An Indian meal minus the tadka

This North Indian eatery needs to perk up its service and ambience in order to stay afloat with the competitionWe have visited Calypso, a Carribean cousin of Drumsticks, a north Indian restaurant we went to review one chilly evening. Calypso fared in our review quite well and was awarded a certificate for the good food it serves. So, it was with the same expectation that we landed up at Drumsticks; an Indian restaurant located a floor above Calypso and run by the same management, for dinner. DrumsticksFood: averageService: attentiveAmbience: nondescriptThe restaurant is done up in muted earthy tones with wooden furniture, dim lighting, with one area specially dedicated to a buffet. But on the day we landed up, there was hardly anyone there. Drumsticks serves heavy duty Indian food and we began our meal with something reasonably light, a Badshahi Murg Yakhni, a light watery shorba with bits of chicken, spices, fresh coriander and pepper. The soup was bland but very reassuring and comforted us in no time. The place also serves a soup made out of drumsticks as a sort of tribute to the name of the restaurant. We also ordered a Sikka Tandoori Safed Aur Hara Phool Gobi, broccoli and cauliflower marinated in a white, creamy and whole garam masala flavoured marinade and then charred in the tandoor. The staff brought the appetiser to our table without having placed any plates on our table. My colleague also found a particularly greasy looking knife that needed a thorough rinse. The tandoori gobi was quite flavoursome, tender on the bite and charred outside, but the marinade reminded us of consuming a malai tikka minus the meat of course.For our mains, we ordered a Malai Murgh Ke Sooley recommended by the staff and Garlic Naan to mop it all up. The chicken was dunked in a heavy, cashew and poppy paste gravy, mildly spiced with garam masala. It was a very rich curry, heavy for our stomach and a tad bland, missing the heat that we were looking forward to on a winter night. By now we were looking at something desperately to cheer us up from this dismal dinner. We skipped the heavy duty desserts like Zafrani Rasmalai, Malai Kulfi, Luchee ka Tehari and settled for some wholesome Gajar Ka Halwa. The halwa was gooey, full of the goodness of ghee and came garnished with fried raisins and nuts. It salvaged our meal of the evening to an extent. Though Drumsticks has started about six months back, it looks like business is yet to pick up. Compared to Calypso, we felt Drumsticks was lacking both in atmosphere as well as culinary experimentation.At: Drumsticks, fourth floor, 44, Richmond Road, opp. Sapphire ToysCall: 2554 5555Meal for Two: Rs 900Drumsticks didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.

An Indian meal minus the tadka

Next Story : Spread the Yuletide cheer through your tummy this year

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

BCCI Chief Roger Binny On Indian Team Travelling To Pakistan For The Asia Cup

India Vs Pak Asia Cup: Fans gear up to witness the most awaited clash

Ind Vs Pak Asia Cup 2023: Fans celebrate India's record break win against Pak

Gautam Gambhir breaks his silence on Asia Cup middle-finger viral video

IN PHOTOS: 'Prince' dominates Asia Cup 2023