Jodhpur Royal Dining is the third of the four progressive Indian restaurants that I know of that have gotten raving reviews on social media. So when I got a chance to review it for my company magazine, I was pretty stoked.
Chef Pradeep Khullar is known for his inventiveness as much as Himanshu Saini of Tresind & Carnival by Tresind fame as well as Chef Pradeep Negi of Farzi Café. The theme of Jodhpur is termed ‘retro-innovative’, the aim being the dishes are there to evoke some of Khullar’s favourite childhood memories (some of which, I have to admit coincided with mine that took my dining experience there to the next level).
To say that Jodhpur Royal Dining uses molecular gastronomy in its food in my opinion is true, no matter what Chef Khullar says. However, it definitely is progressive in its transformation and retro in taste. If all this terminology is confusing you ( as it has confused me!) I’m writing a post on it soon, so stay tuned and make sure you subscribe.
Jodhpur Royal Dining is very kitschy in appearance, but it definitely portrays royalty. I’m sure the restaurant when open boasted extremely bold interiors, but I happened to notice parts of the restaurant had paint chipping off the columns. The outdoors dining area promised to look better at night, but during the day it seemed a little lackluster. Of course, my initial doubtful overview of the restaurant rapidly melted away as soon as the food came in. So much thought and insights went into every dish!
Our welcome drinks – a simple passion fruit and berry mojito arrived with a vial of smoke.
We started out with the jeera khari (a savoury cumin puff pastry) with a delicious yoghurt dip. The khari is a common Parsi snack that one usually consumes after dipping in tea (a similar ritual is done by the Australians with tea and Timtams or the English tea and biscuits). When looked at from afar, it’s very normal. What makes it special is the yoghurt dip that pairs well with the khari.
Next on, was the delicious macaron chaat that was flavorful with every bite. If you tell me this was not molecular gastronomy, I would refuse. The dish is completely transformed and delicious to boot.
The desi pesto kebab was delicious with its popcorn sauce on the side. Not sure what the story behind this is, but it’s extremely creamy and flavourful. The Indian flavours are bold and evident in Chef Khullar’s dishes.
The prawns that quickly followed were zesty and tangy; just the way I liked them.
At this point, I was already stuffed, but pressed on.What immediately came after was possibly my favourite dish of the afternoon. The aam papad (dried mango) covered soft ribs. It was soft, tender and evoked some delicious flavours. Inventive in every bite.
Even the khatta-meetha (sweet and sour) palate cleansers tantalized my taste buds!
After the main courses arrived, I started to wish I wore looser pants. Dishes of kheema pav and soya kheema arrived with chur chur kulcha. Delish. The faux dal makhani that came with was a clear winner for me.
We closed our exemplary lunch with an evocative Harry Potter-inspired treacle tart with Lotus and salted caramel. The taste of the salted lingered way too much when it was time to taste the next dish, which was the dulce de leche kheer accompanied with different types of sorbet. The taste was all over this dish, which I didn’t enjoy.
Overall though, you know there’s an extremely talented chef in Khullar. Whether you’re new to Indian cuisine or not, I think Jodhpur Royal Dining is going to leave you with a very full belly!
Cover image credits: Lester Jonson
LOCATION:
Update: As of May 2022, this establishment has been shut down.
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