In a simmering pot of deliciously stirred Lahori Murg Cholley, spices such as laung, elaichi, tej pata and jaivitri bubble up restlessly. The dish is seconds away from being removed from cooktop and plated before the guest, eagerly waiting for this restaurant signature at Piali-The Curry Bistro, which opened in Connaught Place recently. In Lahore, you’ll find it in every nook and cranny, but in the city, a good version can be found at this restaurant. We know that not just from our experience but also from the happy face of a guest who begins savouring it immediately upon its arrival. “The curry is delectable,” he says. Hitting the nail on the head is owner Siddharth Aggarwal, who introduced this curry-inspired place because he knew he couldn’t go wrong with it. After all, most of us love curry.
The preparation may be an Indian favourite, but even internationally, say the UK, it’s become quite a food rage with the country celebrating National Curry Week. “I am happy to see that it has become somewhat of a food phenomenon,” says Aggarwal. Different types of curries, he says, have travelled from around the world and evolved over the ages. That’s why he decided to use its popularity and put it in focus at his dining place.
The space here is segregated neatly into a dining area with subtle art and sculptural works by the talented Abhishek Kumar, a lounge with an artificial fire place, and a casual revolving bar. But the one thing common in each place is the smell of curry. There’s a lot you can try here. Daab Chingri (Bengali preparation of prawns cooked in mustard and filled with coconut, served with gobindobhog rice), Assamese Black Sesame Curry (made with sesame chutney comprising garlic, chillies and mustard oil, served with tingmo bread and bamboo alkaline dip), Burmese Khao Suey (vegetables, noodles and coconut milk), Jodhpuri Gatte ki Subzi (made with gram flour and curd, served with bajre ki roti, ghee and lahsun chutney), Bhutta Methi Malai (onion, sweet corn, fenugreek leaves, green peas and spices) and more.
The restaurant rolls out discounts for guests on their anniversary, birthday and other special occasions. Between the entertaining Punjabi and Sufi nights, the team is also working on a happy hours menu. Above all, the thing that steals the show is the menu abundantly endowed with 40 varieties of curries from across the world, all under one roof.