A Taste of Royal Indian Cuisine
Little
did many know that there is a majestic Indian restaurant located in the Kuala
Lumpur Golf & Country Club that serves fine Awadhi cuisine, Northern Indian
cuisine from the city of Lucknow. Qureshi Restaurant made it appearance a year
ago but unknown to many, the restaurant belongs to Indian Master Chef Imtiaz
Qureshi and family. Born into a family of legendary chefs, who has serves the
many royalties of India, Chef Imtiaz’s journey was equally as great if not
better than the Qureshi clan of master chefs.
Turning
86 this year, Chef Imtiaz has also just been awarded the fourth highest
civilian award of Padma Shri, an award that chefs rarely are recipients. Still
the grand master chef of the acclaimed Dum Pukht restaurants of the ITC hotels,
he not only still reigns his empire himself but his sons are also with him in
the same industry.
While
his two master chef sons, Mohammed Ashfaque and Mohammed Irfan Qureshi, has
their own restaurants all over the world, his other son, also an acclaimed
master chef personally trained by his father, Muhammad Ahsan Ali Qureshi
manages the family’s newest international venture and the first in Malaysia.
Stepping
into Qureshi, one cannot help but to be immediately in awe of its grandeur. The
restaurant is gorgeously elegant. All decked in gold, black and neutrals, the
main dining room even has a fabulous dome ceiling covered in gold and black.
Lustrous
chandeliers mixed with Indian light pieces, elegant plush high back chairs and
pristine table setting with brightly polished copper cups, plates, napkin rings
and silverware really take shouts fine regal dining at its best. There are also
two private rooms as well as alfresco area outside.
From
the moment we sat down to the end of our meal, service was discreet and
impeccable. And this doesn’t apply to us only because we can see the same for
all the other tables too. What surprises us was that the menu was filled with
dishes set with affordable pricing. Despite the fine and grand ambiance,
Qureshi’s menu was decently priced and quality of the food was indeed refine.
A
starter of golden thin disc of pappadums served with some bread and an array of
dhals and minty spiced yoghurt was already an explosion of flavours on the
palate.
Seafood Pakora (RM45) was golden and crispy prawns,
squid and mussel enveloped in a spiced batter. Delicious on its own, these were
made even better with a side of soy vinegar reduction.
Crispy
patties of potato and cashew nut are breaded with tiny crispy bubbles and fried
till golden in Aloo Moti Tikki (RM25).
Served with pretty pink radish and mustard pickle and sides of tamarind chutney
as well as mint chutney.
The
patties are delightfully light and creamy with crispy edges. The flavours are
beautifully tasty of potatoes and nuts. The radish gave a refreshing boost
while the chutneys are bombs of flavours.
Murgh Peshawari Tikka
(RM35) is superb. Boneless chicken thighs marinated in Peshwari spices and
grilled in tandoor oven was very moist and tasty. The chicken has a solid
balance of spices but is not spicy in heat. Even my little one enjoy this
chicken very much although he is not a fan of spices.
Qureshi’s
signature is their Dum Biryani. One simply must order these as Chef Imtiaz has
made extra effort in perfecting his Dum
Lucknowi Biryani (RM45). Cooked the traditional method where the rice and
meat is cooked separately before being combined and cooked again in a sealed
dough. The long grain basmathi rice is beautifully fluffy and golden. Spiced
and seasoned well, we dug in to unveil pieces of succulent spiced lamb that is
wonderfully tender and tasty.
Our
order of Butter Chicken (RM35) had
all the check marks of a delicious mild and creamy curry with a tomatoey base.
Large pieces of boneless chicken coupled with the curry had me piling on my
plate with much happiness. This is one of my all-time favorite curry and
Qureshi’s version did not disappoint indeed.
Gloriously
moreish, the Prawn Curry (RM45)
warrants an order for its rich depth of spiced flavours. Not too spicy, the
prawn has sublime flavours that makes you want to keep savoring it’s richness.
There
is also a lush yellow Goan Fish Curry
(RM35) that goes very well with rice or bread. Mellow and creamy, the curry
goes really well as it does not overpower the delicate boneless fish pieces. Great
for diners of all ages, this curry is a signature of the Goa state in India.
Chickpeas ‘Dhaba’ Style (RM26), luscious cassoulet of creamy
and nutty chickpeas cooked with nigella seeds till soft was another crowd
pleaser that evening.
Paneer
cheese is a constant favorite of mine and I would definitely order it if it’s
on the menu. The Paneer Tikka Butter
Masala (RM28) was easy to enjoy. Cooked the same as the Butter Chicken, the
creamy soft paneer was heavenly in the creamy tomatoey curry.
Mirch Balgan ka Salan (RM26) had everyone raving on the
gorgeous soft brinjal and bhajji chillies cooked with peanut, coconut and
sesame. It has such a tangy and spiced up flavour that literally makes the dish
mouth-watering addictive!
One
simply must order their Dal Qureshi
(RM30) too. While most dal curries are quite mild and cooked with lots of
vegetables and yellow dal, the Dal Qureshi is slow stewed black lentils with
tomatoes and finished with butter and cream. The result is a masterpiece of
luscious curry that goes really well with all their rice and bread.
Qureshi
offers a good selections of bread. One can order their Tandoori Roti (RM10) or Cheese
Naan (RM12) to go with all the rich curries. I was particularly fond of the
Tandoori Roti for its buttery flavour.
We
ended our meal with more richness and the Gulab
Jamun (RM20) was even served with mango yoghurt sorbet. The dessert turned
out to be pretty good because the unctuous fried balls were nicely lighten up
with the fruity sweet and tangy sorbet.
We
also had some Mango Yoghurt Sorbet
and Pistachio Ice Cream.
A
surprising treat at Qureshi reminded me that we should not judge a book by its
cover. Despite its majestic ambiance, the restaurant is decently priced. Lots
of efforts are seen at Qureshi from its gorgeous ambiance to the beautiful rich
Northern Indian menu as well as the impeccable service. Head on over if you are
looking to impress your dinner guests or family.
QURESHI
RESTAURANT
Ground Floor, East
Lobby,
Kuala Lumpur Golf &
Country Club
No 10, Jalan 1/70D,
Off Jalan Bukit Kiara,
6000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2011 1007
Email: info@qureshi-intl.com
GPS: 3.138820,
101.639465
Website: www.qureshi-intl.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/QureshiRestaurantKL
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