Kaiser - Promoting Authentic Mughlai Fare

Few weeks ago I was invited to a bloggers table at Kaiser, a new restaurant in Gurgaon popular for promoting authentic Mughlai cuisine that traces its origin back to the imperial kitchens of the Mughal era.

Brainchild of young restaurateur Kamal Arora (32) who's already made a mark with his very first venture 'Khyen Chyen', Kaiser (which literally means emperor) evokes a quintessential old world charm and character offering mystic flavors through every dish on its menu. The flavors vary from extremely mild to spicy, and are often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and whole spices.

Kaiser

Launched in the second week of August this year, Kaiser is nestled in the busy Supermart 1 of DLF Phase 4, Gurgaon. The restaurant can easily accommodate over 22 people at any given time and has a covered area of approximately 700 square feet.

Kaiser

The kitchen is in the capable hands of head chef Hasan and sous chef Sunil, who come with 15 years and 7 years of F&B experience, respectively. They are ably assisted by an excellent, attentive staff of 15.

Me with three other food bloggers

Open seven days a week from 12 noon to 11:30 pm, Kaiser is hailed for avoiding the use of artificial colors or ingredients in cooking. That's not all! The meat is marinated overnight (sometimes for nearly 24 hours) to ensure all flavors get absorbed properly.

Kaiser

Here are my top recommendations for food at Kaiser.

Appetizers 

• Mutton Gilafi Seekh: Brace yourself for hot and juicy, flavorful tender pieces of minced mutton cooked to perfection. Similarities to mutton seekh served in the Jama Masjid area of Old Delhi are inevitable! 

Mutton Gilafi Seekh

• Chicken Tikka: Soft marinated pieces of boneless chicken cooked with flavorful Indian spices that just melt in your mouth.

Chicken Tikka

• Mutton Burra: An instant hit with one and all, these succulent roasted lamb kebabs are popular for its unique aroma.

Mutton Burra

• Butter Tandoori Chicken: The best part about this dish is that the chicken is first marinated, then oven roasted and finally coated with layers of butter to render a near perfect taste. 

Butter Tandoori Chicken

Mains 

• Kaiser Haleem Biryani: A must have dish, which includes a winning combination of Haleem condiments (used as garnish) and biryani topped with crispy fried onions. Truly deserves a mention, since very few can actually get the awesomeness of Haleem and biryani right in a single dish! 

Kaiser Haleem Biryani

Room for more? You can also try these two signature dishes at Kaiser:

• Murg Musallam

• Palak Gosht 

Breads

• Sheermal: Sweet in taste, this saffron flavored traditional flatbread is to be savored with butter chicken or mutton rogan josh. 

Sheermal

Desserts 

• Double ka Meetha: A.k.a. Shahi Tukda in some places, this bread pudding dessert is made of fried bread slices soaked in hot milk with saffron and cardamom. 

• Phirni: This delectable rice pudding like dessert is served in traditional clay containers. Topped with poppy seeds and almond slices, it contains a significant flavor of cardamom that you just cannot ignore.

Phirni

The kebabs, tikkas, Haleem biryani, and curries at Kaiser are to die for! As a purist I only look for two things when it comes to Mughlai cuisine - texture and flavor - a classic combination of these two makes every dish at Kaiser a perfect 'soul food'.