Samarkand:The reason why man discovered fire…so that he could make kebabs!

The reason why man discovered fire…so that he could make kebabs!

          I recently graduated from college as an Engineer and have already started working in a multinational IT firm, not surprising, since that is the most obvious step after graduation for many youngsters like me. Now, all  members of my nuclear family work at least 5 days a week which leaves us with very little time for any kind of familial bonding. Thank God for creating seven days a week, it is only during the weekends that Mom, Dad and I actually sit back and talk.

                This weekend, Dad and I decided to ditch the idea of lunching at home. Being the foodie that I am and given my love for experimenting with food, I hurried to my laptop to check out the “Top 10 best restaurants in Bangalore” and wola!, there, in front my eyes was  a list of restaurants that not only looked luxurious but also promised to titillate your taste buds. After skimming through the list, I zeroed in on Samarkand, a place that I had been to twice before. On both the occasions I was left spell bound, and that is exactly why I choose to re visit this place and try those food items that I hadn’t tried before.

          Dad and I arrived bang on time, 1 pm in the afternoon. Try reaching this place any time post 1 and I assure you that u might have a tough time finding a table. That explains why the manager of the restaurant first asks you if u have any reservation on your arrival. We found a comfortable 4 seater ( the 2 seaters seemed uncomfortable) overlooking the kitchen and and geared ourselves for a sumptuous lunch.

True to its name, this place serves authentic cuisine from the north western frontier- particularly Afghanistan and the surrounding mountainous areas such as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Samarkand is owned by the famous BJN group of hotels and translated to English means “the land of mountain peaks”. The most eye catching aspect about Samarkand is its ambience- dim lighting with swords and carpets on the walls, tables that almost touch the stone floor, and sufi music,all of which are intended at recreating  the life style of the frontiers.

The staff is extremely courteous and pleasant. Dressed in traditional attire, they can easily pass of as Afghan warriors. We were promptly handed over the food menu which is styled like a newspaper (The North-West Frontier Express), which apart from the food items also gives you tid -bits about the geography, climate and people of Samarkand. The drinks’ menu is actually a sheet of colourful paper around a plastic bottle. Trust me, no other restaurant can get as innovative as this. At almost the same time, four breadsticks along with a cheese dip are also served. So there you are, Samarkand tries its best to create a good first impression and boy ! they do it and in great style.

As is always the case, Dad allowed me to place the order. I choose the Chengezi Chai, which by the way, was the only cocktail name that I hadn’t heard of before. It consists of vodka, gin and rum and can easily succeed in giving you a heady feeling (The reaction can vary depending on your alcohol capacity though.). Being the paneer fan that I am, I ordered the Peshawari Paneer Tikka for starters.

The items arrived  approximately 15 minutes later( fair enough). The cocktail was served in a long glass and was enough to give me company for the rest of the lunch. The paneer starter is and will always be my favourite. It consists of four paneer cubes, each of which is about three fourth of the size of the Rubik’s cube. Marinated in yoghurt and flavoured with ajwain, the paneer has a creamy texture. It is rich and melts in your mouth and can be eaten in accompaniment with any of the four sauces that are served along with it. The portion size is huge and I bet you cannot finish it in one go without stopping to take a break in between.

Next, it was time for the main course. Since the starter was pretty heavy on our stomach, I decided to go light for the main course. I ordered Dal Afgani, which is black lentils cooked overnight and simmered with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cream and butter on hot embers. It was served hot and with a dollop of white butter. Since Dad is a diet conscious person, I choose the Tandoori Roti, made of wheat to eat along with the dal. What I noticed in particular is the size of the roti, it is slightly larger than normal and cooked with very little oil. If you too are conscious of your diet then I suggest you opt for this. We finished the main course in no time and having eaten one and a half rotis each, we were almost full.

But there is always space for some yummy dessert, isn’t it? I was initially a little disappointed with  the dessert area. I have always been very keen on having the Bakhlava, a typical north- west frontier dessert. Despite being a part of the menu, the place doesn’t serve it. Not to forget, it wasn’t there during my previous visits too.  After a little bit of complaining and sulking I settled for the Khubhani Ka Meetha, which is a rich and creamy preparation of dried apricots stewed in flavoured milk and garnished with dry fruits and nuts. It was delicious and is served in just the right portion size. (It tastes somewhat like gulkhand).

We finished our meal with paan, which is served by an in house pan waala and the price of which you will have to pay separately. All in all, the experience was wonderful and worth every penny spent. However, I have a few issues with Samarkand. Firstly, the place insists that you eat your meal with your hands. As much as I sincerely applaud this idea, I strongly suggest that wet napkins be provided at the beginning of the meal. Secondly, as I previously mentioned, if the restaurant does not serve Bakhlava, then I suggest (with a heavy heart), that it be taken off the menu.

The bill came upto approximately 2000 rupees. This also included the Gosht Ki Dum Biriyani that we parcelled for Mom. She considers it her personal favourite.

Finally, my verdict- I give this place a 4.5/5. The restaurant truly epitomizes the essence of “the land of the rugged people”. So, next weekend if you are game for some good food, you know where you should be heading!