Hyderabad on Dhaba Mode
The posh Claridges Hotel in New Delhi has been around (and thriving!) since half a century or so, though its most well-known F&B offering, The Dhaba is of more recent vintage, being founded in 1984. Known not just for its excellent North Indian and Balti cuisine, Dhaba was also perhaps the first fine-dine restaurant in India styled on the format and look of a typical rustic highway dhaba in Punjab.
This year, the iconic restaurant chain Dhaba by Claridges was acquired by the Gurgaon-based Azure Hospitality, who is now taking it out of the high-end five star premises to a more affordable/accessible format in malls and stand-alones too, not just in Delhi and Gurgaon but now also in apna Hyderabad! I was invited recently to a preview of Dhaba in Kondapur (right next to the Google office) and in the same building as Azure’s other very popular pan Asian restaurant Mamagoto.
First things first. If you are looking out for the smaller and classier ambience of the original Dhaba, you might be a wee bit disappointed. This format is much larger, more lively (read: louder, including flash Bollywood singing and dancing by staffers) and with colorful graffiti on the walls including that of its “theka”. Of course, the interiors are more fun, quirky and lets say Punjabi at heart!
The food, however, remains absolutely top-notch like the original, in terms of taste, presentation and the mazedaar element. The menu is divided into various sections, like Tandoor, Tawa, Sigri, Pateela etc. Ravi Saxena, the corporate chef of Dhaba by Claridges present at the preview session helped us choose the best from the menu. Let me get down to brass tacks, first with the absolutely scrumptious starters.
Tawa Mutton
Mahi Tikka
Tandoori Bhune Aloo was chatpata down to its soul!
Tawa Mutton, boneless lamb marinated in the typical spicy dhaba masala and tawa fried with tonnes of onion, tomato and green chillies was cooked perfectly with almost melting consistency and the dish was as chatpata as it gets!We also tried Amritsari Macchli and Mahi Tikka and while the Amritsari macchi was as good it gets, it was the Mahi Tikka from the Sigri which was a step ahead, in terms of its smokey and sophisticated taste. But what was absolutely standout in terms of taste, flavours and that fun experience staying with you was the Tandoori Bhune Aloo, tandoori roasted crisp (or karaari as Dilliwallas call it) baby potatoes, then shallow fried with chaat masala and garnished with chopped onion-chillies-tomato-coriander, a basic ingredient/garnish of North Indian cooking. It came served with a delightfully tangy-sweet ‘sonth’ chutney.
For our drinks, there was another Delhi favourite, the banta bottles with Shikanji (masala limbu soda sweet-teangy, perfect!), Aam Panna (not had better!) and to wash it all down in the end was Chaas, which I frankly found a little tepid in comparison to the other drinks.
Greed pushed the frontiers of our already protesting tummies and a spread of main courses arrived soon on our table. There was a basket of assorted Indian breads (kulcha, missi roti and Dhaba roti), Dhaba Dal, Kanastari Baingan Bharta (name derived from its serving dish, a steel canister!), Chitti Butter Chicken, Balti Mutton, Dhaba Aloo Gobhi, Lehsuni Palak,
Dhaba Dal, Lehsuni Palak and Aloo Gobhi won hands down my vote for the clarity of North Indian dhaba flavours, especially the Dal Dhaba with its creamy, perfectly-blended consistency and perfection in taste, given the many versions of Dal Makhni doing the rounds and which I had tried only after some hesitation. Butter chicken gravy was also good (I didnt have stomach for the chicken) but Balti Mutton, which is their signature special, frankly failed to pass muster with me. Maybe it was a bad hair day for the mutton or me, dont know!
Dal Dhaba was the best!
Desserts time and a spoonful was tried of Gulab Jamun, Phirni, Rasmalai and Moong Dal Halwa and Phirni was the clear winner. Not too sweet, with a perfect creamy texture with the slighest hint of crunchy graininess of the ground almonds, this was soul food at its best!
Dhaba by Claridges offers a friendlier right side of the menu (at least thrice as less expensive as the original) so it is going to be an attractive dining option, especially with its weekday lunch buffet being priced at Rs 599 plus taxes or some such.
I am going to be going back, for sure!
