Gharana: Home Away From Home

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Over the past month, I’ve visited two Indian restaurants that put a slightly different spin on the standard fare, whether through playful plating or unique flavor combinations. I’ve also had a few good meals along the way, but sometimes, it’s good to go back to the simple things. Gharana at the Holiday Inn Al Barsha doesn’t have any contemporary twists or variations on the food, relying instead on clean, authentic flavors.

On one side of the Holiday Inn lobby is what appears to be an open café with a sign reading ‘Gharana’ hanging on the front. I’m a bit concerned at first, as I was expecting something a lot less casual. As it turns out, Gharana’s actually hidden away in the back, and is accessed by walking through the café. There’s a large swing seat at the entrance, of the sort they have in old Indian palatial homes, but aside from that, the restaurant has a simple, rustic look. The atmosphere is warm, using brown and saffron tones. There’s a small stage at the back and they have live Indian music every evening.

We receive a cheery welcome from the serving staff, also dressed in warm saffron colors, and are seated promptly. The menu is split into four different sections, representing four regions of India: Jaipur, Punjab, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Each section has a separate three-course menu. We pick a little bit from each section.

We start off in Jaipur with Tandoori Anar ke Aloo, grilled potato halves stuffed with cottage cheese, pomegranate seeds and spices. The potatoes, arranged in single file, are served on a round plate, with a little salad on the side. While the presentation isn’t artsy, the flavors are solid. The potatoes are tender and spiced just right, and the pomegranate seeds add a nice bright flavor.

For the main course, we continue our tour of Jaipur with the Dal Murad-e-Pasandi and then head to Lucknow for Chaman-e-Gulzar, a dish of fenugreek and mushrooms, and Kofta Malai Zamzam, cottage cheese dumplings in cashew nut gravy. The dal, made with chana (split chickpeas) and spinach, has a slightly smoky flavor without too much heat or spiciness. The Chaman-e-Gulzar is a mix of earthy and bitter flavors that balance each other out quite well. The Kofta dumplings are wonderfully soft, almost melting in the mouth, but the gravy is a bit rich, and has some greasiness to it.

The assorted breads and the vegetable biryani served alongside the meal are fairly standard. Everything is cooked well and tastes fine, but there’s nothing extraordinary about them.

I also realize that the restaurant is completely packed, which seems surprising for a weeknight.
Granted, it’s not a very expansive space, but I still hadn’t expected it to fill up so completely, especially as the restaurants I’ve reviewed in the past haven’t been as full. It livens up the atmosphere some more, but it also creates a lag in the service. There was a considerable gap between the appetizers and the main course, and there’s another long wait to place our dessert order.

A relatively short while later, our desserts arrive. We have Lychee Rabdi from Hyderabad and Gajar ka Halwa, which was recommended by our server as another specialty of the house, but wasn’t listed on the menu. The halwa is tasty enough, but not too distinct from others I’ve had, but the rabdi is really good. Normally made of just milk and cream, rabdi can tend to be too rich, but this dish makes good use of tangy litchis to contrast the sweetened milk.

Gharana keeps things simple in terms of flavor and presentation, while providing great value for money. The food is also surprisingly light, and won’t leave you feeling overstuffed. Accessing the restaurant is a bit odd, since you have to walk through a completely different restaurant to get there. But once you get there, you can enjoy a lovely meal in a bustling, homely environment.

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