Fancy going to a Dhaba to feast good old Punjabi but want a comforting set up with rustic accents thrown in? Dhaba Lane is your answer. “High on taste, light on pocket, eclectic on food display; Okay, I know this ain’t enough and I should built in a chronological narrative like how a food review is written, but when the overall vibe comes with twists, how can the review be a tried and tested one?” wonders Priyanka Sarkar.
Opened almost four months ago in Al Garhoud area , this place will instantaneously take you back to your favorite Dhaba in Punjab with its orange lights, mirror windows, handicraft accents, bright color cushions and a life size truck frontier re- imagined as billing counter screaming ‘Horn, Ok, Please’. If you have been a 90s child growing up under the influence of Bollywood, then this place will take you to your teens when pocket money was everything and you would actually save the same or do odd jobs to take your special one out on a cheap and cheerful date. But wait, the similarity ends just here! Let’s get digging on the food which is where the magic and the twist unfold!
STARTERS PLEASE! Verdict – “can I have some more of those kebabs”?
‘Mango slink drink’ in ‘desi’ shot glasses which reminds you of the typical ‘Ikea’ water glasses but in its mini version. One shooter sip and its over! ‘Papad’ basket happily sitting on a cane chair with a super smooth textured green mint ‘chutney’ and rightly balanced sweet tamarind chutney on the sides. ‘Dahi Batata Puri’ – the pomegranate filled ‘sooji puri’ sitting on a shooter glass filled with ‘mithi lassi’, strategically placed on a heavy wooden plate carved like Punjab’s map, doesn’t fail to remind you of the love for ‘Patiala pegs’.
Since the restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol (yes, its no alcohol, child friendly dhaba), the team ensured the spirit of the spirit doesn’t leave our sight.
Just when you thought that your dose of sweetness is over with the ‘batata puri’ shots, here comes the famous ‘Papdi Chaat’ in an inverted black plastic mini umbrella carrier- yes, it was an umbrella but all in plastic. Was it difficult to scoop out? Nope, but eat only if you like an over dose of sweet nothings in your ‘papdi chaat’. Just when my mouth was screaming , “enough of sugar”, a plate of goodness comes in carrying my all time favorite ‘Dahi Ke Kebabs’ and extra juicy mutton ‘sheekh kebabs’ . The flavor, texture, size and aroma will transport you back to your childhood memories where these were a must to serve to your special guests. But what’s the twist here? The kebabs – which were plated on a median cut Iron , yes a pressing iron that opens up like a shark mouth.
Initial response to the response could be , “whoa” but the taste overshadows the quirk. ‘Surq Bihari Boti’ was like a cousin sister response to the good old ‘Bihari Kebab’ , a spice overdose for those who want to restrict to a flavor check. But the misfit was ‘Pink Pepper Corn Fish Basa’ , a hybrid Chinese version of chilli boneless fish. Not sure what was it doing in the menu. Instead a well done ‘Fish Amritsari Tikka’ would have been a delightful addition. The team’s response was that it’s a hit amongst the non south Asians who step in ! Hmm.. maybe if they say so.
MAIN THE COURSE? – verdict – “loved it but can I have a better spoon to scoop out”?
‘Taka tak Paneer, an absolute must try! A good twist to the typical ‘kadai paneer’ with extra soft non fried generous ‘paneer’ aka cottage cheese slices simmering in tomato gravy with onion chunks minus the expected ‘simla mirch’ aka capsicum. The ‘Bhuna Gosht’ was definitely a better choice than the ‘Dhaba Chicken’ as the mutton was juicy and soft. On the other hand the chicken gravy was yum but the poor chicken was whining for attention. The highlight was definitely the famous, slow cooked ‘dal makhni’ that we have grown up eating, coming in a miniature long well like bucket with a flat spoon. So as the taste rises high, you continue to struggle to dish it out from the well in a literal sense.
The instant solution?! Use your dinner spoon, keeping it simple. And the bread basket?? An absolute must, specially the garlic ‘naan’ which is crispy like papad with coarsely chopped grilled garlic chunks. The vegetarian ‘biryani’ ( well, there isn’t any veg biryani technically) can be given a miss as the balance of aroma needs a bit of a run.
DESSERT ! – verdict- “garnish not again”!
What would you expect as a dessert in a dhaba? Some kind of ‘halwa’ or ‘gulab jamun’ with ice cream or a good old ‘kulfi’ stick, right? What comes in is ‘ras malai’ plated in the most uber chic manner, reminding you of your last Indian fine dine experience. But what kills it? The overdose of dried rose petals as part of garnish which mixes in the flavored cardamom milk killing both the essence and the taste buds. You literally need to scoop out the garnish if you want your hands on to the sweet ‘rasgullas’ . The same impact and effect got repeated with the plated ‘kulfi’ stick which garnish with a generous dose of pista shavings, rose petals and caramel sauce. Like why? Why does one need to go overboard in the name of beauty and balance? A classic example of when you go OTT!
OVERALL VERDICT – keeping the desserts aside , it’s a 4/5 but overall 3.5/5
THE GOOD: pocket friendly pricing, generous main course quantities, friendly staff.
THE BAD : keep it balanced between display and taste buds.
THE TRENDY : Come back for the age old recipes which are done right.
Article written by Priyanka Sarkar – A designer by heart and training, a retailer by mind, an omnipreneur by choice who loves to word her experiences. Priyanka is the Chief Executive and Designer of House Of Biori, a contemporary brand of unique and ethically crafted jewelry and accessories created by artisans in sustainable communities. Visit www.houseofbiori.com for more details.