Meal : Lunch
Loc : Palladium, Phoenix Mills
Jiggs Kalra, is a reputed name in North Indian cooking, Punjab Grill is the Mumbai outlet of their popular Delhi based chain. While i am certainly not a fan of mall dining, we go where the plate is set i reckon.
They started us off with the ol gimmick of the pill sized napkin, pouring water on it and poof out comes the towel. Unfortunately for them Thai Pavilion already beat them to it.
The place was 3/4 full, which is pretty good for lunchtime on a weekday, considering its not the cheapest place in the world. The menu is North Indian, similar to but not as expansive as say Moti Mahal. which means they offer kebabs, entrees and rice preparations.
Punjab Grill, is on the classy, fine dine side in terms of ambiance and environment, it sits right next to the almost as new Asia 7 as well as Rajdhani. The third floor of Palladium is turning out to be quite a dining mecca.
The table service was just the same as most other restaurant of their ilk, onions
and papad, i wish someone would try something newer or more interesting on this front.
they offer a set of limited beverages, the mattha (chass/buttermilk) which was served spicier than usual. I always find it works best when its freezing cold and served with no masalas or spices. but its a personal choice entirely.
The aam ka panna (made from raw mangoes, popular summer drink) however it was not good at all, too strong a taste of fennel, ruined it for us. they were nice enough to switch it for the
Shikanji (lemonade with spices) again, not bad but not too great either.
We decided to get the kebab platter, which had 2 portions of four of their kebabs. Each one different from the other which kept things interesting. They had the Makkai Kebab (Corn) Dahi Kebab (Yoghurt) Stuffed Potato, Paneer Tikka (Cottage Cheese)
The corn kebab, was very kachori like and the weakest of the four. The potato crusted with sesame seeds and stuffed with a mix of cashews, raisins was a little unweildly to eat but not too bad. The Paneer tikka, was brilliant, large piece done just right. The Dahi Kebab again, was brlliant, dahi and dry fruit mixture, very good but very heavy as well.
Having gone through such an appetizer we decided to play it safe and went for the Dal Makhani & the Garlic Naan. The Naan was great, buttery with lots of garlic, one Naan was enough for two people as it was an ample portion.
The Dal Makhani is usually the litmus test for any North Indian restaurant. While i always find it disconcerting to eat Dal Makhani (due to my strong affinity for its more complex and tasteful cousin the Dal Bukhara) this one was not too bad. Heavy, creamy yet a strong taste. No Complaints.
They topped it off with a paan shot, which tasted remarkably great. Just like a liquid paan, very innovative.Overall, the place has an interesting environment and seems like a good place to bring out of towners, foreign visitors. Its not too bad to come down to with mates as well. However it is not near the great or spectacular mark by a long shot.
The service is fairly competent, our Server Akshay was friendly and made plenty of suggestions but was in no way overbearing.
Its not value for money by a long shot, the pricing is fairly on the high end but then so is the experience. If they can just elevate the food another notch above, they will have a fairly competetive mix. Moti Mahal is a similar restaurant and they had a strong opening but somehow petered out in the long run. Hopefully PG will gro from strenght to strength.
Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 1600
Punjab Grill
3rd Floor, Palladium Mall,
Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, Mumbai
Phone: 43473980, 9311520737
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