Chef Gurpreet Singh Gehdu
Chef Gurpreet Singh Gehdu of Punjab Grill launched their winter menu in December, many praised about it, Including my favorite food blogger Sourish Bhattacharya(indianspy.blogspot.in) and very good friend Vivek Vaid of Tiger Experience(tigerexperience.blogspot.in). I was excited when I got invite from Sonali, their marketing communication head.As usual, I reached on time and was warmly greeted by Sonali and Deepak Bhatia, AVP, Lite Bite Food (LBF). LBF own Punjab grill and other brands like fresco, Zambar and street food of India.
ganne ka juice margarita
This invitation was for their chakhna menu which they had launched on Friday. Chakhna, as the name suggests, “to taste”, offers wide variety of appetizers served with drinks that will leave you with an engaging conversation with friends/colleagues. The idea is to have great food along with drinks.
Innovation and Simplicity along with blend of traditional cocktail drinks that was fused with the authenticity of real juice. I was bowled over by cocktails like ganne ka juice margarita and rasbhari margarita.
rasbhari margarita
Ganne ka juice margarita, a unique blend with pinch of lemon juice, mint, black salt, ginger that was amazing to have with prawn tikki and masala mattra. I felt, more prawns could have been added to get the perfect flavor. Mattra tasted like the way I have had in chandni chowk and I suggested chef to add small piece of kulcha to it.
Rashbhari margarita had the perfect sourness of rashbhari and black salt gave the added zing to this drink. Having it with Ambarsari macchi ( served along with traditional potato chips)that was crisp and spicy was a delight!
Mutton boti served in istri(traditional charcoal press) was another innovative way of presenting the dish. Though it had perfect spices, I felt. mutton could have been cooked more as I like it more soft.
MELE DI CHUSKI
The traditional chuski with five different flavours of Gol Guppe ka pani , Ambi Panna , Anar juice and Nimboo Paani was excellent and every chuski had a very distinct flavor
Band baja de whisky failed to impress me as it was simple single malt whisky with your choice of soda/water, and the small baja which they played, didn’t serve the purpose. The combination of rimjhim ( masala drink of coco cola ) didn’t impress me as I prefer to have my rum (old monk with any cola and plain water added in equal portions.
Pineapple thandhai was interesting take on traditional thandhai that had traces of Bhang and great pineapple flavor.
SUNNY SIDE UP TUK TUK, KHAMEERI ROTI
Other interesting dish was, sunny side up tuk tuk with khameeri roti. Roti stuffed with poached egg that would just melt in your mouth. Chicken keema with fryums(Fryums - a school time favorite snack which we used to stick in all our five fingers and would eat one by one) too was delightful.
Mathri served with cheese foundue, where instead of adding wine, chef he added the traditional old monk was interesting.
TAWA CHICKEN KEEMA, FRYUMS
With the kind of innovative menu chef Gurpreet has developed, I am sure this will be instant hit for bar lovers. It’s like going back to your roots and bringing back those lost memories where old buddies used to sit, relax and enjoy couple of drinks over chakhnas. As Punjab Grill says “Ensuring that at Punjab Grill, a drink is never served single”. – You will definetly have a good experience!
(Picture Courtesy - Punjab Grill)