The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

Food Photographer:Tony Wellington bitecuisine has a drinks bar once owned by the Maharaja of Patiala and decanters and pottery from the palace of the Maharaja of Faridkot. It has a sizea- ble pure silver door from a temple in Gujarat downstairs and a carved temple door from South India upstairs. We were settled on luxurious tan studded back banquette seating that oozed elegance. The 29 ornately crafted chandeliers enchanted me which were made in the town of Firozabad and several varied-styled clocks on the wall. Large portraits of Colonel Manbeer and Binny proudly graced the wall, surrounded by many colourful and patterned decorative plates. A golden plaque showing a woman sitting on a goat separated the two portraits. Roop came to welcome us and gave some insight into his parents’ sto- ry. His father opened a small hotel and restaurant, a year after retiring from the army in 1993. The hotel expanded from a 14-bedroom to a 70-bedroom, and the restaurant grew from one to four properties. Wherever his parents were posted, like India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, they would pick up recipes used by that region’s homemakers. Roop also traced his father’s footsteps for around five years to bring authen- tic food to the restaurant. He revealed his father wrote love letters to his mother in the ‘60s and ‘70s, which are present in the restaurant. We thought this was a beau- tiful representation of a couple’s enduring love. The several clocks on the wall symbolise the different time zones Roop grew up as a child. He iterated that he wanted to pay homage to his parents and praised India for its food, culture, language, and dietary preferences that change every 20 km. Atul, the restaurant manager, revealed they have five signature cock- tails - Noora, Colonel Saab, Memsaab, Punchu and Mr Puri created by renowned mixologist Anthony Bertin dedicated to family members or friends. The first cocktail is mirrored on Roop’s sister, Noor and the second to last is the name of Roop’s best friend. Sam, our server, suggested we try Noora, a Moghul-inspired refreshing sparkle with Don Julio Blanco tequila, almond and raspberry beer, and Punchu, a delicious fruity cocktail with lashings of Vermouth. Noora was a refreshingly delicious drink that wasn’t too sweet. I could taste the lovely tequila and raspberry that seemed to fit Noor’s char- acter well from what we’d heard. I loved this cocktail's colour, a lady's drink, and the raspberry garnish. Punchu reminded me of a Porn Star Martini, thanks to its fruity aspect. It was slightly sweeter than Noora but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. I liked the mint decoration. For starters, we had Creamy Salmon Tikka garnished with water- cress accompanied by a small salad on the side and spiced rubbed Kolhapuri Lamb Chops with masala and noodle salad. The salmon was soft and light with the exquisite taste of tikka, and the lamb chops were nicely seasoned, again garnished with watercress. Atul explained that the salmon tikka contains light and sweet spices, and the masala comes directly from India for an authentic taste. The main course consisted of two Colonel Saab dishes - Butter Chick- en garnished with herbs and ‘Tooni’ Smoked Lamb Shank with a wa- tercress dressing. Both were nicely cooked; I loved the buttery taste of the chicken with a slightly nutty flavour and the juicy lamb shank. Atul revealed that the butter chicken was initially created in the 1940s by an Indian chef who founded Moti Mahal and Tooni, the pet name for Colonel Saab, was first made by his chef in India in a Kashmiri style dedicated to him. Kolhapuri Lamb Chops Spice Rubbed Colonel Saab's Butter Chicken Colonel Saab's 'Tooni' Smoked Lamb Shank Lucknowi Aromatic Kofta Lamb Biryani