Rivaayat : Traditions
While I have visited Lucknow some years ago, the Lucknow I really know is through the movies set in Lucknow; the culture, the music, the dances and its courtesans, the nawabs and their affluence. For me, Lucknow means the mischief of Sadhana in Mere Mehboob, the naivete of Bunty aur Babli,the bravado of Bullet Raja. But what embodies the soul of Lucknow are the movies like Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan; its fragility, its strength, its beauty and its irony.
Yesterday eating during “Rivaayat”, the Lucknowi festival at Maya at Trident, I felt like a Nawab’s begum from that bygone era and I am glad the begum in those days did not diet!
We started off with Reshmi Seekh (INR 1400), Galawat ke Kebab (INR 1400) and Murg Rivaayat (INR 1350). The seekh was the softest; melt-in-the mouth, rich in flavour with saffron and cardamom. The Galawat Kebab were, no doubt in honour of the toothless Nawab, soft as silk, and the Murg Rivaayat, with its vetiver, carom seeds and chillies, were full of flavour and zing. The star of the starters, however, was the Murg Zarakush Tikka (INR 1350), with its crispy exterior and sweet soft flesh.
The vegetarian starters consisted of Bharwan Moong Mirch (INR 975); Bhavnagari chillies stuffed with spicy potatoes and friedin batter. The chillies had a lovely bite and the filling was bursting with sweet spicy flavours. The Paneer Bharwan Tikka (INR 1025) stuffed with tempered peas was a delight on the palate. The Makai Mewe ki Seekh (INR 1025); corn pounded with nuts and spices, was an explosion of flavours and I found myself eating it leaving aside the other non veg delicacies.
For the main course we started with Tursh Kathal (INR 1075), a sweet, sour jackfruit dish like none I had ever eaten and it left me curious for more to come. The next on the table was
Saag Akhrot Kofta (INR 1075), walnut and paneer koftas in spinach which were the epitome of perfection! The Dal Khamsa (INR 975), five lentils cooked with milk and mild spices, was a deceitfully simple in description and complex in taste dish. The Shahi Nihari (INR 1575), shanks in the most flavourful of gravies, had the meat so succulent that it was falling off the bones. The Murg Mewa Zad (INR 1525) was one of the richest of gravies with only pepper adding the spice quotient. This was a dish that people like me, who like their food sweet, would love to devour. The Lagan Ka Jheenga (INR 1800) cooked in mild coconut gravy had the most succulent prawns. The curry itself was rich and creamy. However what blew us away in flavour was the Malai Boti (INR 1575), mutton marinated for 8 hours in papaya and then slow cooked over the tandoor along with spices, cream and nuts.
I must mention the parathas/breads that we had. These were no ordinary ones and merit a special mention by themselves. The Sheermal (INR 300) was soft, sweet, milky with a hint of saffron. The Khameeri Roti (INR 300) was full of its yeasty goodness. But what was probably the high point of my evening was the Gilafi Kulcha (INR 300). It was made from three different kinds of dough rolled on top of each other resulting in this flaky top layer with a soft mid layer and a crusty bottom layer. This kulcha was the kind that can make the strongest of minds forget their diets and compulsively keep eating .. well .. I did!
The culmination of all this lovely food came by way of desserts, Dudhiya Taar Halwa (INR
625) and Aam Ki Phirni (INR 625). The Dudhiya Taar Halwa was made from semolina and paneer topped with nuts. The softness of the dessert went well with the crunchiness of the nuts. The Aam ki Phirni was loaded with mangoes and sweet custard bringing this ephemeral evening to a grand finale.
Walking out of the restaurant my heart sang ..Zindagi jab bhi teri bazm mein laati hai hamen ….Ye zamin chand se behatar nazar aati hai hamen .
Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: 12:00 – 3:30 pm, 7:00 – 11:45 pm| Wheelchair access : Yes
Address: Trident, Trident Road, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051
Telephone: 022 6672 7777
Disclaimer : This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review; however readers may exercise their own discretion.
