Experience rustic Punjabi flavours with a modern touch at this Dhaba

CHENNAI: Located at the Ispahani Centre in Nungambakkam, the 30-year-old Dhaba Estd 1986 Delhi takes us to Punjab on fast forward mode and takes no time in immersing us in the authentic flavours of cuisine from the northwest. From the warm welcoming staff to the vibrant ambience with all the elements of Punjab, the Dhaba gives the vibe of any highway eatery in the north.

To maintain the authenticity of a Dhaba, the outlet thrives on its intricate detailing. The one factor we couldn’t stop taking notice of is the posters of famous Bollywood films. This restaurant has now come up with a new menu infusing traditional savours with a contemporary twist. The variety of lassi and buttermilk offered in a mud cup is refreshing. The Dhaba offers an equal number of dishes in both veg and non-veg options. All the dishes are served on stainless steel cutleries to maintain the originality of a Dhaba.

In starters, all the spicy lovers in the city should not miss the scrumptious Highway chicken tikka, a blend of well-cooked juicy boneless chicken with red chilli flakes and pounded coriander seeds, cooked directly in the tandoor to give it a smokey effect. The green chutney dip served with the tikka adds more flavour to the relish. In the veg option, the Laal mirch ka paneer tikka is no way less than the taste we get in the chicken tikka. The marinated onion garnish is a must-try.

Next comes the subtle yet scrumptious Chicken dum biryani cooked with basmati rice and spices. The Handi murgh, which is basically a chicken gravy with not so overpowering flavour of turmeric, is a good pair with biryani and also with the Chilli garlic naan. We can enjoy all these relishes with popular Bollywood numbers playing in the background.

Finally comes the most delightful part of the whole Dhaba experience, desserts. A unique dessert called Dhabe da meetha, gives layers of vanilla ice cream, shahi tukda (deep-fried bread), soaked in rabri. Like a cherry on top of a cake, the whole exotic delight is finished with a mini gulab jamun on top.

The hand behind preparing all these dishes belongs to Uttarakhand-based chef Harish Kumar. “We didn’t make any changes in the recipes to maintain the authenticity of the north Indian flavours. We wanted to offer spicy savours to give a new experience to Chennaiites,” the chef concludes, who has more than a decade of experience in north Indian cuisine.