Our stay at the Gaj Retreat was nothing short of an enchanting experience. While the comfortable stay, serene environment and exciting recreational activities enthralled us, the gastronomy too pampered our taste buds to the fullest. Their all day dining restaurant churns out some choicest delicacies from varied cuisines. We interacted with the General Manager Mr. Ajay Pardhi who stresses the importance of quality and taste of the food in any successful hospitality establishment. Since the day he has been associated with the resort he has constantly thrived to focus on the food offerings
The restaurant which is located on the upper level of the resort is very spacious with a lot of fresh air and sunlight coming through the large window panes. The hut shaped ceiling is enormous and made with wooden and bamboo stacks while the plush sofa sitting provides the comfort. The balcony of the restaurant gives a breathtaking view of the entire property and the greenery around. An exquisite bar in the balcony serves some fine cocktails and stacks an array of wines and liquors. After a long road trip we arrived at the resort in late lunch hours and were looking for a hearty lunch to satisfy our hunger pangs. Chef Nishant Pathania who heads the kitchen brigade specializes in Pan Indian cuisine and suggested we try the north fare. We started off with an extremely refreshing mocktail, The GAJ GREEN, made of fresh kiwis, lime juice, sugar syrup and aerated water. The food started off with soft and succulent DAHI KEBABS and PANEER TIKKA. In the mains we served PANEER LABABDAR and DAL MAKHANI with some steaming TAWA PHULKAS. The DAL MAKHANI was the best I remember having in a very long time. It was rich and flavourful. We ended our meal with hot GULAB JAMUNS and after the wholesome lunch we headed to our rooms for some rest only to return in the dinner time to enjoy some more delicacies.
In the evenings the view of the property turns absolutely blissful. The small lanterns along the tracks are lit up as the sun goes down and spells a magical feeling. We requested that our table be set up on the poolside which was willingly accepted. Starting off with signature whiskey based cocktail prepared by the Senior F and B executive Mr. Ranjit himself The GAJ KICK, handsome amounts of alcohol as Punjabis like, with a dash of lime juice, sugar syrup, a measure of orange juice, garnished with a fresh cherry. From the starter section, THE LAHSOONI MAHI TIKKA is highly recommended. Quite frankly I have never enjoyed basa fish that much because of its texture. Here it was cooked with a bunch of spices yet retained the texture and taste of the fish. THE TANDOORI ALOO, perfectly cut roundels was mildly spiced and oven roasted, stuffed with nuts, cottage cheese and garnished with fresh pomegranate. The desi style cooked CHILLI CHICKEN too went well with the cocktails. As chef Nishant hails from the Himalayas, we chose to try some of the pahadhi dishes. The CHICKEN DHAULADHARI and DAHI METHI are highly recommended dishes at the Gaj Retreat and certainly not to be missed while staying here. We also tried the pahari style cooked PARDA BIRYANI, which had robust taste of the masalas. The dinner came to an end with slow cooked saffron flavoured KHEER which was perfectly sweet and loaded with dry fruits.
The pleasant stay at the resort totally enthralled us for the pure Punjabi experience we had. Not only the accommodation is delightful but the food served here also speaks volumes. Certainly a place not to be missed for its sublime hospitality.
