In a nutshell: A take home joint that serves pretty good Kolkata Biryani & rolls & excellent Chaap. Meal for 2: Rs. 150 onwards Home Delivery Numbers: +91 9999311547, +91 9312733913 Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian Short Description – In case u r in a hurry: Bongo bondhus in Gurgaon, good news for u. At last there is a Biryani shop that serves good Kolkata Biryani in … Continue reading Mughlai treat (Shop no. 26, Sushant Tower, Sector 56, Gurgaon)
Outstanding Nihari, nalli & few other traditional Mughal food in a simple setting with warm people & fast service.
Super YUMM Nihari at Haji Sharbati Nihariwale
How to get there: Get into the lane perpendicular to Gate no. 1 of Jama Masjid. Keep walking till u reach a ‘y’ point. Take the road on the left – almost in the same direction as u were walking. U will an old gate to a Haveli on ur left. Walk into the gate & on ur left is Haji Shabrati Nihariwale.
Jama Masjid, Delhi
The smartest thing to do is to take a rickshaw from Chawri Bazar metro station & entrust him with all the above details. U shud be there in not much time.
Road perpendicular to Gate no. 1, Jama Masjid
Meal for 2:Rs. 150 onwards (see rate chart as of July 2012)
The menu card (hung on the wall) at Haji Shabrati Nihariwale
Timings: Summers – 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm (best time to go 7.00 to 8.00), Winters 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm. The shop is shut at all other times.
Cuisine Type:Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
In case eating out for u includes ‘ambience’ / ‘professional service’ as a must ,pls do not go here. If ‘eating = health food’ for u, I wud strongly advice u not to even think of going here. However, if u r a foodie & believe that there is only one life & we shud make the best out of it, u must give this a try. Ur tastebuds will thank u for taking them to Haji Sharbati. All u will maybe need to do is to increase ur dosage of cardio exercises the following week.
curry made with nalli (bone marrow)
The shop is very old & does not seem to have been renovated for years. Everything there seems to have stood the test of time. Even the signboard outside the shop had almost turned black due to the smoke of the ovens. There are elements that might look messy but no one really cares. People come, wait in queues, eat & go.
the facade of the shop – the signboard with the name has also faded / blackened out
As u stand outside the shop u see a huge Handi (metal cooking container) fixed to the oven with clay atop a platform that is almost 2.5 feet high & an elderly gentleman sitting besides it & serving the contents to eating plates. Behind him is a tandoor & a guy sitting there is constantly making tandoori rotis here.
The elderly gentleman sitting on the platform in front of the huge handi
The platform (with the tandoor) covers half the shop & the rest is the sitting area.
View of the platform from inside the shop
The furniture is as basic as it can get.
the simple seating area at Haji Sharbati Nihariwale
The guy who serves the food is just another Human being & his responses are exactly like that – unlike trained restaurant waiters who are smiling & polite even when yelled at. My smile & friendly behaviour ensured that he treated us like his personal guest & we really had a good time.
A view of the entrance from inside the shop
The food rules – This is one of the best Niharis I have had so far. The gravy beats the Karim’s one hands down. The meat at Karim’s is slightly better textured than at Haji Shabrati.
Detailed description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
Superb unstoppable chatpata dhaga kababs in a neat & clean tiny ‘hole in the wall’- something that is not worth a miss – my tastebuds gave the kababs a standing ovation.
YUMM dhaga kabab – streetfood near jama masjid, Delhi
Address & other Details: Get into the lane perpendicular to Gate no. 1 of Jama Masjid. Keep walking till u reach a ‘y’ point. Take the road on the left – almost in the same direction as u were walking. U will find Mohd. Shakir, the current owner of the stall, making kababs on ur right hand side from a neat & clean white ‘hole in the wall’. U may also call 01123244205, 9899362993 – I am not confident though that someone will respond.
Shakir bhai’s – one man show
The smartest thing to do is to take a rickshaw & entrust him with all the above details. U shud be there in not much time.
Meal for 2:Rs. 60 onwards (each kabab for Rs. 6)
Cuisine Type: Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
Its a ‘one man show’ – Shakir Bhai, as he is known here, sits on a low platform with a neat & clean metal sigri (barbeque) & sells what he calls ‘dhaga kababs’ (dhaga means thread). When he is not around, his brother is the solo guy.
He has a thick bunch of leaves that look like paan leaves stacked on one side. On the other, he has a ‘gumla’ (vessel) full of spiced up meat paste. Almost mechanically he picks up some paste, rolls it around the sheekh, wraps it up with a cotton thread & tears off the thread with such ease & speed as if it were no thread, puts it on the barbeque, adjusts the coal, fans the barbeque, rotates the kababs so that they cook uniformly, served the same on a plate, takes the money, returns the change & also takes back the ‘used plate’ !!!!!!!
Kababs – in the making
He uses charcoal to fire the barbeque & the ‘sheekhs’ (metal rods) used by him for making the kabab are thick & made of steel.
He also caters to Marriages & parties in which case the offering widens – sheekh kabab, shami kabab, chicken, fish & paneer tikka, chicken & fish fry & also rumali roti. I am sure those are made at his home & delivered.
He told us very casually that the shop has been around since ‘before 1947’ but I spotted maybe the sense of ‘accomplishment’ in his eyes. As we started chatting up with him, we found that he has been doing this himself for last 22 years (he was in school then) – started with assisting his father.
one more shot of the one man kabab shop
Needless to say, the kabab was outstanding.
Detailed description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
This post is co – contributed by YUMMRAJ (Jan 2015), Guest Bloggers YUMMDOOT (June 2012) & updated Dec 2014 by Rakesh Kumar YUMMRAJ’s Post (Jan 15) – In a nutshell: Very good nihari, outstanding Kulcha & some great Biryani sum up this signboard -less eatery in a narrow lane of Lucknow. Address & other details: Rahims (this is correct Google map link) Meal for 2: Rs. 100 onwards Cuisine … Continue reading Rahim ki Nihari (Akbari Gate, Chowk Bazar, Lucknow)
Famous for its rolls that I found to be expensive & good but not upto the expectations, this tiny takeaway place also sells some good biryanis, kababs & curries.
Kolkata has come up with some innovative permutations & combinations in kathi rolls (generally called rolls) over the last decade or so. What started as a basic egg roll, has now I guess 20+ combos like double egg roll (made with 2 eggs), double egg chicken roll (2 eggs & 1 portion chicken), double egg double mutton roll ( 2 eggs, 2 portions mutton) , paneer roll (no egg & 1 portion of paneer )etc …..just to name a few. So most places selling roll wud have a long rate chart that wud list prices of these. While going thru the rate card at Zeeshan , Park Circus, I noticed they sell bheja roll (goat brain roll), bheja egg roll etc as well. Fish being a bong favourite, has also rolled into rolls of late.
As of today none of those rolls cost more than Rs. 60 (the 2+2 combos), including Nizam’s Kolkata. Nizam’s Gurgaon however charges Rs. 160 for a double egg double chicken roll which is surely high by any standards. I am a person who comfortably parts with huge amounts of money on food if the food is that good – but this seemed more to me as well. However, we decided to order expecting that at least our tastebuds wud rejoice after eating roll from the legendary Nizam’s.
We also ordered Mutton Burrah Kabab as that is a dish which clearly demarcates the great Mughlai chefs from the Good, ordinary & bad Chefs.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
I was told that this Restaurant is owned by The Uncle of Bollywood star Salman Khan.
The Glass inside the Restaurant & at the entrance has intricate floral design. The Furniture & the interiors look traditional & intricate. It has a feeling of a 19th Century Palace interior. There are separate seating sections for stags & family. A bit crowded but overall, a good ambience.
the interiors
With all that Grandness, the menu card looked quite ‘cheap’. It had bad quality badly edited photographs, strange fonts, inconsistent font sizes & overall a lack of class. I hope they imnprove it going forward.
The service level was beyond expectation – warm, knowledgeable, enthusiastic & friendly. When I told the guy serving us that such ‘passion & involvement’ is rare nowadays, he said – ‘U have come here for the first time. So I am taking special care of u so that u enjoy the experience this evening & remember us for long’.
The food was very enjoyable as well. I usually order three things in my visit to a Mughlai Restaurant – Sheekh, Burrah Kabab & Biryani as this is a test for the restaurant. I usually never revisit restaurants who fail in these basic dishes. On future visits to restaurants that pass the test, I usually try out other food.
cool visual display of accompaniments
The Sheekh kabab passed the test with Flying colors, the Burrah was enjoyable. The Biryani gave me mixed reactions – The rice of the Biryani was awesome. The goat whose meat was in the Biryani seemed to be a fan of Salman Khan – It must have been too muscular – .resulting in stiff, unedible meat pieces of Biryani.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
Good fish & meat kababs with strong & rustic flavored & taste, some very interesting Biryani that made me rethink my list of ‘best Biryani’ & one of the best Mutton Kormas I have ever had..
best Mutton Korma I ‘ve ever had
Address & other details: Just get into an autorickshaw & ask for Jamil Hotel near Chatori Gali. U will b transported there. In case the auto driver does not know, ask him to take u to Chatori Gali. Once there, just ask for Jamil Hotel situated on a road opposite Chatori Gali.
Meal for 2:Rs. 100 onwards
Cuisine Type:Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
Like Chatori Gali, everything here is very chatpata in taste – rustic, robust.
For those of u who rate the look & feel of a restaurant highly, u will b disappointed here. It has quite a shabby appearance, has old metal tables & bench seating. The shop does not even have a signboard. People just know this place.
The interiors
During my chat with the owner, he told us that they will move in to a new bigger building right opposite the existing one & that will b like a regular Restaurant.
For those of u who r frightened to eat fried food or food with fat in them, this is not the right place. BUT, if u r one of those who believe in pampering ur tastebuds & then work out harder to burn those extra calories, then this is the place to be.
the open kitchen
The serving staff at the shop are quite friendly. But as I always say, they do not undergo modern day ‘Hotel Management Training that preaches ‘Customer is the King’ etc. So they behave with u in a person to person basis & treat u as another person they r dealing with & not a ‘Customer’. So if u r friendly, that is reciprocated & vice versa.
We were lucky to have the Chef come up to the table post the serving staff ran out of answers to my questions. The Chef was really nice & explained things. When we ordered an extra Biryani to end the meal, he gave a complimentary ‘gravy of Mutton Do Pyaza’ to taste.
As u enter the shop, u r greeted with the sight of Marinated meats & fishes. These are cooked on request right in front of u. So there is almost nothing that is made & stored. So we had some good kababs, some outstanding Korma & a very very interesting Biryani.
marinades displayed right at the entrance to the shop
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
Utopia for meat lovers , this gali (street) is full of tiny shops selling fish & meat dishes with strong & rustic flavors & taste at prices that u wud have heard ur grandfather talk about.
chatori gali - the lane
Address & other details:Just get into an autorickshaw & ask for Chatori Gali. U will b transported there. It seemed as easy as asking any public transport driver in Agra to take u to Taj Mahal !!!!
There is a small parking that can accomodate 10 – 12 cars just opposite Chatori Gali – In case u prefer to take a car.
Meal for 2:Rs. 70 onwards
prices so low that even ur Grandfather wud compare with his college days.
Cuisine Type: Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
This place is just a road on which there are small shops on both sides that sell YUMM meat & fish products at very low price & high volumes. Everything here is very chatpata in taste – rustic, robust.
first shop in the corner - Chatori Gali
For those of u who go by the hygiene displayed by the Restaurant / the shop, u will b disappointed. Its different that in the kitchen of many (not all) Restaurants, it is not very neat & clean – the only difference is that u do not get to see that.
For those of u who r frightened to eat fried food or food with fat in them, this is not the right place. BUT, if u r one of those who believe in pampering ur tastebuds & then work out harder to burn those extra calories, then this is the place.
the corner shop with a rotating chicken roasting machine
The people at the counters are quite friendly & ‘to the point’. But as I always say, they do not undergo modern day ‘Retail Management Training ‘ that preaches ‘Customer is the King’ etc. So they behave with u in a one to one basis & treat u as another person they r dealing with & not a ‘Customer’. So if u r friendly, that is reciprocated & vice versa.
Marinated meats & fishes are displayed in front of u & are made on request right in front of u. So there is almost nothing that is made & stored.
marinated miscellaneous meats
I was surprised to see that one shop had an automated rotating Chicken Roasting machine too.
I had one of the best ever Hamburgers (pao Kabab) in this place, a very unique & enjoyable paaya soup, good sheekh kababs, outstanding beef kababs,
the finger licking good beef kababs
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
If u r a health freak, either do not go there or go there & forget that u not supposed to eat such things – just switch off & enjoy. Calories will come & go if u exercise regularly – so why make ur taste buds abstain from such pleasures.
Parking options r little – b prepared.
U can eat standing in the winter afternoon sun or in the summer evening breeze. If u r lucky, u get to set in one of the two six seater tables in a room so tiny that u can barely park ur motorbike there. Ther are a lot of flies around – so ur left hand will constantly fan over the food while u use the right hand for eating. The other good option is to walk with the plats to ur car & eat inside in the comfort of airconditioning.
The waiters r obviously not trained. So they will behave like normal human beings – If u r nice & smiling to them, they will be very nice to u, else if u r grumpy & treat them not so well, he might also behave strangely.
The kitchen is kind of open & u can take a peek at what is happening inside.
Coming to the food, this is their forte. Rest are not – as u must have figured out by now.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
If u want to treat ur non Indian/ NRI guests to Indian food, this is a really great option. If u want to delve deep into the various kinds of kababs (under the same roof) that r popular in India, this is the place to be. If u want ur kababs to be made with the best ingredients in a healthy manner, this is the place to be – The Great Kabab factory offers u a multitude of great Kababs in an excellent environment & very warm service.
4 excellent chutneys / sauces to go with kababs - I do not eat sauces with Kababs though
However, if u happen to b an Indian foodie like YUMMRAJ (who just goes by the taste of food – not ambience, not service, not anything else), u wud say – The Great Kabab Factory is a ‘jack of all trades but master of none’. So, U wud rather prefer to sweat it out in the lanes & bylanes of Chandni Chowk or Kolkata or Lucknow to get a better deal for ur tastebuds.
buttermilk served 'on the house' to help digest the plethora of kababs
Great kabab factory is a very good ‘one stop shop’ for Kababs – One has to order for a vegetarian or non-vegetarian option & different kababs keep coming in till the time you can eat ……and all this at a fixed price. While the Galawati kababs of Tunday’s in Lucknow are surely better & the Burrah kabab of Karim’s is surely better, the Great Kabab Factory serves all such things with reasonably good taste, under the same roof, in a nice ambience. The Tandoori prawn kababs are a real show stopper here. This bombardment of kababs is followed by two nice daals, an ordinary subzi, a very aromatic but stupid tasting biryani & tandoori roti. An elaborate dessert follows this………… overall, an excellent place to taste multiple kababs under one roof in a nice ambience – Each of these are very good but none of them are the best in their respective categories
