I have eaten several times at the Residency Towers's Main Street buffet. I have always enjoyed the food there. But somehow, I have gone all these years without even realizing that there is a restaurant on the rooftop. This month, I got to eat at, and review the food at the The Crown.
The Crown is named for the dome that caps the building, and the beautiful interior that the dome houses.
The restaurant boasts inside & alfresco dining. The seating outside is just gorgeous, but tonight we were dining in the very opulently decorated inside seating area.
Before we get further into this post, let me apologize for the photographs. I find myself doing that too often. I really out to be better at shooting in low light by now! That said, the lighting at The Crown, while not optimum for photography, is very romantic. Look at our candle-lit table!
The first thing that struck me as soon as we sat down was the place settings and decor on the table. When you look around at the posh interiors, one cannot help but wonder if the glassware, cutlery & crockery was brought from the flea market. This is something that the restaurant should look into.
The alfresco and inside dining areas have different menus and different price tags. You pay more for eating in the fresh air, and there is a different a la carte menu as well. But we were there to sample a set menu designed for those dining under the dome.
The starters started arriving, and all our niggles about the crockery just vanished. That Galouti Kabab knocked everybody's socks off! Melt-in-the-mouth, perfectly spiced cakes of finely minced lamb on a round pastry that did not remind of any other pastry/roti I have ever eaten. The pastry was flaky, tender and absolutely perfect with the kabab. I think I put away quite a few of these gems!
The chicken kabab was also great. Cooked perfectly so the chicken just melts away. Just delicious. The fish was not a big hit with me, but there were others who enjoyed it.
The main courses arrived next. There was a creamy chicken gravy. I honestly don't remember what it was called, but it was yummy. The mutton roganjosh was very nice and the lamb shanks were really well cooked. I was personally very pleased to hear that the chef doesn't use tomatoes in his roganjosh gravy. Perfect!
The naans were just wonderful. Flaky, light and not chewy at all as nanns sometimes tend to be. I loved it! The Biriyani was okay. Nothing to write home about. The highlight of the main courses was the Dal Makhni. Slow-cooked dal laced with generous amounts of butter, the flavor is amazing. The chef shared with us that they cook the dal for over 24 hours at The Crown. No wonder the flavors are so mellow and rich! Just brilliant.
The dessert arrived, and I opted for the Western dessert. It was a chocolate cake-like thing. I don't know the name, to be honest. I wasn't a fan. While the saucy chocolate topping on the cake was nice enough, the flavor and texture of the cake didn't impress me at all. I was surprised when the others at the table seemed to like it! Honestly, I didn't want to go back even for a second spoonful.
Next time, I will just go with the usually safer Indian desserts.
Overall, the food was very good. I would do just what I did this time around - gorge on the starters, top it up with the main course, and pick at my dessert plate. At around Rs. 790 for unlimited portions of everything on the menu, it is a pretty sweet deal. But you should be aware that the menu is different every evening, and if I were you, I would call ahead to find out which day is Galouti Kabab day! :o)
The Crown is named for the dome that caps the building, and the beautiful interior that the dome houses.
The restaurant boasts inside & alfresco dining. The seating outside is just gorgeous, but tonight we were dining in the very opulently decorated inside seating area.
Before we get further into this post, let me apologize for the photographs. I find myself doing that too often. I really out to be better at shooting in low light by now! That said, the lighting at The Crown, while not optimum for photography, is very romantic. Look at our candle-lit table!
The first thing that struck me as soon as we sat down was the place settings and decor on the table. When you look around at the posh interiors, one cannot help but wonder if the glassware, cutlery & crockery was brought from the flea market. This is something that the restaurant should look into.
The alfresco and inside dining areas have different menus and different price tags. You pay more for eating in the fresh air, and there is a different a la carte menu as well. But we were there to sample a set menu designed for those dining under the dome.
The starters started arriving, and all our niggles about the crockery just vanished. That Galouti Kabab knocked everybody's socks off! Melt-in-the-mouth, perfectly spiced cakes of finely minced lamb on a round pastry that did not remind of any other pastry/roti I have ever eaten. The pastry was flaky, tender and absolutely perfect with the kabab. I think I put away quite a few of these gems!
The chicken kabab was also great. Cooked perfectly so the chicken just melts away. Just delicious. The fish was not a big hit with me, but there were others who enjoyed it.
The main courses arrived next. There was a creamy chicken gravy. I honestly don't remember what it was called, but it was yummy. The mutton roganjosh was very nice and the lamb shanks were really well cooked. I was personally very pleased to hear that the chef doesn't use tomatoes in his roganjosh gravy. Perfect!
The dessert arrived, and I opted for the Western dessert. It was a chocolate cake-like thing. I don't know the name, to be honest. I wasn't a fan. While the saucy chocolate topping on the cake was nice enough, the flavor and texture of the cake didn't impress me at all. I was surprised when the others at the table seemed to like it! Honestly, I didn't want to go back even for a second spoonful.
Next time, I will just go with the usually safer Indian desserts.
Overall, the food was very good. I would do just what I did this time around - gorge on the starters, top it up with the main course, and pick at my dessert plate. At around Rs. 790 for unlimited portions of everything on the menu, it is a pretty sweet deal. But you should be aware that the menu is different every evening, and if I were you, I would call ahead to find out which day is Galouti Kabab day! :o)
