Namak at The Sahara Star - Vile Parle East, Mumbai

Iran or Persia (as it was known in its ancient days) was one of the greatest Empires of time. The Greeks acknowledged it, The ancient Indians traded with it and The ancient Chinese considered it an equal. The land has had many innovations and inspirations. Their cuisine is one such thing. Persian or Iranian food is among the world's tastiest foods especially for a food lover like myself. A lot of Indian food itself has been derived from Iranian food.

Persian food like Indian food is full of flavors, uses similar methods of cooking and, has a rich and timeless history. So when the folks at The Sahara Star Hotel sent me an invitation to sample the grub from their Persian food festival, I just had to say yes.

It was a long trip but completely worth the effort. Namak meaning salt is an Indian restaurant inside the domed palace that is The Sahara star. Considered to be one of the most luxurious hotels in India, its unique domed structure has fascinated me for many years. This was my first time inside the place. Though I only briefly got to see the Hotel, it indeed was a fascinating experience. The guests must be completely enamoured with such a beautiful Hotel.

I quickly made my way to Namak where I was met by my hosts, Chef Rehman - An Awadhi cuisine master who organizes food festivals across five star properties in India, Chef Mona - A passionate Iranian chef whom I had met earlier at The Renaissance and Mr. Rostan - A well spoken member of Team Sahara Star.

Namak is a classy Indian themed fine dine. Some festival based Persian elements had made it into the ambiance though. The servers were dressed in Persian inspired costumes and there were many objects that served as motifs of the Persian culture. However, the restaurant mostly resembled other restaurants inside Five star properties. Calm, cozy and classy would be the best words to describe the place.

Ahem, on to the delicacies that I sampled.

This Zaffrani Sherbet tasted like a mix of saffron and sweet herbs. Very refreshing and naturally sweet. It was an ideal start to the late lunch ahead.

The Soup E Jao is probably derived from the Iranian staple Ash e Jo. This Persian Barley soup is common in Iranian households though Chef Mona made it special by adding parsley and carrots too. The colour also was stronger and more yellow than the common traditional version. The soup had a strong flavor with a savory and pungent undertone. It was addicting in flavor and was unlike anything that I have ever had before.

I sampled Namak's vegetarian Kebab platter as my first course. Vegetarian Kebabs are an interesting premise and every restaurant tends to put their own touch to it. Its also a given that vegetarian Kebabs will mostly be something around paneer and mushroom but its still a field wide open for creative folks. The Zaffrani Paneer Kebab did not taste much different from paneer or velvet kebabs at other restaurants. The Gharth Tanuri was a Mushroom kebab that too tasted similar to the mushroom kebabs that I have had in other places .

What stole the show was the Mavoha Tanur Kebab. These were grilled fruit kebabs with sumac rubbed on to them. I have always love grilled pineapple and the Chef's creativity was reflected well on this.

Namak's meaty kebab platter had a mix of both Iranian and Indian flavors. Chef Rehman told me that the flavors were adjusted a bit to suit Indian palates. The end result was a platter of Iranian Kebabs with a bit of an Indian touch.  

Joojeh Kebab(Bottom) is an old favorite of mine. This was a simple kebab made of meat chunks grilled to perfection and marinated with spices, vinegar and curd. It was juicy with flavor oozing out of every bite - a real treat for the tongue.

Mahi Ye Aflatuni was a flat fish kebab. It was sweet and sour due to its preparation. Marination with Orange juice added a subtle sourness while pomegranate added a tangy sweetness.  Yet another Kebab with flavors packed to the core.

Koobedah Skewers(middle) was a skewer kebab made of minced lamb meat and marinated with pepper, garlic, saffron, onion and parsley. Its dry and spicy texture had the feel of a hot desert like the Dasht-e-Kavir in it. While the earlier two were comfort food, this one was a rugged adventure food.

And the mains were equally impressive.

Dal Adasi(Bottom) is usually a red lentil dish eaten in Iran. Its flavor and texture are very similar to the Indian Dal Makhani. Namak's version was a rich satisfying experience with a buttery savory flavor. It is usually served cold with lesser salt than its Indian counter parts although the salt here was adjusted for the Indian palates.

Khoresh Bademjan(The one with Eggplant) was a delectable Persian stew with fried eggplants, tomato and split chick pea. It had a subtly sour and savory taste. The aromatic spices gave it a wonderful earthy aroma. The chicken had completely soaked in the flavor and was well married to the gravy. Chef Mona's expertise was clearly felt in her food.

Khoresh Zereshk Morgh was the best among the mains. This was a simple Chicken stew with Barberry, tomato, onion, saffron and turmeric. The meat was succulent and juicy, and the gravy was very rich. This was comparable to the Indian favorite Butter chicken. Its heavenly aroma with a lip smacking flavor made it THE perfect dish. A dish that could be served to the Royals and the Heads of the state.

All the mains went well with the Persian flat bread Naan E Kirmani. This was mostly different from the mainstream Indian Naans but mild Indian touches could be felt on it.


Baghali Polo ba Morgh was a rice dish with broad beans and Tender boneless chicken. Indian Basmati rice was used in the preparation so it did feel a bit Indian but it was unlike any Pulao that I have had in India. It was mildly savory, very earthy in flavor and quite satisfying. Pulao is an old world dish found in Central Asia, Middle East and even Eastern Europe. Its known by different names and is called Polo in Iran. It was a fascinating experience to have Pulao from a country other than India.

Ghotab on the Right resembles and tastes very much like the North Indian Ghujiya. This deep fried pastry was stuffed with white flour halva(dense confection), almonds, rose water and pistachio. It was very Persian in construction and flavor but it kept reminding me of the Ghujiya which probably itself has been inspired from Ghotab.

The Halva E sheer was a pudding made out of finely ground nuts. It was slightly disappointing as compared to the rest of the fare. I definitely enjoyed the Ghotab more.

The service at Namak was classy and professional. It was a fun experience being served by staff in Persian costumes.

The pricing is quite high though the meal feels greatly satisfying. Given the limited time experience with an Iranian Master chef, imported Persian ingredients and the fine ambiance of Namak - I do feel the prices were justified. Its not every day that one could have near authentic Persian food within Mumbai.

In completeness, it was a fun Food Experience curated by Chef Rehman with the assistance of Chef Mona. The event would last till the 12th of March, 2017 at Namak inside The Sahara Star Hotel. Truly one of the highlights of the contemporary Mumbai food scene.

The Captain's Score : 8/10


Map Co-Ordinates
Namak,
Hotel Sahara Star,
Opposite Domestic Airport,
Vile Parle, Mumbai.


-I was invited by the restaurant to sample the festival menu. My review however remains neutral.-


 

Nawab Saheb at the Renaissance Hotel - Powai, Mumbai

I remember these parts of the sea. This is where we first met the Kraken many moons ago. Maybe our battle with the Kraken a few days back was a hint towards our return to these waters. It all began with a call on me radio. It talked about Persian food and what not. Eager to try Iranian food, I charted my course to a remote island away from civilization. 

A magnificent palace stood on this desolate island in the midst of trees. We docked near the beach and embarked on a mission towards the palace. The Royal court and Persian food awaited us.

Nawab Saheb at Powai is well known for its Mughlai food. But surely Iranian food is a different sphere? Right? Not quite.

The evolution of the Northern Indian Mughlai cuisine is an interesting tale. Iranian food along with Turkic food has been a part of the colorful Mughlai culinary tapestry. In short, Persia is the place where much of Mughlai food predecessors were actually born. Nawab Saheb at the Renaissance brings a festival of Iranian food which lasts till the end of February, 2016. It is an event that takes one along the silk road to Iran itself.

I was invited to the restaurant as part of a FBAI Blogger's delegation to sample this exotic grub.

Nawab Saheb has an ambiance that mimics the royal Mughal courts or Darbars. The environment is rich. The exquisite Kaleens(Carpet) on the floor, the vermilion hues, Mughal themed chairs and the intricate wooden frames - All of it turns time momentarily back to a forgotten Golden age. One almost feels like they are royalty of some kind. 

And what good is a court without classical musicians, right?

The event is curated by Chef Haleem and Chef Mona Poordaryaeizadeh(Who has specially flown in from Iran). This is my first time with mainstream Iranian food so I will have to trust Chef Mona for the authenticity of the food.

The food is served in special set menus. A patron may choose the set they prefer the most. A Vegetarian set, a Meat set, a Seafood set and a mixed bag set are offered by the restaurant. The prices range from INR 2000 to INR 3500.

Though not part of the Persian sets, this Zafrani chicken salad caught my fancy. The tandoor roasted chicken chunks and the greens provided a perfect appetizer before the main courses. And it was quite visibly pleasing as well.

Joojeh Kebab is a popular Iranian dish. Made with Fresh and tender saffronized young chicken, this dish excelled on all fronts. The appearance was appetizing, the aroma divine and the flavor was amazing. These juicy chunks literally send the taste buds on a high.

Captain : These Royal Kebabs are truly meant for a Captain.  

Crewmate : Crew too right?

Captain : (Ignores) Nom Nom Nom

Crewmate : Right? Cappy?

Kabab e Barg - These juicy Lamb fillets were made out of lamb shanks. A rather simple construction, it was the Kabab's sumac and saffron seasoning that ultimately created its unique flavor. Though these taste very close to Indian Lamb kababs, the subtle differences were perceivable. Sumac for instance is rarely used in Indian cooking.

Kabab Hosseni had a tantalizing aroma with high piquancy. These juicy lamb nuggets were seasoned with a mixture made out of Tomatoes, saffron and a green pepper paste. These were quite addicting and second only to the Joojeh Kababs.

The Koobideh Morgh Kababs differed a lot on visuals from what I saw on Google. These skewered Kababs were made out of minced chicken cooked with an onion-garlic paste. The aroma was not as captivating as the other kababs and I felt that these tasted a bit dry. It was difficult to eat these without the green mint chutney.

Maho Sorkh Kardeh was Pan fried Basa rubbed with fenugreek seeds, pepper and dry lime. The admirable thing about these kababs was the fact that the flavor had sunk in properly into the Basa. The disappointing thing was the usage of Basa in the first place. Any other fish fillet would have tasted better than Basa.

Abadan Falafel is a Persian version of Middles east's favorite Chick pea patties. While the appearance was very refined, the flavor was a bit rough. To me, a good falafel is one that tastes remarkably different from an Indian Moong dal vadi, despite using the same chickpea base. This variant could not make that distinction.

The main course felt a little disappointing as opposed to the Kababs. This could be due to many reasons. Maybe my palate could not perceive the subtleties of the Persian mains or perhaps it was the common issue that happens with most Kebab serving restaurants - People dislike anything outside the Kababosphere.

Khoresht E Khalal Badam - I actually had to Google this before writing about it. Every single image that Google threw up made it appear rather visually pleasing. The variant here in comparison appeared like a damp squib. The billed Almond(Badam) slivers were too few and had become too soggy to stand out. The dish was also missing its trademark tangy flavor and tasted too close to an Indian lamb curry.

Khoresht Fesenjan appeared a little lighter than I expected. This is usually a dark(almost brown) colored stew. The flavor however worked well for me. It was made out of chicken, pomegranate sauce and walnuts.The flavor was a fusion of savory and sweet. The spices also created a unique aftertaste in the mouth. This was a flavor, I had never tried before. The dish thus gave a thrill of discovery.
I would like to try this dish with duck(The traditional recipe uses duck) instead of Chicken someday.

Captain : This stew has some nice sensations on me tongue.

Crewmate : We discovered something new. A Stew.

Captain : That be true lad, lets plant our flag on it now and give it a name.

Khoresht Aloo Mosama is a chicken stew made with carrots and prunes. The flavor was acceptable but was a little too sweet for my liking. Pardon me for the horrible image, the dish blended in with the scarlet lighting.

The desserts were fun but sadly these were all Indian. I did expect Persian desserts and had to ask twice to confirm whether these were indeed the correct desserts. I was looking forward to things such as Masghati.

The service was excellent, as was expected of a restaurant inside the Renaissance's premises. The serving crew was professional, routinely changed cutlery and ensured that empty water glasses were filled as soon as possible. At no point of time did I ever require to instruct them anything.


The pricing for the Persian food ranges from INR 2000 to 3500 depending on the set chosen. It feels high but how often does one find Iranian food in India. Coupled with the rich ambiance of Nawab Saheb and the professional service - the pricing feels worthy.

The food had its ups and downs but the experience certainly was unique. Even as a slightly above mediocre food traveler, I rarely come across events such as this. In normal circumstances, for a genuine Irani experience - I would either have to go Iran or at least Dubai. But an event like this brings it all to my own city and reduces air fare to cab fare.

The Persian Festival ends on February 27 ,2016. If you are in Mumbai, visit The Renaissance and be Royalty for a dinner at Nawab Saheb.


The Captain's Score : 7/10

"Shame, we have to leave this island. There is so much left to explore. Mark it on the map lads. We will be back, soon."

Map Co-Ordinates
Nawab Saheb
Renaissance Hotel, 2-3B,
Near Chinmayanand Ashram,
Powai, Mumbai

 -I was part of a Food Bloggers Association of India Meet up organized by the Restaurant's PR. My review however is objective.-