Unnati Joshi tries the desi flavours with a twist at Punjab Grill Tappa, which serves some lip-smacking dishes
A steady flow of Punjabi hits blurt out from the speakers, as we settle in a table by the large windows overlooking the courtyard. The menu is elaborate and contains Punjabi cuisine with a twist or bounce (tappa as they call it). A simple starter or a drink will captivate you by its means of presentation, texture, colour, essence and taste. “At Punjab Grill Tappa, we are striving to offer North Indian cuisine with an innovative, contemporary flair and a healthy twist,” says chef Gurpreet Singh.
Whenever you are in Punjab, you can’t leave without drinking the traditional lassi. They welcome us with the Rose lassi sorbet white bubbly followed by Watermelon slider, a tangy and healthy sprout salad, sandwiched between slices of watermelon. The dish is a treat to both the eyes and palate.
We then try Tandoori Norwegian salmon. Marinated with special spices, lightly flavoured, cooked in the tandoor, the dish is soft and has typical Punjabi whiff. We absolutely love it.
For the mains we sample, Haleem khao suey, the traditional haleem (mutton) preparation, presented with assorted eight condiments like rice puffs, pygmy naan, vinegar onion, pickled garlic. It is assembled with each one of them. “Haleem khao suey is the highlight of our main course menu,” Gurpreet tells us.
Champ taajdar tandoor smoked lamb chops are next and with it comes Birmingham chachi. Champ Taajdar is lamb ribs, marinated with robust spices. It is cooked to perfection. We love our lamb. The meat is tender and soaked in the flavours of the robust spices. While the saffron infused martini bianca with cinnamon and coriander is a must try here. You will love it. We then find ourselves mired in the Chicken biryani, with an aroma of nutmeg and saffron, the rice is long grained and the meat is cooked just right. It is not excessively oily either.
For the dessert, Jalebi churros, are so tempting just to look at. Digging into the creamy sauce with the fried dough pastry in long sticks won’t leave you disappointed.
Synonymous to bounce, Tappa, brings back the flavours of Punjab to your plate, manifesting global standards and quality. Tappa, is good news. And we think this summer is going to be a good one.