We recently headed onto Mumbai for an event and ended up staying at ITC Maurya as ITC Hotels is one of our trusted hotel partners. We tried out all the restaurants at the hotel and are telling you about our favourites so that you can try them out if you’re staying in Mumbai or the next time you’re planning to head to the city.
Dum Pukht
Although Awadhi cuisine may be dominant in North India, Dum Pukht brings those amazing flavours to Mumbai with effortless grace. I have dined in the Delhi outlet and have always enjoyed their flavours and their hospitality. Most of the times I have enjoyed a gigantic spread at this restaurant, I chose the singles menu which is quite a revelation for single diners in the City of Dreams.
The menu features a selection allowing you to choose between Kebabs and Curries along with some of the fragrant breads from the ovens and a Biryani. I selected two of my favourite Kebabs, the Seekh and the Kakori, the latter of which is a speciality of the restaurant made with mince meat so soft that it can literally breaking while serving and a whole lot of nutmeg along with other spices. Usually each plate of Kebab has two pieces but the singles menu makes sure that you can enjoy a single piece of each.
For the mains, I select the decadent Nihari to be served along with some Taftaan and Khamiri Roti from the menu along with the quintessential Dal, simmered on hours on end to create a smooth, smoky flavour. I finish off with some decadent Shahi Tukda which quite simply dissolves on my palate. The singles menu is the perfect way for the fast professional of today to sample out the intracacies of an Awadhi meal.
Zesty Mornings at Peshwa Pavilion, ITC Maratha
One of the things I liked the most at ITC Maratha was the Zesty Mornings breakfast which has been introduced to spruce up your mornings. This amazing new breakfast menu is available at Peshwa Pavilion and serves organic ingredients all along the way. The first dish that I try out is the Black Rice Crepe Eggs Benedict served with some Smoked Salmon and Caper Hollandaise.
There’s also a Goat Cheese Scramble some with a Rosemary Polenta Cake and Tomato Confit. Although I might not be a fan of healthy eating, but the puffed Amaranth Oats and Pumpkin Seed Granola served with a Nutmeg Cashew cream and some Rosewood Honey has me jumping at the exorbitant amount of flavours on my palate.
Pan Asian at ITC Maratha
One of my favourite Asian restaurants, Pan Asian houses at Sheraton Saket in New Delhi and was one of the earlier restaurants that we featured on our blog. Here at Mumbai, I dig into the Sushi and Sashimi platter along with some dimsums, the Crystal Shrimp being one of my favourites.
I also love digging into some of the Beijing Roasted Duck and some Grilled Tenderloin in Tenderloin sauce. To finish up, I dig into a Red Bean Pancake that I enjoyed in Singapore quite a few number of times.
Dakshin Coastal for my fix of Non-Vegetarian
Dakshin is one of my favourite South Indian restaurants serving out the best of non-vegetarian food from the four states down south. I decide to dig into the Sampoornam, a three course set menu that starts off with a Telangana Kodi Roast which is Chicken pieces roasted with onion and green chili along with the Meen Varuval, a fried fish marinated in a spicy mixture. For the mains, I eat some Prawns cooked in a gravy of mustard and tangy (Chameen Manga Charu) and some Crabmeat in Coconut and Tomatoes (Nandu Puttu) served along with fluffy Appams. For dessert, my all-time favourite is the Elaneer Payasam, a coconut-based Kheer.
Indian and Mughlai food at Peshawari
Living in Delhi for so long, we need a fix of our North Indian and Mughlai flavours quite often. The Peshawari is the perfect place to try out the Peshawari Kebab, morsel cubes of Lamb with chilli powder and cumin powder before digging into the Barrah Kebab which uses the Chops along with the Sikandari Raan, my favourite which cooks the leg of a lamb with vinegar, chili, cumin and cinnamon finished in the Tandoor.
Cocktails at Bombay High, ITC Maratha
Bombay High serves out some of the best cocktails that I have tried out in a long time. The menu features cocktails with an Indian twist named according to various states along with the Mauryan Sour that I tried out. There’s also live music every day to keep you entertained.
So, do head to ITC Maratha to try out their stellar culinary offerings.
