For years Kebabs have been one of the most widely available food item in India. One can find it across the length and breadth of the country, from streets to five stars. However, there are significantly fewer places that understand the nuances of churning out delightful kebabs. One such place is The Great Kebab Factory. We went there for Sunday lunch. The Great Kebab Factory at the Radison Blu Plaza is one of the few restaurants which has been giving its guests, authentic ethnic experience for the past 12 years.
We were welcomed by Ritul, Public Relations and Marketing Director of the Hotel. While entering, I noticed that the restaurant has non-plastered walls with blue and yellow glass lighting on the ceiling, that gave rustic and old world charm feeling. Finally, we settled ourselves and dwelled into conversation with the restaurant manager. We were informed that the restaurant does 450 types of kebabs and the menu changes every day and the Master Chef of the restaurant. Meraj Ul Haque, is from the famous Qureshi family of Lucknow.These startling facts had heightened my expectation and I could no longer wait for the kebabs being served. The first grand entry was the quintessential Galouti kebab which was served with ulte tawe ka paratha. The kebab was tender and simply melted in mouth, that completely justified its name and tradition. There is a fable that goes that Galouti kebab was created for aging Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow who had lost his teeth.
In the excitement of kebabs, we completely overlooked four types of chutneys placed in a nicely done tray. Peaanut, tomato based, curd based and typical mint-coriander chutney. I took up the mint-coriander and as I savoured it, I felt the strong aroma of mint and coriander taking over my senses. I asked Maneesh to taste and he too felt that the chutney was made from freshly plucked leaves. While we were appreciating the chutney, Achari Jhinga was served on our plates. It was impeccable - tangy, well cooked, full of flavors.Another superstar dish was Bhatti ka Chooza, succulent, spicy chicken that has the aroma of charcoal. Kokum Macchi Tikka was soft and juicy with perfectly marinated in kokum. Though we are hardcore non-vegetarians, but on Chef’s recommendation, we tried a couple of vegetarian starters as well. First of the surprise was Litchi Ke Kebab. We were completely spellbound with its preparation. Its outer layer was crispy and juicy litchi was placed nicely, with a filling of almond. The second vegetarian superstar was Aloo Imliwale. It looked simple sitting on my plate, but had a punch inside. Tangy, crispy aloo was very well supported by dahi based chutney.
The superstar starters had filled us, but the main course was still to come. We tried Dal Factory, which is nothing but dal makhni, Moong Masoor ki Dal perfect home made dal and Murgh Kesari Biryani.In desserts we loved the Tinka Kulfi. It was creamy with a cardamom flavor. The second dessert, which we absolutely loved was Chamcham.Though it was a Sunday and the restaurant was housefull, still the service was prompt, servers were knowledgeable and were explaining about every dish before serving.The entire experience of Sunday lunch was very satisfying and it’s a must visit place for kebab lovers.
