On a lazy afternoon, while indulging in newly-introduced dishes, Manasi & Ronak Mastakar rekindle their love for good ol’ Gaylord
For South Mumbaikars, Gaylord needs no introduction. The restaurant, famous for serving authentic Continental and North indian cuisine as created in palaces for Maharajas and Nawabs, has stood the test of time. The city might have witnessed the bloom of several multi-cuisine restaurants, but Gaylord has never veered away from its traditional fare – something that the regulars of the place expect.
Every year, Gaylord holds a food festival of new dishes, as a treat for their patrons. And, then the favourites (as chosen by foodies) from the festival are included in their regular menu. This year too, the restaurant made place for some lip-smacking dishes. Curated by Chef Zaheer Khan, Corporate Chef, Kwality Group, the new menu features delicacies from North India, Mughlai and Continental fare created for the Maharajas and Nawabs.
Our scrumptious lunch started with the Chicken Gilafi Kebab (seekh kebab rolled on a bed of green, red and yellow peppers), followed by the Galouti Kebabs in lamb and vegetarian variants. Both the dishes were tender with the phrase ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ being a perfect description for them. Next in the line was Blue Cheese Naan with Dal Bukhara – the naan, which had a stuffing of blue cheese (there could have been more of it) and the dal (somewhat like a kaali dal) were average and we didn’t find it to be exceptional as compared to previous three that we ate.
Chicken Gilafi Kebab
Even though we were almost full by the time the fourth dish arrived, we couldn’t resist taking a bite or two of the Lahori Chicken Masala, which we ate with wheat tandoor roti. The chicken was very juicy and succulent and the masala was a perfect mix of sweet and spicy and had a very homely feel to. Other dishes on the new menu are the vegetarian delight Truffle Edamame and Mutton Burra.
We ended our epicurean sojourn on a sweet note with Ras Malai, at the insistence of our server, Jagdish, who made sure the dishes kept on coming and we weren’t left to fend for ourselves, while Anthony, the restaurant manager, explained them in great detail and answered our queries patiently. The quantity of dishes is sufficient for two people, with no compromises made on the quality. Overall, we had a great time and our experience was quite different from the previous ones, especially the food part.
(Mayfair Building, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Mumbai)