Whenever I visit a place which serves Punjabi / North Indian Cuisine, I always approach it with a little bit of scepticism, because it’s not easy to do something outstanding, something different with this cuisine. However, when I saw the revamped Khaja Chowk’s menu, I got a little excited. This place in Metropolitan Mall 3rd floor, located where the earlier The Chowk was located, is a 74 cover restaurant with a fully functional bar. The fact that the menu was so elaborate was such a pleasant surprise, especially for me, who always thought they served those boring food court style combos only, that they used to have when I last visited them a few years ago. The menu is now not only elaborate to cover other regions of India, but also has some quirky innovations, so you don’t have to stuff yourself with dal, paneer and butter chicken. The cocktail menu had some interesting concoctions too, some of which I tried too.

The cocktails that I tried were called Crazy Ice Cocktails (Rs 295 each), each of which had a large cube of ice in the drink, which would melt slowly in the drink, slowly infusing a core flavour in the cocktail. The Chilli Aam Masala was a mango mixer with a green chilli frozen in an ice cube in it, apart from the alcohol in the glass. As the ice cube melted, the drink got spicier because of the chilli in the ice cube. Similarly the Paan Supari Martini and the Chatpata Blood Mary were interesting too.

           Chilli Aam Masala                    Paan Supari Martini

Chicken 65 (Rs. 225): Their take on the classic dish. Chicken dipped in curd and whole spices and fried. This was dry from the outside and tender inside. The mint sauce served alongside was okayish. Can be avoided. I wouldn’t order again.

                                   Chicken 65

Sabudana Vada (Rs. 175): Tiny sabudana cutlets, with peanut chunks and potatoes, served with red thecha. The cutlets were nice and crisp outside and moist and soft within. The thecha was more like salsa but was very nice. Recommended.

                                    Sabudana Vada

Khurmi Naan (Rs 125): Basically a pizza made out of a roti, tomato ketchup and cheese. The kids will love it, I didnt enjoy it as much.

                                     Khurmi Naan

Jadavpoore Puchka Chaat (Rs 125): Their take on the golgappa, batasha, puchka and what not. Six atta golgappas, served with curd, teekha paani, mix of chutneys, kala chana and sev. Loved it. Highly recommended.

                        Jadavpoore Puchka Chaat

Palak Patte ki Chaat (Rs 170): Batter fried leaves of spinach, served with masalas, potatoes and chutneys. The pattas were very crisp and the garnishes were mouth-watering. Highly recommended again.

                                Palak Patte ki Chaat

Gongura Paneer Tikka (Rs 315): Tandoori Paneer marinated and stuffed with Gongura pickle. I’m neither a fan of paneer nor a fan of gongura leaves. But this dish was very pleasant on the tongue. Recommended for paneer lovers. Hazratganj ke Galawati kababs (Rs 425): The famous galawati kebabs from Lucknow, in a different, but very tasty avatar. Not for the purists, but very addictive to taste. Highly recommended.

Gongura Paneer Tikka and Galawati kababs

Signature Dum Cooked Dishes: They have a list of speciality Dum Cooked dishes on their menu which are cooked in sealed claypots over low flame. I was told that most of these dishes are sold out on weekends and are also their highest selling items on the menu. Some of them that I tried were:

Lal Maans (Rs 545): Well-cooked pieces of mutton in fiery red gravy. Not your standard Laal Maans, but competent.  Passable.

                    Lal Maans

Katthal Dum Masala (Rs 395): Jackfruit cooked in Punjabi home style masala. I’m not a big fan of the dish, but can vouch that it was like it’s cooked in Punjabi households. Passable.

                            Katthal Dum Masala

Nalli Boti Ki Nihari (Rs 900): They call this the Flaming Claypot. The claypot was brought to the table with the flames under it still burning and the surahi like claypot was cracked open at the table itself and the contents poured in the serving dish.

The meat was perfectly cooked and the curry was yummy. However, if it’s the Nihari taste you are looking for, this is not for you. Having said that, the curry was tasty, and combined with the perfectly cooked meat pieces, you have a winner. At 900 bucks, I don’t want to comment on the value for money this dish gives, but the quantity was lavish. Highly recommended.

                             Nalli Boti Ki Nihari with condiments

Dal Makhani (Rs 310) The Dal was not ODing on cream, like most restaurants serve and was very spicy. I personally liked it, but not sure if everyone likes their dal so spicy. Recommended.

                                    Dal Makhani

Mutton Biryani: I’m no purist, and no biryani expert, but this had well-cooked pieces of mutton, flavourful rice and served with a very nice raita. Recommended.

                                       Mutton Biryani

Beetroot Halwa  (Rs 135): Icecream enveloped by warm beet root halwa from both top and bottom, you couldn’t make out the beetroot as it tasted like gaajar halwa. Passable.

         Beetroot Halwa with icecream

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)                                         

Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 3.5 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs.1200 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: 3rd Floor, MGF Metropolitan Mall, MG Road, Gurgaon. Tel - 9560076861.
and  3rd Floor, Plaza Mall, MG Road,Gurgaon. Tel - 8130371861