Varq at The Taj Mahal hotel, New Delhi are currently running a festival to promote ‘Mewar’ cuisine. A special menu has been curated for the same and being served for a limited period and this Gurgaon Foodie was invited to review it. Knowing how rich Mewar food can be I was a bit reluctant to go, but the foodie in me could not resist after seeing the awesome spread on offer. And I sure was not disappointed.

As I settled in to start the gastronomic journey, Chef Rajesh Singh had us completely spoilt for choice as he presents the elaborate menu and my taste buds were already doing the samba even before I had tasted anything. The cuisine of Mewar is flavoursome and depends mainly on the fresh vegetables, fruits and meats of the season and the chef’s version here is very close to that if not exact.

We started with Thandai which was flavorful, not overtly sweet and came out very balanced.

                  Thandai

Next was Paasley Angeera and Murgh Hawa Mahal (Rajasthan lamb chop cooked on charcoal and Chicken with short crust pastry). The lamb chop was perfectly done and the flavour and spices were coming through beautifully along with the aroma of charcoal flames. One of the better chops I have had in recent times. The Murgh Hawa Mahal was presented very nicely and to justify the name the pastry was baked in a castle like shape with the chicken served inside it. The favours here were just alright.

           Paasley Angeera                                  Murgh Hawa Mahal

The Murgh Pudina Ark (Chicken broth flavoured with mint) had a well flavoured broth with the mint powering through. The chef explained that this was cooked with spices and stock for a longer period of time and no corn flour was used for the texture.

Kache Aam ka sorbet took me back to my childhood days when we used to gorge on ‘aam papad’.

              Murgh Pudina Ark                              Kache Aam Ka Sorbet

For main course we were presented with Safed Maas (Braised lamb cooked with sweet and sour guava) and Khad Murgh (Game chicken cooked with mathania chilli and yogurt under sand). The lamb again was very well cooked and the distinct guava flavour in the gravy made it a refreshing change from the normal tomato/onion based gravies. The chicken looked promising but I was slightly disappointed with the taste as the gravy tasted very much like ‘saddi Dilli ka butter chicken’, full marks for the presentation though.

                  Safed Maas                                           Khad Murgh

It was time for desserts and out came the grand trio of Aloo halwa, Khajur ka meetha and Ghewar.

                     Aloo halwa                                    Khajur ka meetha

These were well prepared, Ghewar being my favourite. A perfect ending to a fabulous meal.

                     Ghewar

Varq is offering this menu as part of the ongoing ‘Royal Kitchens of Mewar’ promotion and the dishes are not being served individually. All dishes are a part of the set six-course sampler menu being served as a package. Definitely worth a visit if you have ‘Royal’ tastebuds.

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: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.5 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for one: Rs.3500 plus taxes | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: Varq, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, Number One, Mansingh Road, New Delhi Ph - 011-6651 3151