I avoid going to multi cuisine restaurants for a single reason – they don’t do justice to every cuisine. When National Highway 44, Rajouri Garden (NH44) happened, the feelings were similar, but boy, I was so mistaken!

Magnificent is the word that strikes your mind as you climb the stairs (the restaurant is on the second floor). The grand door and the expanse of the restaurant welcome you with positivity. Full of natural light, the grandness of the people of the area is properly reflected in the setup of the restaurant. Bunta bottles replace chandeliers; the bare walls and the servers’ uniform are all remnants of a dhaba setup.

the menu

welcome shots

Running to full houses (even overbooked, I hear), this 3 month old setup is doing great. With the myriad restaurants already available in this area, it’s a feat. The variety that the restaurant offers along with the top-class quality is the most important reason for the remarkable success. The restaurant boasts of a menu ranging from the Kashmiri goshtaba to the Chettinad chicken curry. Servers were on their toes all times, despite the heavy inflow of clients. The only thing I could suggest was a person at the door – to direct the people to their seats.

We were welcomed by a shot of aam panna as a welcome drink – which is amazing – so feel free to ask for more :). The feast started with soya seekh kebabs & paneer tikka for the vegetarians and chicken tikka, chicken malai tikka & chicken seekh kebab for the non-vegetarians – each dish maintained its unique stature. This north Indian array was followed by kanchipuram idli with coconut and tomato chutney and an absolutely fantastic sambhar served in a little pot. Palak patta chaat is the best I have had – no doubts in that. Masala dosa made its way next, again with an assortment of chutney and the super tasty sambhar – crisp with a flavoursome masala – it is a must try. Vada Pav was very close to the Mumbai version, but somehow there is always something missing in the Pav.

vada pav

masala dosa

palak patta chaat

kancheepuram idli

chicken malai tikka and seekh kebab

chicken tikka

paneer tikka

They have some amazing mocktails – to name a few – NH44 Special, Frozen Kiwi Daiquiri and Orange Gingerale were some from the menu ordered and found to be very likeable.

Well, the main followed after all this. Lasooni Palak ke kofte – is a must try – succulent balls of spinach and garlic in a tomato based gravy which has balanced flavours. Lal Mans is done very nicely – the mutton pieces didn’t need any effort and the gravy had that authentic smell and taste, with the heat ofcourse – just loved it. Chicken Chettinad is again an amazing preparation and although I missed some appams to go with it, it surely made my day. Dal Makhani – the all time favourite is as you want it to be – it’s difficult not to get this right when you located in an area like this 🙂

lasooni palak ke kofte

chicken chettinad

laal maans

Desserts saw gil-e-bahist – a perfect concoction of rabri, phirni and kalakand – a signature creation of the Chef is as much a must try as the beetroot halwa – skeptical at first, in love after the first bite, this was thoroughly enjoyed.

beetroot halwa

NH44 – with the wide variety of cuisine being served – and with the perfection that it does for all of them, is surely going to be a big thing. Already on that path, with packed house on weekdays and weekends, there is just one thing to look out for – availability of a table!