Awadhi Cuisine is all about richness and flavors influenced by the Mughal era and is synonymous to what we call as the Lucknowi Food ! There are hardly a few places in the city of Bengaluru that one gets to taste Authentic Awadhi Fare and Feast India Co is one of them. Tucked away in the quaint locality of Cunningham Road, this restaurant is owned by the same folks who manage the ‘Fat Buddha’ and is next door to it.
Taking a colonial era mansion and converting it to a beautiful diner keeping the aesthetics of the place alive is just wonderful. Awe struck at the antique collection that dots almost every nook and corner of this restaurant.
Not just the decor, even the seating is arranged suited to the patrons. Be it the different rooms available for groups, business meets or even a separate area for celebrations or parties as well as for folks who want to exhibit their products for sale – all have been well thought off. In short – an ambiance that is charming, pleasant and soothing !
Coming to the food, We got to know that there is no oil used at all in the kitchen while ghee is used for flavoring purposes. Started off with Zafrani Shorba which with its saffron, veggies and Awadhi spices was a light and rich beginning to the meal.
Appetizers kicked off with Galawat Ke Kebab – Melt in the mouth ! I am big critic of these kebabs and there are hardly a few places that I know do justice to these, and this one just went on top of my favorites list. Minced lamb tends to become dry and chewy, it was pan-fried to perfection here.
Continuing with starters, tried the Tikka Banno and Rudaoli – both Chicken variants. Banno is all about spices with fenugreek adding to the flavor profile and of-course that char-grilled awesomeness while Rudaoli is an in-house special and is all about marination with hung curd, mustard and carrom seeds that is high on taste.
Off to some mains, Dal-E-Dum -the best ever Dal Makhani, Paneer Do Pyaza, Chooze Makhani which is basically boneless chicken cooked in a rich creamy tomato gravy tried it with Warqi paratha, Lehsuni Naan and Roomali Roti. Satisfaction guaranteed and Thumbs up !
Also tried Sheermal for the first time, saffron flavored flat-bread cooked in tandoor , very light on the palate, mild sweetness and goes really well with Dal-E-Dum or literally any gravy.
Biryani’s was the last of the mains to try and so glad we did. Murg and Subz Dum Biryani which I can definitely say was Authentic Awadhi with that aromatic spices infused with saffron and cardamom. Every bite was just party in the mouth and that chicken coming off the bone easily is exactly what I had hoped for !
Finale with the Desserts ! Chana Dal Halwa, Shahi Tukda and Phirni were the sweet tooth delicacies on the table. Each one special in its own way. Not going much into the details as folks reading this do know all 3 of these dishes well but its the taste that differs in every place we go and this lives up to authenticity. Perfect end to the meal !
Service and hospitality are good. There is valet parking available as well. We had a great time connecting with Ashish Kabadi who owns the place as well as the Fat Buddha and was kind enough to walk us through the antique collections that is dotting the place as well as stories about food with Awadhi cuisine in particular. Ashish is himself a chef and his knowledge about food is amazing and we got to learn a few things from him as well. Highly recommended !
