On the corner of Bandra’s bustling Hill Road, Barbeque Nation remains one of the few truly family establishments in an area overrun with bars and pubs. With the Independence Day just around the corner, the restaurant is hosting a two-week festival and their buffet promises dishes from around India. It is this that we are here to sink our teeth into.
Kids with their parents and grandparents sit at the larger tables, while we are led to one of the quieter corners of the restaurant with its brightly lit interiors. We settle into the cosy booth and wait for the appetizers to arrive between sips of refreshing lemon iced tea. “We’ve been eating since seven in the evening. It’s been three hours now but there are so many things to try,” says the woman at the next table, and we eagerly await our own culinary challenge.
A slab in the middle of the table is whisked away and replaced with a barbecue grill. Skewers of meat, fish, vegetables and even fruits are set along the grill and we waste no time to dig in. While the Fish Amritsari and Kasundi prawns skewers are as delicious, soft and succulent as expected, a surprise is the tandoori fruits chat. The skewer consists of apples, guavas and pears — not quite what you would imagine to be a part of a barbecue. But each fruit is the perfect balance of tangy, sweet and salty, with the smoky flavour of the barbecue complementing the dish perfectly. An assortment of dips and oils that we brush or dab on the skewers. Among them, the mango mint chutney stands out with its balance of sweet and spicy.
A bit of a shocker in the middle of it all comes when we find a bit of hair in our potato wedges. Quickly pushing it aside, we sip on more iced tea to clear the palate.
While we are busy with the skewers, we’re served Hyderabadi Mutton Sheek Kebab and Pahadi Chicken. While the mutton kebab doesn’t exactly melt in the mouth, it’s still packed with flavour. The chicken is perfectly cooked and with the spices seeping through right to the centre.
Almost full from too many appetisers, we decide to take a breather with a few sips of refreshing Italian Smooch. Its berry-and-mint taste does really pack a punch, much like the name suggests. The mix of ginger ale, and lime with a hint of mint hits the spot after all the spice.
Relaxed and more open to trying out the extensive buffet, we venture forth. There is a live chat counter, a live biryani counter, main course options from across the country and dessert. Though we’re not able to try out nearly all the dishes, we give it our best attempt. In the plethora of dishes, though, it’s the Gosht Yakhni Shorba that stands out with its creamy texture and mildly spicy taste. The biriyani and Ambada Gosht though are nothing to write home about.
By this time, we’re stuffed to the brim, but there’s always room for dessert. The mini-gulab jamuns melt in the mouth and the mango kulfi with its drizzle of mango syrup and sprinkle of kesar pista, is the perfect sweet note to end on.
Though it lags a bit in the middle, a meal at the restaurant is definitely worth it, if only for the appetisers and desserts.
Address: Ground Floor, 355, Hotel Metro Palace, Opposite Marks and Spencer, Hill Road, Bandra (W) Price for a buffet: Rs 1600 Rating: 3
