Republic of Chicken
Unknown to many, this hidden gem in a mall serves an authentic Indo - Pakistan menu
Hardly anybody visits the Living Style Mall in Jasola, so not many people have heard about Faisal’s Kebab Lounge, which is unfair, because the tiny four-table eatery is one of the few places in our city to boast an Indo-Pakistan menu. Not only is the food surprisingly good, it is prepared in clean surroundings — to get a similar meal, you’d have to trawl the environs of Jama Masjid. What’s more, you don’t even have to visit them — one phone call and your order will be delivered. Fried Faisalabad chicken (Rs 90) is one of the best things on the menu. Vaguely like the fried chicken of Urdu Bazaar near Jama Masjid, this version is coated with spices and fried. It’s something you should sample while it is hot and fresh. The best thing about this preparation is that both the spice mixture and the chicken can be tasted; one does not drown out the other.
Another dish worth a mention is their version of the Peshawari favourite, the chappli kebab (Rs 90). You get four generously-sized kebabs that have been grilled rather than pan-fried, just the way they are sup-posed to be. While I would have liked the minced lamb to be a trifle more spiced, what was attractive was the fact that the patties were dipped in coarsely pounded chilli and coriander seeds.
The only disappointment was the so-called Karachi qorma (Rs 100), which was served with half a sheermal. While the sheermal was excellent, the qorma itself was red with tomatoes — a travesty. On the other hand, the lamb pieces (two large botis) were succulent and tender. The dish would improve considerably if the restaurant substituted curd for tomatoes.
Haleem biryani (Rs 110), like the qorma, is pre-prepared, so if you are in a hurry, you know what to order. All Mughlai restaurants privately grumble that customers eat biryani together with qorma, which no purist would ever do. Delhiites probably baulk at eating their biryani without any accompaniments at all. That’s why the combination of delicately flavoured haleem (pounded wheat and meat cooked to a paste) and biryani is an inspired one. Mind you, many places serve more flavourful biryani than this version, but it is the combination that makes the dish, rather than the individual copmponents.
For cleanliness, a unique menu and outstanding value for money, Faisal’s Kebab Lounge deserves all the popularity that it can get.
Kebab paradise: ‘This is one of the few places in our city to boast an Indo-Pakistan menu…. to get a similar meal, you’d have to trawl the envirnos of Jama Masjid’
Vital Stats
308, 3rd floor, Living Style Mall, Jasola (opp. Sarita Vihar) Ph: 40554646
Open from 12 noon to 11 pm
Average cost of a meal for two: Rs 300 No alcohol served, no credit cards accepted
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