Restaurant Review: Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra @ Juhu

Nowshad Rizwanullah (my fiance) as you know is our resident foodie! Read on for a mouth-watering review 🙂 xoxo

Punjab Grill’s fifth outpost is a restaurant that exudes confidence. From the outsized gold lettering adorning its outer walls, to the page-long ode to its proprietor Jiggs Kalra –  the “Czar of Indian Cuisine” and “Taste Maker to the Nation” – here is an establishment that is not shy about trumpeting its arrival in Mumbai’s Indian fine dining scene (more pix here). We dropped in for a long, lazy lunch on Saturday and for the most part felt that the extra swagger in our waiter’s step was well deserved. As expected, the food here is as heavy as it is tasty, so clear your schedules if you want to do it justice. The menu is separated into Barbeque and Curries, featuring traditional as well as innovative dishes, and we did our best to dig into in a broad sampling – even toting along a bonafide vegetarian to balance things out.

We started with the Chicken Kurkuri, similar to an Indian taquito – crunchy on the outside, with a smoky, cheesy chicken filling inside that paired well with its sweet chilli dipping sauce. The Amritsari Machchi arrived next – well-seasoned fried fish that was lighter on batter than other Punjabi outlets (which I liked, but others demurred). According to our resident expert, the Tandoori Murgh was on the  “wetter” side of what’s common in Mumbai, although the rest of us plebes  found it to be nicely balanced, devoid of the overpowering spice and/or  neon orange color common of other restaurants.We all agreed, however, that the Chaamp Taajdar was the opening star – grilled with a thick coating of fiery masala, these lamb chops came out juicy and tender all the way to the bone. Sadly most of the joy of our Raan Hari Singh Nalwa was stolen  from us when an otherwise luscious leg of lamb showed up pre-shredded  and off the bone, rather than in its glorious entirety. It was also  chewier than we expected, although this nitpicking could have been our  feeble attempt at registering a protest.

On the veg side, we found the restaurant’s Paneer Tikka Multani to be of an exceptional quality, and enjoyed the Dahi Kebab – hung curd cakes that were at once sweet and tart. We weren’t as fond of the Bharwan Aloo Pothari – somehow the fluffy paneer filling didn’t jive well with tough potato outer shell that had been ill advisedly coated with sesame seeds. Most disappointing, however, was the Tandoori Broccoli. Mushy and overwhelmed with cheese, this was not what we were expecting from an otherwise promising description.

Weighed down from our first round of food, we braved on to the next, which did not disappoint. We understand now why our server pushed so hard for the Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) – a thick, velvety curry draped around succulent pieces of chicken that scooped up easily on pieces of piping hot naan. We found the Kadhai Jheenga (prawns) and Raarhya Meat (lamb) of an equally high quality – noticeably fresh and cooked to a perfect tenderness in rich curries.

Among our vegetarian dishes, we were big fans of the Sarson Da Saag – richer and more fragrant greens than we’ve had elsewhere. We also found the delicious Bhartha Rawalpindiwalla (eggplant) uniquely prepared, incorporating more ingredients and flavours than we’ve normally seen in this North Indian staple. Keeping trend with our other dishes, the Daal Punjab Grill was a rich, creamy creation slow cooked until everything melted into one unctuous dish.  As a side note, we also felt the selection of breads that accompanied our meal deserved a special shout out, with the Naan, Ulte Tawa da Parantha, Tandoori Roti and Makkai di Roti being alternately described as “fluffy,” “crunchy,” “outstanding,” and “impeccable.”

Near comatose but not the types to turn down dessert, we sampled the Rasmalai, Kheer and Chocolate Stuffed Gulab Jamun.  While we enjoyed the perfectly respectable Rasmalai and loved the hint of mango in the Kheer, we found the Gulab Jamun’s to be an overstep from confidence into hubris. Why mess with such a classic treat? Unless you have an insatiable sweet tooth, we’d avoid this fusion experiment gone wrong. A more successful innovation, however, closes out every meal – the surprisingly refreshing and (mercifully) mild Paan Shot.

As you may know from our previous posts, we are generally at a loss for restaurants that offer solid Indian cuisine in more upscale settings than our favorite neighborhood joints (without crossing into 5-star hotel territory). With its elegant decor, sprawling indoor/outdoor seating, confident service and high quality fare, Punjab Grill in Juhu definitely makes it onto our list of places that fill this need.

Average Veg BBQ Item: Rs. 325
Average Non-Veg BBQ Item: Rs. 400 – 1500
Average Veg Curry: Rs. 325
Average Non-Veg Curry: Rs. 500
Average Dessert: Rs. 225

(All prices as of mid-2011)

Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra
Juhu Shopping Centre, Unit No24
Opp Criticare Hospital
9TH Gulmohar Road, 9TH Jvpd Road
Juhu, Mumbai – 400049
Tel: +(91)-(22)-42433100, 42433101, 42433102