Veteran Indian Restaurant Punjabi Celebrates Turning 10 With Revamped Menu
Veteran Indian Lucky Street restaurant Punjabi turns a majestic 10 years old this month and to celebrate, have revamped their entire menu, striving to etch out a niche market among the other Indian restaurants in Beijing. We were recently invited to have a first taste of some of the new items and were pleased to see the team updating the formula that has obviously worked well for them thus far.
For starters we had their masala pappadums, filled with a lobster, rice, and mango stuffing, paired with lychee flavored wine for a perfect palate cleanser and a refreshing opener to the meal.
Next we had romanesco asparagus leek soup, and spinach and methi pakoda, small deep-fried fritters made from methi leaves and gram flour. The mint mojito shooter that was paired with the course was a refreshing (and strong) accompaniment, helping to counterbalance the heaviness of the methi pakoda.
The tamarind bhindi (okra) contained okra cooked three ways, our favorite being the deep-fried version, which were satisfyingly sweet and a relatively light side dish to the main of spicy gosht (lamb) chops. The chops were juicy, soft, particularly well-seasoned, and served with two different sauces for dipping, and a squeeze of lemon to lighten the meat.
The chatpati barbecue fish curry proved one of the stronger dishes, packing a fragrant range of spices coupled with chunks of fried fish, helping to maintain the moisture of the succulent meat. The curry was served alongside kabuli pulao, a traditional Aghan slow-cooked rice, as well as chukunder (beetroot) dosanini; small spring rolls stuffed with sweet beetroot.
To round the whole meal off, we had shahi tukda, an Indian bread pudding soaked in a sickly-sweet cream, adorned with crisp jalebi, a deep-fried sweet pastry, making for one hell of a plate-lickingly good treat that might not be to the liking of those not fond of sugar highs.
Indian food is all about the magical combination of spices, and we would say Punjabi nails the flavors. They've got it all: sweet, spicy, and sour, with a focus on fusion dishes. The new menu is still in the process of being finalized and will include the option of a four, six, or eight-dish course, with the price ranging from a basic taster menu from RMB 128, to RMB 288 for premium set without drinks.
New sets (all with veg/vegan options) will also include a basic tasting popular set, a traditional Indian set, a Middle Eastern set, an Afghan set, a Chinese favorite set, and a healthy, low carb high protein yoga set. Expect the dishes to take on "a more modern but not pretentious presentation, thanks to help from Jomi's Antoine Bunel and Jamie Pea [F&B Director of Joyseed Breakfasts and vlogger]," said owner Gireesh S. Chaudhury.
As for the drinks, a proper wine list with tasting notes is now be available, and there are three draft beer options: Asahi, Asahi Super Dry, and Jing-A's Mandarin Wheat, as well as Kingfisher bottles.
“It's quite challenging because no Indian restaurant has done anything quite like this before in China,” Chaudhury boldy states during our visit. Having recently received a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for its sixth year in a row, we’re excited to see the 10-year veteran continuing to grow and push into new territory, just make you visit with an empty stomach so that you can take it all in.
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Punjabi, Tracy Wang
