15 Feb 2011: Bukhara @ ITC Hotel Maurya Sheraton & Towers, New Delhi
Internationally acclaimed as one of the best restaurants in Asia, Bukhara have been serving cuisine of the Northwest Frontier Province (currently the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan) since 1977. President Clinton and other visiting heads of state, celebrities and royalty alike had been delighted by the succulent kebabs, grilled to perfection in the Bukhara’s open kitchen. All of its chefs underwent extensive training in the art of marinating and cooking in a tandoor, a traditional Indian clay oven that provided better retention of all juices and flavors. Bukhara does not take reservations; therefore, go early or be ready to wait in a queue.
Pic with Joni
Its rustic interior is another drawn-in attraction of this pricey restaurant – rough stone walls, dark-timble tables and we had to sit on small wooden stools. To encourage diners to savor the restaurant’s juicy kebabs with their hands, cutlery is withheld and aprons are provided.
Pic with Claire and Stephane
The menu was developed by the late Master Chef Mandanlal Jaiswal. Today, it is still followed religiously and meticulously. The appetizers were homemade cheese sauteed with fresh ginger, garlic, onion and tomato and meat samosas of spicy turnovers stuffed with minced lamb and spices. On the sides were freshly cut onions and chilled yogurt dressings.
Bukhara is heavy on meat and really isn’t a good place for vegetarians. I loved the murgh malai kebab, a boneless chicken marinated with cream cheese, malt vinegar, and green coriander. For red-meat lovers, don’t miss the signature sikandari raan, the tender leg of lamb marinated in herbs. The jumbo prawns were equally memorable.
Above all is Bukhara’s dal, its rich and creamy black lentils simmered overnight with tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. My colleague, Rohit, told me that this was the best in India and probably the top in the world too. See our happy faces?
Pic with Kim and Paula
Pic with Donna and Ed
Pic with Johann
Pic with Zorina and Jodi
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