As I stepped into the newly opened kabab specialty restaurant, Pashah – The Mughal Bistro , tucked away between the bustling lanes of North Main and South Main Road, Koregaon Park, I was immediately drawn towards the tandoor, the shawarma rotisserie and the rows of tangdi kababs hanging on the wall.
This sight was enough to whet our appetites, as we dug into the chicken shawarmas laid out for us. While the wraps were soft, I didn’t quite enjoy the sauce used inside. The hummus served with Pita bread along side was quite good, balancing out the average shawarma. They do have a buy-1-get-1 free offer on the shawarmas, so you will get 2 shawarmas for INR 100/-, making it an excellent deal.
The Falafels that followed were delicious, crunchy and and paired beautifully with the tahini sauce served alongside. Arguably one of the best in Pune
<!––nextpage––>
The kababs rained down upon us. The Mutton Sheek Kabab was absolutely superb – soft, gently spiced, with the velvety melt in the mouth texture to it.
The Makrana Kababs had that lovely layer of cream, making the tangdis moist and delicious. The Nizami tikkas had a bit of heat to it, rounding off a great appetizer menu.
As we moved onto the main course, we were welcomed with the glorious sight of the Nalli Nihari. While it looked absolutely spectacular, the taste was rather underwhelming – frankly it lacked seasoning, spice, or any other flavor to speak of.
The Dal Makhani feel on the other end of the spectrum – loaded with salt. Had Mahatma Gandhi tasted this dal, he wouldn’t have had to march to Dandi – he would have found all the salt he needed, right here.
The Rogan Josh and the Murg Lahori, much like the previous dishes, lacked any oomph.
Desserts were another up-and-down affair. While the Gulab Jamun was overly sweet, the Gajar ka Halwa was like a warm hug. It did look a bit too much like the POTUS’ skin tone – a tad too much orange color maybe? Either ways, it tasted good, bringing this meal to a sweet end.
We ended up having some Irani chai as well. The open air space is a good place to enjoy chai and ‘fresh-air’ if you so desire.
Overall, the restaurant is still finding its feet. The Kababs are spectacular, but the mains need some serious work. That being said, there is scope for improvement, and the flavors of the starters are but a sign of the chef’s prowess.
I was invited for a complimentary food tasting, as part of a bloggers’ table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.
