Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar, in the JW Marriott Marquis hotel, is offering a three-course set menu with regional flavours from across the country during Dubai Restaurant Week.
We start with an amuse-bouche — chilled quinoa with orange pulp and bits of coriander. The pre-starter of a fried potato patty with yogurt, tamarind sauce, pomegranate and fried potatoes to garnish is delicious. It’s spicy, sweet, crunchy and crispy all in one bite.
The set menu features three courses — a selection of kebabs to start, curries for mains paired with steamed rice and naan, and dessert to finish. The kebab platter includes limbu rubiyan — a tender, succulent, giant gulf shrimp marinated with curry leaves and coriander and grilled in the tandoor; murgh zafrani tikka, a tandoor-roasted chicken breast marinated in almond, saffron, white pepper and green cardamom; and tawa kee champen — a pan-grilled lamb chop marinated with Thalassery pepper and fennel. The lamb was the highlight of our meal. Set atop a bite-sized portion of spicy chickpeas, this melt-in-your-mouth lamb is juicy and tender.
For the mains, we get shrimp curry with coconut, curry leaf, ginger and fennel and Kerala-style chicken masala with shallots, coconut and curry leaves. These are paired with slow-stewed lamb infused with cinnamon, cardamom and clove (rogan josh). The perfectly-cooked shrimp curry is creamy and bursting with flavours. The chicken dish packs quite a punch. A semi dry-gravy dish that comes wrapped in a banana leaf, it is deliciously spicy. It pairs well with both the naan and the rice.
The dessert platter features a light, creamy and not-too-sweet pistachio ice cream, poached pears and a decadent chocolate delice — a chocolate mousse cake with berries and crushed kalakand (an Indian sweet made from milk and cottage cheese).
Rang Mahal is one of 15 restaurants serving special menus for just Dh199 per person during Dubai Restaurant Week. There are two seatings nightly — 7.30pm and 9.30pm — through March 4. To book, visit www.roundmenu.com/dubai/restaurant-week
