Get dhaba feel at a five-star

FOOD REVIEW

Dhaba is the first word that comes to mind when traveling on
national highways.

But the concept has become so popular that even five-star hotels are now being lured by it. These two contrary concepts, dhaba and five-star hotel may sound strange when juxtaposed but have come together at Hotel Hilton, Janakpuri which is promoting its Dhaba Food Festival at Zune.

Enter the restaurant and be ready for a Maharaja treat even while wearing shorts! Well, that is the new urbane look you shall experience as Chef Mohammad Irfan, Chef de Cuisine, presents you with a mouth-watering menu and delicious dishes. Sharing his experience, Chef Irfan says, “I traveled from Delhi to Amritsar and back.

On the way, we stopped at all dhabas to have food and got the recipes and names of our dishes from these places.” So that is the secret of dhaba food here!
Having unveiled that, Metrolife moves on to scan the menu while enjoying live music and sipping mocktails that taste like Appy Fizz.

The tiny and uncomplicated dhaba menu segregates vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters and curries. Sounds delicious but will they taste as good is the thought that hovers. Order a sample of all and you get to experience a taste for your lifetime with Bhatti da paneer tikka, Lawrence road di tikkian, Bhein de kebab and Makki te hare pyaaz di seek­han in vegetarian.

While the paneer tikka is appropriately marinated, the tikki (self-made with all accompanim­e­nts served) is matchless. The kebabs melt in the mouth and it is difficult to believe that they are made from the lotus stem!

The non vegetarian start­ers are equally good: Tando­o­ri kukkad, Highway da chicken tikka, Amritsari tawa macchi and Doonger de seekh­an. While Tandoori kukkad is tangy in taste, Doonger de seekhan are both soft and crisp and cooked well. Move on to the curries with options like Paneer makhan masala, Bharwan mirchan di kadhi, Pindi choley, Kadhai murga, Dhaba meat curry and Ghar di murgi (certainly not daal barabar in this case).

The paneer sways the taste buds with its soft buttery taste that blends with its masala of onion, tomato and capsicum cooked crisp.

Bharwan mirchan di kadhi tastes may be perfect with its hing ka tadka, but if it is dhaba food you are looking for then don’t miss the non-vegetarian course. Try the Dhaba meat curry which is good to taste and limited in chilli. The spiciness associated with dhaba or Punjabi food might have been missed if the Chef had not asked you about your personal preference. Just incase you missed out on the chillies in the dishes, try them out with their Zune’s Bullet naan, stuffed with enough chillies to make you reach out for that glass of water once too often!

Even though this special menu doesn’t include des­s­e­rts, how can a Punjabi miss them? They include the chef’s special Khummani ka meetha made overnight with khurbani and old Delhi’s Kulfi rabri (sans kulfi) to pacify your sinful desires.