BENGALURU: In the ever-expanding food and beverage scene in Koramanagala, one restaurant manages to capture the true flavours from up North. From Lucknow to Rajasthan, Punjab Bistro has all the kebabs, curries and rotis for the homesick north Indian.
Hungry and excited, we started our meal at Punjab Bistro with some of their signature drinks – Aam Panna Mojito and Grilled Pineapple Caprioska – both of which were fresh, refreshing and full of flavour. For appetizers, we were first brought the Chilgoza (pine nuts) Paneer, which had soft, creamy pieces of paneer filled with cheese, pine nuts and a hit of dill leaves.
The classic Murgh Tikka was next, and we were more than happy with the large, succulent pieces of chicken that were glazed with a cumin-infused cream, garlic and cheddar. The Amritsari speciality Tikki Cholle was next, and despite being non-vegetarian lovers, this tangy, spicy and sweet starter had us licking the cholle masala off our fingers. Fish lovers can go for the Salmon Tikka – pieces of Norwegian salmon marinaded in nuts, pickled ginger, honey and a trace of mustard oil. For a true meat-y experience, the Chicken Stuffed Drumsticks are a great option.
The tangdi kebabs in this dish are stuffed with nuts, cheese and keema (yes, chicken stuffed with keema!), and coated with a rich malai masala.
We woke up from our food comas to the mains arriving, one dish looking better than the next. Sticking to classics, we were served Butter Naan, Dal Makhani and Murgh Makhani. While the dal wasn’t the best we’ve had, the Murgh Makhani, or better known to us as the iconic butter chicken, was delicious. Finding good butter chicken in the city is not an easy task, but we must admit that this was one of the best we’ve had till date. We also tried the Kadhai Prawns, which had a rich gravy and juicy prawns.
Sweet lovers, do give some their desserts a try. Punjab Bistro has taken some classic dishes and given them a unique twist. We tried the Jalebi Churros from the long list, and were happy with our decision. On a plate, came hot jalebis and churros, and rather than the classic chocolate sauce that we tend to dip our churros in, a bowl of creamy, thick rabri was served. To our surprise, the churros and rabri were a good match, especially since the sweet factor had been controlled in the latter, making it a great dipping ‘sauce’.
Cost for two: `1,500