ENJOY MIDDLEEAST CUISINE WITH GITA HARI AT QUSBA.
After heavy- duty shopping at R City Mall in LBS Road, Ghatkopar, we realised our tummies were rumbling for fodder. A quick look- around in the food court and a quaint Arabic bistro
called Qusba drew our attention.
We found not many tables were occupied but the place had a continuous flow of guests.
Qusba means citadel or fortress in mid- east and African countries.
With an elaborate menu of starters, rolls, franky and grills, the bistro is a delight for shoppers looking out for something snacky. After having relished the popular middle- eastern appetiser falafel in Egypt, I wished to draw comparisons here.
It came with its usual accompaniments of pita bread, hummus and salad but instead of tahini sauce, sour cream made its way to the plate. The texture and flavour of falafel ranked well as it was almost close to what I had in Cairo. Next arrived a large Kebab Platter with babycorn, malai paneer, cheese aloo, mushrooms, seekh, harabara and chicken tangdi – spicy and delicious.
Beverage is limited to soft drinks, hot and iced teas.
For the main course we had paneer paratha which had sesame seeds toasted on it. Chicken Afghani and Mutton Hyderabadi Masala scored high on spice and pungency. Aloo Matar Paneer was a disappointment as the potatoes were undercooked, Veg Kadai was okay and true to its name, Subz Makhni was greasy.
Kashmiri Pulav came in a fluorescent saffron colour, less vegetables and garnished with cashewnuts.
Dal Tadka and raita to go with the rice made it up. For desserts, Gulab Jamun and Firni were mentioned in the menu but we decided to skip them. The portions are generous for their reasonable pricing.
Earlier Qusba was popular with young adults as a hukka joint but with the ban on hukka, this place sees fewer patrons now. Still, I would recommend a visit to Qusba for its specialities like Paneer Shawarma, falafel and Lebanese Platter besides the Arabic Sizzlers.
