What are dreams made of? Floating on clouds, gliding through water, larger than life objects, flirty gossamer curtains, trellis windows, play of lights and shadows, haunting music and melodies, peals of laughter coming from across the water, feeling of lightness, feeling of possibilities – and if you are me .. FOOD! Lots of good, mouth-watering, gob-smacking, delicious food!
Jyran, the North West Frontier restaurant of Hotel Sofitel ticked all these boxes and more! Entering through its long veranda with water-bodies on both sides, fire bowls in the water, a metal elephant with its huge legs and trunk in the air, to its trellis windowed luxurious foyer/bar and then to the restaurant; it was all unreal, ethereal almost. The music lent a haunting feature to my whole Arabian nights experience further. Sinking into the soft cushions of my seat I almost closed my eyes tightly hoping that the dream did not end.
I started with the Kiwitini – a kiwi based martini. The unusual kiwi and lemon flavour added to the lull I was getting into. Our gracious server and the sous chef put together an amazing tasting menu for us and we started with the appetisers. The Barrah Atish Ahedenu were lamb chops marinated in red spices and yogurt grilled in the tandoor. The meat was so soft and tender it was falling off the bone. My usual test for a well cooked meat is that the flesh should come away easily with only a fork without using a knife and it sure did. The Murg Al Jyran; chicken grilled with vinegar and red chillies signature masala of Chef Shaukat Ali Qureshi of the Qureshi gharana were full of flavour. The Anar Badam ke Aloo; potato patties filled with pomegranate seeds and almonds was a surprise and even a non-vegetarian like me was converted. Then as if just to prove that it was not just chicken and lamb that the chef excelled in we were also served the the Mahi Ajawani tikka; Kolkata bekti marinated in caraway seeds and olive oil and Samundri Ratan; prawns marinated in saffron and yogurt. The Bekti was firm and well-cooked, rich in flavour while the prawns were fresh and succulent and mildly flavoured not to take away their natural taste. But the queen of the evening was Murg Shan E Shaukat; chicken breast filled with cheese and pomegranate seeds and then dipped in cornflour and deep fried. The crispy coating gave a lovely contrast to the firm chicken and the oozing cheese. I do not know if this is a traditional dish or not but dare say that if it were, this was the dish that made the Moghals stay in India !
For the main course we started with the Dulma Mutter; lamb Mince with peas and immediately I realised what they say about NW Frontier having Persian influences. It was an upgrade on our Parsi Keema, but I prefer my mom’s more. The Makhani Chuza was homely and rich in cream but was not any different than what you would have at any other lesser priced joint. But to redeem themselves the Nahari Al Subho; lamb shanks in onion gravy and spices had all the goodness of meat infused in the gravy and it could easily be the soul dish of the day. The Gandana ka Saag; mustard greens had the earthy smoky flavours of Punjab raised several notches by the heavenly cooking and was a dish I loved even though it was a vegetarian one. A personal yardstick for any Indian cuisine is the black dal for me. The Dal Al Jyran was so fabulous that there was none left in the dish. I could go back just for the saag and the dal.
For the desserts we had the Tabkh Jamun; gulab jamun stuffed with paneer topped with dry fruits and honey and Sheer korma with small baby gulab jamuns. The Tabkh jamun is the signature dessert of the chef. If I were still in a dream I would call this the crescendo.
In the end I am a philistine Foodie and for me there is no better music than what the flavours sing to me and the food touched all the right notes that they wanted to achieve though a music day – Fete De la Musique. I came away still wafting in my dream ready to face another day of possibilities.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Service: 4 | Overall: 4
Meal for Two without Alcohol: Rs. 4000 Approximately plus taxes| Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: Lunch : 12 – 3 pm Dinner : 7 – 11.45 pm
Address: Sofitel Hotel, C 57, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai
Telephone :022 61175000 / 022 61175001
