With the city being tucked into bed way too early by its guardians, nocturnal creatures and party animals are not the only ones who are being mercilessly suffocated under this blanket. If you are looking out for a place to catch a ‘late’ dinner, you would mostly have to either settle for really bad food at prices as low as the quality, or gastronomical delights at astronomical prices.
But don’t give up hope yet, not before you try out Kohinoor restaurant on Brigade Road, which is one of the few places in the city where one can grab a late bite. And which doesn’t leave a gaping hole in your wallet or your appetite. Among the oldest places on Brigade Road, this quaint old cafe cum restaurant has been serving the city for almost 50 years now. The furniture and decor of the place is untouched. A huge mirror hanging over the entrance reflects the busy waiters rushing around with precariously balanced plates and glasses from table to table.
A very old looking cabinet has ‘KOHINOOR’ painted across it, with a print-out below it announcing the recent smoking ban. Specialising in mappalah food, this place has customers who swear by the mouth watering dishes and the cosy ambience.
According to the waiters, the biriyani here is a favourite among all who come in, which a family of four silently vouch for by wolfishly digging into the steaming plates of mutton biriyani served up. Besides the biriyani, one could try out the spicy mutton or brain curry with Ceylon parotas or Kerala parotas, among an array of other lip smacking delicacies.
MK Mohammed, the manager of the place, has been in his seat for 25 years now and is quite aware of what the place stands for when he says, “When it comes to Brigade Road, Kohinoor is the best and the cheapest.” And once you have been there, it would be really hard to disagree with him on this.