All these years I never thought that I’d go ‘ga-ga’ over pure vegetarian food until I came across Aaswad and this next restaurant I’m about to write about – Rajdhani.
The first time I ate at Rajdhani I was floored – immensely impressed with what I had eaten. It was an invitation extended to me by a close friend, L. I knew that for the purposes of reviewing this joint, I had to go back there, which I eventually did – twice. Rajdhani serves amazing, authentic Gujarati thalis. In fact, that’s about the only thing they serve – thalis.
The term thali refers to a meal consisting of small portions of a minimum of 4 to 5 dishes, which include starters, main course and dessert. A thali is a traditional Indian meal and is available across the country. Depending on the geographical region and culture, the contents of the thali change.
The last time I visited Rajdhani was about a fortnight ago after half a day of shopping at Crawford Market for costumes G required for an ad film she was working on.
From the moment you walk into Rajdhani, you fall prey to their shock-and-awe methods. Firstly, the stark contrast between the noise levels of the market outside and the calm atmosphere inside strikes you. The secret to this is that the waiters are not allowed to shout out the orders. They’ve developed a unique, comprehensive, customized sign language which eliminates any need to verbalise the orders.
Rajdhani brings alive the near forgotten art of waiting. As soon as we took our places at a corner table, a swarm of polite waiters gathered around us with the starters. What I must mention at this point, before I move on, is that everyday there is a different set of dishes that are served.
The starters, that day, included Dahi Vada – a cold appetizer (lentil based savory balls smothered with fresh curd and sprinkled with spices like, chilli and cumin powder, chaat masala and tamarind chutney) and Kanda Kairi Bhajiya (Onion and Mango Fritters). A teaspoonful each of Red and Green chutney (sweet and sour condiment) were also served along with a pinch of salt, a slice of lemon, sliced raw onions and mango pickle.
We had barely finished with the starters, when the main course dishes arrived - Gobi Capsicum (cauliflower and capsicum vegetable mix), Tandliya Kairi Bhaji (gherkin and raw mango vegetable mix), Batata Sambaria (spicy potato curry) and Gatta (gram flour dumplings in a yoghurt gravy) and 2 types of dal (lentil curry) one slightly sweet and the other fiery. These were served with a choice of Indian bread – Methi Theplas (a gujarati staple – a wholesome, filling version of parathas made from mixed flour), Phulkas with pure Ghee (light and puffed up unleavened Indian bread with clarified butter) Puran Poli (resembles a roti stuffed with a sweet filling and is eaten as a snack, dessert or as part of the main course, depending on which part of the country one is in; popular in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat). We barely had time to pause and catch our breath when a waiter arrived with a platter full of dessert dishes and stood politely beside our table. His assortment of desserts included Aamras (ripe mango pulp), Amrakhand (a semi-soft sweet and piquant dessert made from whole milk, cardamom and mango pulp) and Gulab Jamun (an extremely common and popular Indian sweet dish made of milk based fried dough soaked in sugar syrup).
This was a meal fit for kings. The heightened sense of satisfaction was further enhanced when another waiter arrived with a large ornate copper bowl and a jar of warm water to wash our hands. We were too full to get up any way!
With a price tag of Rs.150 per person, it’s slightly steep by thali standards. But then again, it’s no ordinary thali. This one’s totally worth it, for that occasional visit.
Restaurant Class: Premium
The first time I ate at Rajdhani I was floored – immensely impressed with what I had eaten. It was an invitation extended to me by a close friend, L. I knew that for the purposes of reviewing this joint, I had to go back there, which I eventually did – twice. Rajdhani serves amazing, authentic Gujarati thalis. In fact, that’s about the only thing they serve – thalis.
The term thali refers to a meal consisting of small portions of a minimum of 4 to 5 dishes, which include starters, main course and dessert. A thali is a traditional Indian meal and is available across the country. Depending on the geographical region and culture, the contents of the thali change.
The last time I visited Rajdhani was about a fortnight ago after half a day of shopping at Crawford Market for costumes G required for an ad film she was working on.
From the moment you walk into Rajdhani, you fall prey to their shock-and-awe methods. Firstly, the stark contrast between the noise levels of the market outside and the calm atmosphere inside strikes you. The secret to this is that the waiters are not allowed to shout out the orders. They’ve developed a unique, comprehensive, customized sign language which eliminates any need to verbalise the orders.
Rajdhani brings alive the near forgotten art of waiting. As soon as we took our places at a corner table, a swarm of polite waiters gathered around us with the starters. What I must mention at this point, before I move on, is that everyday there is a different set of dishes that are served.
The starters, that day, included Dahi Vada – a cold appetizer (lentil based savory balls smothered with fresh curd and sprinkled with spices like, chilli and cumin powder, chaat masala and tamarind chutney) and Kanda Kairi Bhajiya (Onion and Mango Fritters). A teaspoonful each of Red and Green chutney (sweet and sour condiment) were also served along with a pinch of salt, a slice of lemon, sliced raw onions and mango pickle.
We had barely finished with the starters, when the main course dishes arrived - Gobi Capsicum (cauliflower and capsicum vegetable mix), Tandliya Kairi Bhaji (gherkin and raw mango vegetable mix), Batata Sambaria (spicy potato curry) and Gatta (gram flour dumplings in a yoghurt gravy) and 2 types of dal (lentil curry) one slightly sweet and the other fiery. These were served with a choice of Indian bread – Methi Theplas (a gujarati staple – a wholesome, filling version of parathas made from mixed flour), Phulkas with pure Ghee (light and puffed up unleavened Indian bread with clarified butter) Puran Poli (resembles a roti stuffed with a sweet filling and is eaten as a snack, dessert or as part of the main course, depending on which part of the country one is in; popular in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat). We barely had time to pause and catch our breath when a waiter arrived with a platter full of dessert dishes and stood politely beside our table. His assortment of desserts included Aamras (ripe mango pulp), Amrakhand (a semi-soft sweet and piquant dessert made from whole milk, cardamom and mango pulp) and Gulab Jamun (an extremely common and popular Indian sweet dish made of milk based fried dough soaked in sugar syrup).
This was a meal fit for kings. The heightened sense of satisfaction was further enhanced when another waiter arrived with a large ornate copper bowl and a jar of warm water to wash our hands. We were too full to get up any way!
With a price tag of Rs.150 per person, it’s slightly steep by thali standards. But then again, it’s no ordinary thali. This one’s totally worth it, for that occasional visit.
Restaurant Class: Premium
ADDRESS:
Khandani Rajdhani – Gujarati Thali Family Restaurant
Near Crawford Market,
Opposite Mangaldas Market,
Mumbai – 2
Tel: 022 2344 9014, 022 2342 6919
Email: rajdhanicm@encorehotels.net
Branches: Nirmal Lifestyle, Mulund: 022 5688 8088. Malad: 022 2878 0022. Nasik: 095 253 2594241. Baroda: 091 265 2793535
Near Crawford Market,
Opposite Mangaldas Market,
Mumbai – 2
Tel: 022 2344 9014, 022 2342 6919
Email: rajdhanicm@encorehotels.net
Branches: Nirmal Lifestyle, Mulund: 022 5688 8088. Malad: 022 2878 0022. Nasik: 095 253 2594241. Baroda: 091 265 2793535
3 comments:
If you favour the thaali, do try Thakkar's (sometimes known as Gautam). It's hidden in the back alleys of Kalbadevi, but if you find it, the meal is worth the hunt.
Oh yes I do favour a good thali any day !! I've seen a Thakkar's along Marine Drive a few yards away from Saltwater Grill - is that the same place?
Well..glad to see someone else sharing a similar experience :)
http://tastebuddzz.wordpress.com/
Post a Comment