BENGALURU: Imagine the flavours of a quaint Punjabi dhaba, with the aroma of freshly ground spices wafting through the air, mingling with the sizzle of butter chicken and dal makhani. Soon you will be able to enjoy these authentic flavours from Punjab as the popular Queen’s restaurant is set to make a comeback to where it all began, opening to the public on Church Street tomorrow, after closing doors in 2017.
The Church Street restaurant is opening near the MG Road Metro station. Whether it be college students away from their homes or working professionals adjusting to a new city, Queen’s on Church Street, had quickly become a popular restaurant for homely Punjabi food. But, while the restaurant reopened in 2021, it was not on Church Street but near New BEL Road. “We always wanted to come back to where we started. When we said that we are opening at RMV Extension, many were disappointed because it was too far,” says Soneelam Chodha, who started the restaurant in 1974 after she moved to Bengaluru.
Talking about some of her memorable moments, Soneelam recalls many cricketers frequenting the place for their baingan bharta. “With the cricket stadium being close by, many players used to come here to have their favourite dishes which they couldn’t get anywhere else. Shikhar Dhawan, and Gautam Gambhir have come often. Sachin Tendulkar used to order food from here because he was too popular to come to the restaurant. He was very fond of the kheer.”
Soneelam’s son Anshul Chodha, who was only a few months old when the first restaurant opened, says Queen’s has been part of their identity since their childhood. “Queen’s has been an integral part of our lives since we grew up watching mom in the restaurant’s kitchen. When Covid struck, everyone had time on hand and while other businesses were shutting down, we decided to bring back Queen’s,” says Anshul.
For managing partner Jagdish Bangalore, who came on board in 2021, it has been a roller-coaster ride. “We met the family during the pandemic when they had started a cloud kitchen from home in our area. We used to order food from them and when we met Anshul, we decided to reopen the place. This is the third branch in three years.”
The menu, while largely remaining the same, will be introducing wine and beer for its patrons. “This menu was not created by me but made by the customers. A lot of students who used to study around here and asked for different dishes like rajma, so I used to add it to the menu. Those days it was not that easy to get these dishes,” says Soneelam.