Mughlai Food Festival at Buzz, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway, Chennai

What: Mughlai Food Festival at Buzz

Where: The Gateway Hotel, Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway, OMR, Elcot SEZ, Shollinganallur, Chennai

When: Till 24^th July, 2016 (only dinner buffet, 7 - 11.30 PM)

Offers, discounts and extravagant sales is what makes the month of July-August (Aadi) exciting. The crowd and madness over shopping during festivals is something I don't find interest at; but when you add the word "food" before festival you can be sure I am completely mesmerized.

The flavours journeying through the regions of Mughlai emperor stays unique in their cooking style and usage of spices. The subtlety in the spice level and infusion of rich aromas showcase the extravagant food style of the Royal Mughlai. As Chef Santosh Kumar brings together the taste, colour and aroma of the authentic Royal Mughlai cuisine, you can sense his 20 years of experience in the cuisine. The chef as flown down to Chennai from 'The Gateway Hotel Fatehabad Road Agra' for the festival.

Sipping through a drink amplifies your energy before food; the Angur (grapes) Mocktail with touch of basil is the right drink to pacify my tiredness. As I was munching through Bhindi Fry, the aroma from the kebabs and starters were enlightening the environment. The mild flavours from succulent chicken with crispy charred edges makes Murgh Khaas drool-worthy.

A completely different dish packed with intense flavour were the Ajwani Jhinga, a well cooked prawns that is delicious with the garlic sauce. The glittering plate of Lucknowi Tawa Machli is a delight, the crispy outer layer wraps the moist chunk of fish that hits your palate with dense zest of spices. Sikandari Raan is impeccable, I was confused whether that was mutton or cheese as it melted unbelievably fast.

Prawn

Paneer, Fish and Galawat (Top - Bottom)

Sikandari Raan

What's Mughlai without kebab or galawat. The minced mutton patty with the soft paratha melts in your mouth; though Mutton Ki Galawat is rich, the essence of the juiciest mutton kebab made me crave for more and more. With non-vegetarian dominance right from the start, there were two vegetarian dishes that were delicious to each bits. The Subz Shami Kebab blends the lentils and spices to taste yum but when there is mutton galawat this definitely takes a back seat.

Mutton Ki Galawat

Shami Kebab

It's hard to achieve the correct consistency of paneer and they have nailed it; the  olives sandwiched between two softest paneer slices gives a surreal experience that you shall love while eating Jaituni Paneer Tikka. The five chutneys: mint, garlic, dates, tomato chilli and peanut compliments the starters perfectly.

The buffet presents delicacies that is true to Mughlai cuisine with infusion of flavours that is quite new to my palate. Among the variety of gravies, the rich and delicious Kaju Gobhi is a personal standout dish for me. The cashews richness and sweetness along with the toasty flavour of cauliflower is absolute brilliance. A few other gravies that tasted good as well as quite different from the regular North Indian curries were Shahi Paneer Korma, Laggan Ka Murgh and Aloo Gosht. The slow cooked aloo and mutton infused with some spicy flavours is totally different from the creamy and rich chicken and paneer gravies.  

Gobi, Paneer, Aloo Gosht and Chicken Gravy (Clockwise from Top)

As mentioned the buffet is quite vast, though I love to try it was beyond my tummies limit. A few more dishes on the counter were Tamatar Tulsi Shorba, Murgh Shorba, Arbi Ka Salan and Dal Jhankar.

And how could I miss the Awadhi style biryani. The kofta melts away at ease as you gobble the Kofta Biryani and is an equally good vegetarian biryani that should make the vegetarians feel elated for missing the Murgh Dum Biryani. With zero irritants (I mean the lumps of masala or veggies), the slow cooked rice packed with flavours from chicken and sweetness from fried onions dances in your mouth letting you crave for more. The chicken pieces were juicy and soft.

Chicken Biryani

Any good meal ends on a sweet note, a light and refreshing glass of Falooda was served to cleanse the palate before indulging into desserts. The Besan Ka Ladoo and Phirni were usual and I wasn't much fond of both the desserts whereas Shahi Tukda is the winner. The crispy bread soaked in rabdi is a deadly combination.

The Mughlai experience leaves behind a happy tummy and smile around the cheek. They showcase the perfect blend of variety, authenticity, taste and consistency in their food. The richness definitely overpowers your palate and for a person who shall prefer spicier food this shall either be a hit or miss. It is a rotational buffet menu that changes on a daily basis until the festival ends.

Breaking Down Points

Location & Parking: At the IT expressway of Chennai with valet parking.

Ambience: Positive. Neat and vibrant; the buffet arrangement is made so well to avoid commotion at dining.

Food Variety: Positive. The variety was intruding and unique.

Taste: Positive. A neat job in nailing the flavours; impeccable.

Quality & Quantity: Positive. An unlimited buffet so your tummy is your limit. The choice of ingredients and cooking method vouches for the food quality.

Service: Positive. Flawless, no complaints here.

Price: NA. The buffet dinner costs Rs.1200 INR (plus taxes) per person.  

So my Verdict!

Buzz at The Gateway Hotel is taking their diners on a journey to the Royal Mughlai emperors of India through their food. You can experience and indulge into the Mughlai delicacies via the "Mughlai Food Festival" that is till 24 July 2016.

For Reservations call +91 44 66802500

The Maker - Chef Santosh Kumar

P.S. On-the-house bloggers meet for tasting session at Buzz, The Gateway Hotel for their Mughlai festival. Remember, no two person's palate can be same.