Colonel Saab restaurants in London are hosting a kebab festival that celebrates regional Indian dishes. The event gives diners a chance to try 12 distinct kebabs that are rarely available elsewhere in the city. Patrons can visit either the Trafalgar Square location or the Holborn branch, both of which offer a setting that reflects the family history of the establishment.
A Look Inside the Restaurant
The venue is an homage to Colonel Manbeer Choudhary and his wife, Mrs. Binny Choudhary, the parents of the owner Roop Partap Choudhary. Guests are encouraged to look up at the chandeliers and admire the collection of art and artefacts on the walls. These items were gathered over many years by the Choudhary family, adding a layer of history to the dining experience.
We took a corner table and spent a moment or two browsing the menu. The selection focuses on specific regional styles rather than generic dishes. It is worth noting that kebabs in India have been a staple since the 1200s, and this festival highlights their evolution through the centuries.
The Menu Highlights
Head chef Rajeev Runa has curated the festival menu to include several standout items. The Awadhi Galouti lamb kebab is a soft, melt-in-your-mouth option. For those seeking red meat, the Shikandari Raan goat is a strong contender. The Peshawar Chapli kebab offers a different texture and spice profile altogether.
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Seafood lovers might prefer the Malai Lobster, which is served with creamy coconut milk. Vegetarians are not left out, as the menu features a mushroom Galouti kebab. The dessert options are limited to two choices: almond rice pudding and bread and butter pudding.
I have a particular fondness for chicken, so my choice was the rarely seen Mughlai Shabnami Chicken. These are tender pieces of chicken that are delicately stuffed with boiled egg. It was served with mint sauce, two wheels of corn on the cob, and a piece of lemon. The chicken pieces are uniquely coated in a smooth white glaze.
We also tried the Banno Kebab, which hails from the Indo-Pakistani subcontinent. This dish involves tender boneless chicken pieces coated in a distinctive egg wash before cooking. The chicken is marinated in yoghurt and lightly spiced before being roasted. Both were scrumptious, and of course we shared them.
We paired these dishes with biryani rice, which goes without saying when visiting an Indian restaurant. To make the ensemble even more interesting, we enjoyed the deep tawny brown dal makhani. This is a dish that generally takes around two hours to cook, but we were told it took a day and a half to prepare because they boil it on one day, then season, add the butter, and slow cook the next day.
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The dal is certainly India’s more popular lentil and kidney bean dish, and here it was superbly tasty and reassuringly comforting. Of course we had a naan bread, but I also took the opportunity to try the char koni naan bread, a speciality of Hyderabadi. This looked more like a cake than a naan and was surprisingly tasty. It’s baked in the oven with refined flour, seasoned with herbs including Kasuri methi, the dried leaves of the fenugreek plant, and offered a motley mix of flavours.
For dessert, the bread pudding was visually enticing, made from bread served in reduced milk and topped with silver leaf for a bit of glamour. The saffron, pistachio, and especially the cardamom flavours were distinct. For those who may find this combo overwhelming, the alternative is the almond rice pudding dessert, which offers a far less in-your-face culinary experience.
Service and Conclusion
There is a veritable cocktail and drinks menu available, but I stuck to a Punchu tropical fruit mocktail since I was driving. The verdict is that the kebab festival is a whole new culinary journey for those of us who love Indian cuisine. The event is likely to end in late September, so interested parties should visit soon to experience the unique flavours of Colonel Saab.