Best Mughlai experience in recent times !
Rating – 4.5/5

My latest outing with Kareems was a delightful experience and this is the best North Indian lunch I have had in a long time. They are so good that I would rate them right up there with my recent exploits at Kabab Hut (Sun n Sand) and Momo Cafe (Courtyard Marriott) !

I was in a mood to have a pure North Indian food experience for a while and when I came to know that Kareems have opened a branch in the much deprived area of Kharadi (in terms of quality dining experience) this place was on my radar for a few weeks and Today I had the chance to be here.

Here’s my take on the different aspects I observed during my dining experience at Kareems Kharadi on Sunday, 20th December 2015.

The Ambience – I rate them a very good 4/5 on this parameter.

The place is not huge but is not very small either, since the restaurant is fairly new (only 2 months old) the interiors which are anyway interestingly done look bright and neat. The ground floor has 4-5 Tables with a view of their Open kitchen separated by a glass partition and thankfully there’s no smoke making it’s way in the dining section which can be a serious put-off for some.

They do have a mezzanine floor based seating layout which houses around 6 more tables. Both the ground and the mezzanine floor had a comfortable seating as I completed different courses of my meal split across both the sections. With a light music playing in the background and no real disturbances around, you can blissfully just dig into your biryani or kebabs without any tension in the world 🙂

The Food – I rate them an excellent 4.5/5 on this parameter.

Well I was pleasantly surprised by the dishes served during my lunch marathon and I was absolutely amazed to see that not a single dish served was of inferior quality. Everything I tasted today was above average to say the least.

Soups – I rate them an excellent 4.5/5 on this parameter.

Murgh Yakhni Shorba – Textured as white in color, the appearance made me a little skeptical at first but the taste just won me over, the little chicken chunks fairly complimented the dish, I added a bit more salt according to my preference though.

Paya Soup – This was interestingly yellowish in color with a fair bit of sprinkling of black pepper that actually enhanced the flavor of the dish.

Starters – I rate them again an excellent 4.5/5 on this parameter.

Murgh Charga (half) – This is as interesting as it can get, imagine a tender chargrilled chicken then fried with an egg based batter. The result is something that you may not have tasted before, very nice indeed. As per the serving size it’s a good option to order for two persons.

Pomfret Fry – This was cooked with a fairly spicy and tasty batter. It had all the positives going for it like the fish was fresh and tender and we liked it. As per the serving size it’s a good option to order for two persons.

Tandoori Tarkari – This was surprisingly the best starter of the lunch in my opinion. It came with a more than sufficient serving of Paneer tikka, Tandoori Mushrooms, Tandoori Aloo and Tandoori Babycorn. Though everything was tasty the best constituents of the starter were the mushrooms and potatoes. As per the serving size it’s a good option to order for three persons.

Gosht Dum Boti Kebab – Among all the starters I would place this at the bottom of the ladder, unfortunately for us the marinade had gone a little sour (just a bit) and that was a dampener of sorts and the mutton could have been a bit more tender.

After that humongous starters section we were almost on the verge of being full and I didn’t see ourselves going through the main course, here’s anyway what happened in mains:

The Mains – I rate the mains an outstanding 5/5.

Murgh Mussallam (half) – This was one outstanding preparation and came in a huge portion that could be sufficient for four persons with a moderate appetite. Despite not being categorized as spicy, the preparation was so tasty that I could just eat the chicken pieces dipped in gravy without a roti or portion of rice. This comes with a thick gravy preparation and goes exceedingly well with Butter roti or naan.

Dum ka jeera gosht (half) – This again was a different from usual gravy preparation with cumin as it’s chief ingredient apart from the Mutton. The dish had a great potential to be overpowered by only cumin’s flavor but it didn’t thankfully and we enjoyed this very much. The serving size is good for two persons with moderate appetite.

How could a Biryani Master’s review be complete without reviewing his most favorite dish?

Mutton Dum Biryani – I rate the biryani as a good 3.5/5, the mutton was extremely tender and juicy and the biryani was a fair mix of white and masaala rice and it wasn’t dry at all. The spice level was something I was expecting a bit more and it wasn’t as spicy as it should have been to be considered as a Hyderabadi biryani variant. Nevertheless I wasn’t disappointed with the preparation at all.

Desserts – I rate the desserts as a decent 3/5

We had the Shahi Tukda and Caramel custard and both were pretty decent but nothing outstanding. However at just 60 rs each they were an absolute value for money and I don’t think one can ask anything more on that price point. The Shahi tukda was a colder version with the bread not being on the crispy side as happens to be the case in the hot version of this preparartion.

Perhaps this is one area where they can look to add more authentic and tasteworthy items to their already extensive menu.

Service & Hospitality– I rate them an outstanding 5/5 on this parameter and their staff including Mr.Nurul (our server), Mr.Prashant (Captain) and Mr.Akash (the Manager) were so courteous and accommodating that it took our experience to another level. Really loved the service and no words are enough to experience my appreciation in this regard.

Also had a chat with the Owner Mr.Rohan who came across as a humble person and was open to all of our feedback and I enjoyed a minute of chit chat with him.

What cannot be missed?
Murgh Charga, Tandoori Tarkari, Murgh Mussallam and Mutton Dum Biryani (to a certain extent) and their excellent style of plating that can be compared to some of the five stars of the city !

Value for Money – I rate them an excellent 4.5/5, you can consider this to be a fit between fine dining and budget restaurants. For the taste they were able to churn Today I think they have priced themselves appropriately and the quantity is pretty decent as well.

If you’re in a mood for an all Mughlai Lunch/Dinner just go for it 🙂 This place has the potential to become one of the best dine out options in Kharadi !