Qabil-E-Tareef – Pimple Saudagar, Pune

FOODVIEW

Restaurant Name: Qabil-E-Tareef
Location: Shop 173/1 & 2, Shivsai Road, Near Lotus Hospital, Pimple Saudagar, Pune
Buzz: +91-20-30189912
Contact Person: Mr. Emie Gurung
Visit Date: 16th April, 2016

This place doesn’t only boasts a Mughlai name, but its food its décor everything is put together to give a feel of by gone era, not particularly Mughal décor but still gives overall by gone era experience. A trademark colorful door with intricate crafted panels, brass elephants and lamps along with glass lamps to light the passage. First thing we noticed they had ample sitting space spread across four different options – outdoor, main restaurant, mezzanine floor and terrace. We took our seats at a table in the main dining area, right next to the huge glass walled kitchen with commercial tandoor ovens dishing out kebabs and assorted breads. But if you are here for dinner or drinks with friends, I would recommend trying the terrace if the weather is usual pleasant. Greenery surrounds the terrace with plants covering it completely which disconnects the place from nearby surroundings.

All of us had travelled a fair distance on a very hot afternoon, we famished souls quickly moved to the food and let our hosts decide what they wanted to serve.

Our meal started with Chef Special – Adraki Murg Shorba, an Indian style soup with bite sized pieces of chicken and julienne ginger. The flavors were mild and pleasant, nothing very strong or full of heat, very soothing and went well with the weather outside. We were surprised by the quantity as it was too much for us to finish.

While we were still enjoying the soup, delectable looking Murg Makrana Kebab arrived. And are soups hit a road block that was on those bones, all our attention drifted away to the drumsticks on the plate, juicy, sumptuous looking Murge ki Taang. We could literally see the falling of the bone chicken cooked to perfection (other than few in one of the portions). Let me say it very simply these are one of the best Murg Makrana Kebab I have had in Pune. They had everything going in their favor, the right medium spiced flavor, enough marination and biggest one for me no over charring of the meat, most places specially ones who have made Makrana famous in Pune serve them way too charred and at times overcooked. This was a winner and flagship dish for me without any doubt.

Next came in two contrasting looking tikkas – Angari Zaffrani Tikka and Chakori Kebab. As the name suggests Zaffrani Tikka were light yellowish in color and Chakori Kebabs were in a surprise green spice mix.

The flavors were as contrasting as the look; Zaffrani Tikka was high on saffron and few other whole spices what gave it a gentle but complex flavor. Chakori kebab had mice spicy mix with some heat, chicken in both was fantastically well cooked.

In vegetarian we were served Tandoori Tarkari Platter and Paneer Shabnam.  The veggie platter had paneer, potato, mushroom, cauliflower and pineapple, all veggies were well cooked and differently flavored a nice preparation in all. The Paneer Tikka variation looked oh so good, but lacked few notches in taste and texture, which we shared in our feedback discussion with the chef.

These many starters were enough to make us feel more than half full. So we decided to take a little gap before the next course, and to rightly utilize the break we were served an array of Mocktails. Now this was something I wasn’t looking forward to and never thought would be a high point of our lunch. But as the Mocktails arrived each one of them looked very tempting, we quickly clicked them and started trying them passing around the table. I tasted all 8 of them, and I must say these guys have a brilliant bar tender, there might be very less places in Pune where if you order 8 different Mocktails firstly all of them would taste distinctly different and it would be almost an argument to decide which one was the best. All of them were perfect, no extra sweetness or sourness just the right flavors. We were served – Irish Ferry, Virgin Mojito, Florida (3 colored one), Coco Berry, Mango Bloom, Fruit Punch and Kiwi Daiquiri. I personally liked Kiwi Daiquiri and Mango Bloom the most.

Once done with Mocktails we proceeded to the mains, we had Mutton Rogan Josh and Dal Akbari with assortment of breads. Mutton Rogan Josh had all the right flavors, texture and thickness to its gravy and it was signed off by our Kashmiri team member with flying colors so I need not say more about it, only the mutton could have been more succulent.

Dal Akbari was one brilliant preparation, I just had it all by itself without any roti or rice, now I am a carnivore and I don’t usually bother about the dal on the table, but I had one spoon of this rich thick Dal Akbari l and I stopped after wiping the bowl clean, it was definitely slow cooked preparation with minimal spices, totally loved it.

Our flavorful sojourn came to an end with Shahi Tudka and Meetha Pan.

Other than few minor issues with cooking time of the meat, I don’t think I can point out anything that missed to impress us, the service was spot on and the staff was courteous. And we saw them being same on all the tables and not just give us attention.

I would highly recommend this place for people living in vicinity, more so as Pimple Saudagar and Vishal Nagar don’t have a high number of places that one can rely on, few that used to be my preference sometime back have been very inconsistent lately from what I hear.

Well this place really stands up to its’ name – Qabil-E-Tareef !

Reviewed By Varun Khanna | Qabil-E-Tareef | Food Prowl – The Hunger Stories

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