R-City food court.
A meal for two at Kabab Lucknow wale will cost you approximately Rs 350/-
How to get there: Kabab Lucknow wale is on the R-City Mall food court in Ghatkopar.

Shalimaar, Bandra

The name Shalimar is the name of one of the more famous Mumbai restaurants, not this outlet in Bandra but the more famous one in Mohammad Ali Road, with its highly renowned Raan Biriyani - a pleasure that I have yet to experience... but more on that if and when that treat befalls me. I have had the regular Biriyani there but it has not really set me salivating. Anyways more on that later.

Shalimar, on Linking Road Bandra, although having the same name does not proclaim to be part of the same chain. The rather guarded waiter when asked curtly replied that it was owned by a cousin of the more famous Muhammad Ali road outlet. I was there with a colleague of mine - a meat lover and we ordered two dishes I do not usually choose. First (and don't think I have gone mad) Chilli Garlic Prawns as starters, and the second Nalli Gosht. Both were rather surprising in their own ways.

Chilli Garlic Prawns - Although an incredibly strange order in a Muslim restaurant. The same is almost blasphemy (like ordering curd in a chinese joint), however for the second time running - I had also had the same at Persian Durbar, pretty good and the best value for money for the same dish in Mumbai. I have to write here that I have yet to bring myself to order the same as it is still just to blasphemous but if by chance you chance upon it - it will be one of the most value for money prawn items you have ever had.

Nalli Gosht - The dish was fantastic and is easliy one of the better regular mutton preparations, non - Kebab that I have had at restaurants. Not too spicy, and very very tasty. The dish went a long way to dispelling my abhorrence of ordering regular mutton curries at restaurants. Definitely a must have if you are yearning for a good mutton curry in and around Bandra.

A meal for two at Shalimar, Bandra will cost you approximatey Rs 250/-

How to get there: Shalimar is on Linking Road Bandra, very near the Shoppers Stop. It is on the opposite side of the road. If you are traveling from Khar to Bandra you have to cross Shoppers Stop. The restaurant falls on the other footpath of Linking Road on your right. It falls before Persian Durbar which is on your left.

Nice Fast Food Corner, Santacruz West, Mumbai

Mumbai! The city never stops surprising (I am talking positive surprises here) you, and fortunately neither does its cuisine. I have to admit I have been a big critic of Mughali food options in Mumbai... The city unlike Delhi does not have outstanding Galouti kebab in all localities. Mumbai biriyani is not liked by my palate and the aroma is not as appetising as the ubiquitous Shiraz, Aminia, Zeeshan biriyanis all across Kolkata. Not often can one afford to sample the heavenly servings of Dumpukht at the ITC Grand Maratha and other 5 star restaurants of similar ilk.
However, as I have found out, the city DOES have its share of outstanding Mughlai food joints and Nice Fast food corner is just one of those joints. Nice is a shack - closed by day and open only in the evenings like the more famous Bade Miyan in Colaba. My theory is that it is a guarded secret of the hard core Mumbaikar foodie (like my friend Khusru) who only share the information with fellow club members.
The place does not reek of hygiene - it is a roadside shack. There is no seating. You can either have the food in your car or use the bonnet as a table. You can stand and hog or as I did, you can get the food home. I ordered Baida Paratha, Sheekh Kebabs, Mutton Tikka and Khiri. The Baida Paratha is the Mumbaiya Moghlai Paratha and was very good at Nice. A decent quantity of mutton and not too oily. The Sheekh was good, though I have never really been a Sheek fan... What blew me out of my mind was however the Mutton Tikka and the Khiri. The Mutton Tikka was as good a Tikka as I have ever tasted (no hyperbole). The Khiri, which I was tasting for the first time was soft and tender and absolutely delicious though obviously it is a dish not for the faint of heart for obvious reasons. I wish I could have sampled the Chicken Tangdi and other servings but that was all my appetite could permit. Overall I would put Nice right up there with Bade Miyan on the list of Mughlai non-veg options in Mumbai, it does not have the Bheja which will make ravenous trips to Colaba still worth my while but the Mutton Tikka is outstanding and that is something that Bade Miyan just does not have... Nice Fast Food Corner is definitely a jewel in Mumbai's culinary crown. Here is hoping that I manage to discover a lot more.
A meal for two at Nice will cost you either Rs 120 to Rs 160. Two plates of Baida Paratha and one plate of Mutton Tikka should make for a quick dinner. If you are hungry order two plates. Almost every item at Nice is priced at Rs 40.
How to get there: Nice fast food corner is open only in the evenings and is on S V Road. If you are driving from Parle to Bandra the shack will fall to your left. It is right beside Five- the more famous continental restaurant.