The Great Kebab Factory at Radisson Blu Hotel GRT Chennai has launched a ‘Timeless Kebabs’ extension to its popular menu. Intrigued by what these timeless kebabs are made of, we paid the restaurant a visit on a crisp Saturday afternoon.
The restaurant is set up like a factory – everything from the décor to the staff uniforms are designed to theme. We order refreshing mocktails while the manager explains the concept behind the new additions.
He tells us they wanted to bring something unique to the table, something that complements their existing loved menu. After months of research and trials, 20 long-forgotten recipes have been resurrected from the Indian subcontinent’s culinary past, and perfected for today’s customer. Each kebab tells a legendary story of emperors and kingdoms, taking you back in time.
A plate of assorted salads with fruits and vegetables topped with strawberry vinaigrette greets us, followed by thandai – only the best flavoured milk ever.
Then come the kebabs – an assortment of classic favourites and new Timeless additions. And they don’t stop! For the vegetarian who thinks kebabs are a meat lover’s paradise, think again. My plate is filled with crisp yet somehow soft kebab after kebab. Paneer tikka, tandoori mushroom, arbi boti kebab, subz galouti and ulta tawa saffron paratha served with a channa tikka have transported me to Northern India and beyond.
My favourite though is the subzi broccoli seekh. I cannot believe that a vegetable as unique as broccoli can be combined with malai and cooked to melt in your mouth. I ask for seconds and can’t seem to get enough!
The meat platter consists of ghosht galouti, maas buler kebab (a timeless speciality), murgh shirin kebab, macchi sailana and jhinga mehroon among others.
The highlight though is the Changezi Murgh Kebab, a new addition, inspired by the famous Chengiz Khan. He may have plundered and looted but a good murgh kebab brought him to his knees. The meat is mildly spiced and cooked beautifully. It’s golden on the outside and tender when you bite into it. Seconds of this as well, please!
We’re then brought cranberry sorbets served in tiny pressure cookers. It’s a great break from the tandoori dishes and an instant palate cleanser.
We’re also served a glass of chaas. It’s the perfect balance of salty, sour, bitter and spicy and goes down very quickly. This is followed by more kebabs – Chelo kebab (a timeless addition), which is minced meat coated with fragrant basmati rice, giving it an interesting texture.
All this while we are kept constantly entertained. First by a remarkably talented magician, and then by the chef bringing us kebabs on a sword – “These are my special talwar kebabs” he says, insisting we try them.
When we’re all kebab-ed out, it’s time for the main course. We binge on tender garlic naan, soft rotis and pulao, along with dal palak, dal makhni, karela musallam, and chicken.
We’ve declared that we couldn’t eat another morsel, but who can say no to dessert? A platter of Bombay halwa, carrot halwa, gulab jamun, creamy kulfi and dahi ka halwa (yet another timeless addition) brings the 3-hour lunch to an end, and we’re already making our next reservations!
TGKF at Radisson Blu Hotel GRT Chennai has introduced new Timeless Kebabs into its existing popular menu. For reservations, call +91 44 22310101.
