Mumbai hosts a number of restaurants that serve Punjabi, Mughlai and North Indian cuisine with a twist. With a long list of options available, food lovers today choose for the ones which offer something different which ticks their choice of experiential dining. To ensure the best service, restaurants have been designing the menu with a different approach. Catering to the needs and demands, thereby swiftly climbing the leaderboard is India Bistro.
Managed under Food Link Restaurants Pvt, Limited, this culinary venture is located in two prime localities in Mumbai — Chembur, and Thane.
The management strives to innovate their menu, and keeping the same in mind, the chefs have curated the special clay pot menu, which is served at their two outlets in Mumbai.
Around 13 dishes are being made and served in Clay Pots, just like the way food was cooked in good old days. It is a slow process but worth the wait because of the aroma and mouthwatering taste. Some of the popular dishes from this menu include Deg Hot Pot Gosht Korma, Bistro Style Fish Curry, Hyderabadi Dum Murg With Eggs, Murg Bemisal - Flatten Chicken Stuffed With Mince, Satrangi Biryani, Arbi Aur Patta, Paneer Shaslik Masala, and Caramelized Rabdi Kheer.
Talking about this initiative, Amit Bajaj, Executive Chef, India Bistro said, “We chose Clay pot as it is local, it's rooted to our culture, and it’s something which is new and fresh. The beauty of this method is the process where the food is cooked in traditional earthenware, and you can feel the difference in the taste. Unlike cooking in a regular method, this offers a huge difference, as just the aroma can give you a lot of hints about the flavours. So, with this festival, we are trying something new which is a slow pattern of cooking, which requires a lot of patience and hard work. It's all about going back into an age-old charm."
Adding more to the thought, Chef Ujwal Kumar, Associate Chef De Cuisine, India Bistro said, “India bistro has come up with this clay pot food festival to focus on an old traditional way of cooking. From a chef's point of view, it is a creative offering, and as always we try something new for our audience thereby offering a different experience at the place which entices them.”
For starters, we had ordered Firangi Paneer and Galouti Kebabs from the regular menu, and both were served to perfection. We were already told about the taste and the preparation, and the dish was delivered right as explained. The paneer was soft and coated well with a mix of tangy and spicy masala. Galouti Kebabs were moist as the meat was minced well. The portion of each dish is sufficient for two people.
From the clay pot menu, we ordered Trip of Mushroom, Satrangi Biryani India Bistro Style, and Murg Bemisal - Flatten Chicken Stuffed With Mince. The mushroom curry was made with 3 types of mushrooms (Button, Shitake, and Oyster) cooked in caramelised onion khada masala. The curry was medium spicy and delicious. The biryani was cooked with seven different vegetables mixed with long grain basmati rice and whole spices. The aroma of the biryani once the clay pot was opened blows your mind. Murg Bemisal was prepared with a flattened chicken breast stuffed with cheese, nuts and mince served in creamy onion tomato gravy. The gravy was medium spicy and had the right consistency. It was a good combination with biryani.
By then we were full, as the portions of all the dishes were quite sufficient for two. But our cravings for desserts were fulfilled by Matka Kulfi and Caramelised Rabdi Kheer. Both the desserts had distinctive taste, texture, and presentation. The matka kulfi was rich with dry fruits, and the Rabdi Kheer would make you nostalgic about 'maa ke haath ki kheer.’ With the right amount of sweetness added to it, the kheer was my personal favourite.
Besides the food, what impressed me the most was the service at the restaurant. Special mention to the manager, Chandan, and the servers Pritam and Deb. While Chandan ensured perfect service, Pritam and Deb ensured that the dishes were explained well before order and after serving. They also made sure our palettes were balanced between every meal, and so they offered us specially curated Pani Puri, Kala Khatta Chuski and end it with jeera goli for the much-needed digestion.
Overall, this experience was wonderful. Our taste buds were pleased highly. Make sure India Bistro is a must visit restaurant on your list, and you would enjoy more if you can make it before the clay pot festival ends!
Bon Appétit
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