Patiala: Dine like a royal

Dubai: You have left your guests hugely impressed by showing them around Dubai Mall. Now you want to bowl them over with a gastronomic indulgence they won’t forget in a hurry.

It’s here that Patiala comes into the picture.

Nestled in the nearby Souk Al Bahar, it serves perhaps the finest north Indian food in the UAE. And this is coming not from an ordinary foodie but someone who hails from India’s culinary capital, Lucknow.

Working the epicurean magic is head chef Sanjay Bahl, who leads a team that traces its lineage back to the kitchens of the royal families in the erstwhile princely states of Patiala and Awadh.

In fact, one of their cooks is a direct descendant of the legendary one-arm chef Haji Murad Ali.

Popularly known as Tundey Mian (tundey is Hindi slang to describe a person with a hand disability), Murad pioneered the melt-in-mouth tundey kebab for an ageing Awadh nawab who had lost all his teeth and could not chew regular kebabs.

A century later, Tundey gilawati kebabs remain a worldwide rage, though nobody has been able to quite match the taste and tenderness of the minced mutton dish sold at a decrepit small shop run by Murad’s grandson in Lucknow.

“It’s a zealously guarded family secret,” he told me once.

Not anymore, I thought, as I gorged on the piping hot succulent gilawati kebabs and parathas (Dh130) prepared in a glass-fronted kitchen opposite our table.

From the moment we stepped into the contemporary settings of Patiala we knew we would relish the experience. And boy, did we? After a delectable Patiala Chaat platter (Dh40), we were served the choicest bounties of the ocean – Fish Amritsari (crispy hammour fillets with onion fritters; Dh115), Zaveri Fish Tikka (hammour tikka kebabs dressed with gold leaf and sun-dried mango powder) and Chargrilled Chili Mint Prawns (jumbo prawns, marinated in a spices and chilli-mint paste Dh155).

Next up were Gosht Roghan Josh (boneless lamb flavoured with fennel and ginger; Dh120) Butter Chicken (Dh120), Mutton Biryani (Dh145) and chargrilled Tandoori Lamb Chops (Dh115) which, I dare say, were the juiciest I have had in a while.

Caked in a zesty cinnamon marinade, the chops were well done and had a wondrous gamey taste that rendered them simply unputdownable.

Chef Bahl attributed its distinct flavour to the meat. “This is the only dish where we use New Zealand lamb. You can’t get the same taste and consistency in Indian lamb,” he explained.

The vegetarian dishes were no less sumptuous. Special mention must be made of Saag Patiala Paneer (leafy green veggies cooked with cottage cheese, Dh95) and Pindi Chole (chick peas cooked with Indian spice; Dh50).

The thoroughly enjoyable main course was however a bit let down by the desserts. They were immaculately presented alright, but didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

That said, it was a fantastic experience overall. The food was lipsmackingly good; the portions big, service prompt and the ambience brilliant. The only caveat: Unlike most Souk Al Bahar restaurants, Patiala doesn’t have views of the Dubai Fountain.

DETAILS:

Meal for two: Dh350

Location: Level 3, Souk al Bahar,

Downtown Dubai

Opening Hours: Noon-4pm; and 6pm-2am

Contact: 04-451 9151