"Namak - Sahara Star" (Written by Guest Blogger:- Ms. Suhasini Jha)

Namak; named after Mahatma Gandhi’s famous Dandi or Salt March, is Sahara Star’s quintessential fine dine  known to serve the best North Indian and Hyderabadi cuisine.

Ambience: The interiors are highly inspired by both modern and medieval period in the Indian culture. You can spot a few vintage looking fans, switches and artefacts in here while your food is cooked in the half open kitchen. Dim lights and soft classical music playing in the background, gives the place a royal and classy feel.

Menu: They have a preset menu ready for the invited bloggers that consists of a selected number of starters, main course items and mocktails.

We started with the welcoming drink which was a mixture of pineapple and mint.

Shimbi Paneer ki Seekh: A soft cottage cheese seekh kabab served with some lemon and onion on the side made for a starter with an overwhelming punch of mustard and crunch of beans.

Chenna Palak ki Shami: Unlike the Shami Kebas that usually have lentils, this one had fresh spinach, green chillies and a layer of creamy cheese and onions. This green fish-resembling dish is as soft as cake and will melt easily in your mouth.

Tandoori Malai Paneer Roll: This one was a small block of mildly roasted paneer, stuffed with cream and served with onions on the side. Although it looked appealing, it lacked the tempting smoky texture and taste of tandoor.

Thikri Dal Makhani: This dish is a popular North Indian favourite. It had the right blend of whole spices, tomatoes, onions and ginger/garlic. Whole lentils never tasted so good before.

Tripoliya Subzi: Mixed vegetables in a thick gravy blend with an exorbitant amount of ghee made this dish the holy grail of the entire meal.

Sua Dakhani Saag: Spinach topped with garlic and dill leaves, gives this dish a look reminiscent of another popular North Indian dish; sarson da saag’. It tastes no less than that.

Tarkari Biryani: It lacked the flavor of biryani even though the rice and vegetables were well cooked and garnished with mint and saffron. Served with vegetable raita, papad and a few slices of onion, this dish was a total let down.

Desserts: 

·    Malai kulfi and Gulab Jamun

Malai kulfi -,a popular frozen dairy dessert similar to ice cream, carries the flavor and creaminess of Indian sweets.

Gulab Jamun was served hot and garnished with almonds. This milk based sweet shaped like a mini ball had the right kind of sweetness and softness.

At the end of our meal, Meetha Paan was served as a mouth freshener.

Recommendations: Thikri Dal Makhani and Cranberry Colada (Mocktail).

Service: Prompt.

Experience: Visit for a royal and lavish dinner that can take you back in time. If you’re not a big fan of that, give this place a miss without a second thought.