Hey guys … being the major foodie I am, I love trying new and exotic foods in varieties of flavours !! Yesterday, my family and I went to this Punjabi Dhaba called “Dhabba Express” on Cenotaph Road, which is the one next to Cafe` Coffee Day, and saying that the food was extraordinary is an understatement !! Though I usually am careful about what I eat, yesterday I relaxed all my restrictions (on eating fatty foods, especially Punjabi food !) and stuffed myself silly … hehe … so here’s my review of the “Dhabba Express” :
Being vegetarian, we were a bit dismayed to find a major portion of Non – Vegetarian dishes as compared to the Vegetarian dishes when we were first given the menu. But we were in for a surprise as whatever we ordered was delicious and filled us up quite nicely too 🙂 …
We first started out with a tomato soup each, called “Tom Yum Soup,” as our starter. Rich and creamy, with swirls of thick white cream in a deep red background and croutons bobbing around the sides of the bowl, we could hardly resist slurping it all up! We also got freebies in the form of two baskets of crispy Pappad. The Pappad was healthy since it wasn’t fried in oil, but just heated in an open flame on the stove … and nevertheless, it was a hit.
The funny is thing is we got two small plates of fresh, raw onion slices … and my little niece and nephew could hardly keep their hands off of them once the mild yet pleasant tasting, light green Pudina (Mint) Chutney arrived.
We also ordered one more appetizer – Crispy Vegetables, which comprised of zesty onions, cauliflowers, and potatoes, which were deep – fried in oil till they turned a tempting shade of golden – brown. The spices added on for more flavour to these Crispy Vegetables simply melt in your mouth !! Needless to say, the plate of Crispy Vegetables was finished in seconds due to the fact that people from all sides of the table were jabbing hopefully at the plate with their forks in hand. My parents, who arrived late to the Dhaba, were greeted with a large empty plate (Crispy Vegetables !!) and six empty soup bowls 😛 …
The food here is served in rectangular thalis (trays) and tumblers made of brass and steel, and oh … oh … OH !! The main course food was the BEST – we ordered Sarson Ka Saag, which is a luscious green curry with Palak (Spinach), and creamy Cottage Cheese as the two prime ingredients. We also ordered the enticing Rajma Masala made of soft, well – boiled Kidney Beans served in a lush brownish – maroon gravy. The Mutter Paneer with its delicately boiled, green peas and small chunks of Paneer (Cheese) and the scrumptious Dal Makhani with its scrumptious savory gravy were just heaven !! The only thing that could have been better is the Dal Makhani – it was not as creamy as the rest of the curries and somewhat watery … adding some more cream would have made the Dal Makhani even more divine …
The delectable Stuffed Pudina Parathas (Thick, Baked Wheat Cakes spread twice over with some irresistibly sweet butter), stuffed with the delightful and most choicest ingredients such as Onions, Tomatoes, Gobi (Cauliflower) and Aloo (Potatoes), was too hard to keep my hands off of 🙂 … the Naans (Thick, Baked Wheat Cakes without Butter) complemented the curries so excellently, and we also got value for our money since each Naan was about 11 – 12 inches wide … EXTREMELY wide for a typical Naan ! The Rumali Rotis (Thin, Baked Wheat Cakes) were spread with butter, and folded over. Soft and palatable, these Rumali Rotis surely were no small treat !! We also ordered some fried rice, sprinkled generously over with carrots and peas … cooked to precison, the rice was the crowning glory of our “feast” !! The rice was cooked so differently and tastefully that I must say that in all my years of eating rice I have never come upon something so yummy !!
Finally, though we were more than full, we knew we could never go home without some dessert. There was Gulab Jamun, round, yummy balls in rich, sweet gravy; the exquisitely orange – colored Jalebi, served sizzling hot, made of flour, shaped into round, appetizing designs, deep – fried in oil and ladled into steaming bowls of sugary gravy; and finally, the Rajasthani Kulfi, which is like an Indian Ice – Cream. Milky, creamy, and rich, it was frozen to look like a Popsicle on a stick such that when you lick it, it melts ever so slightly such as to allow us to suck in its pleasing flavour. Little pieces of Pista (Pecans) and Almond made the Kulfi even more succulent.
All – in – all, the Dhabba Express was AWESOME !! My only regrets is that I couldn’t try the well – renowned Punjabi Lassi … but oh well, there’s always next time !! The Dhabba Express is also a treat for your wallet ;), since they claim to cater only “Regular Punjabi Home Khana.” For instance, chicken dishes cost from Rs. 45 to Rs. 70. Breakfast is served here between 8:30 and 10:30 AM and offers Aloo Paratha, Gobi Paratha (Rs. 10 each only) and Punjabi Lassi (Rs. 15).
The ambience was also unique, since we were sitting in the outside area of the Dhaba, which was carefully decorated in the traditional, rustic Indian style. The colours here are the natural reds, browns and yellows of the Punjab countryside. The tables are low, with Rajasthani – Style Bamboo Bench – Seats. The ambience can probably be described as rugged, it is as authentic as it is comfortable, with the emphasis on comfort. So even the place we were sitting in was a treat for our eyes 🙂 !!
The Buffet here is only open for lunch; people coming for dinner may order. The Dhabba Express is located at 9, Cenotaph Road, Teynampet, Chennai – 600 – 018. The Telephone Number is 432-8211/2/3. So now you know where to go for ‘Asli Punjabi Khana’ 😉 !!
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