Bukhara is not your every day restaurant. Set in the luxurious setting of the ITC Maurya Sheraton, this place is haunted by the who’s who of the world. Regularly rated among the best in the world - Bukhara has made a name for itself. And it shows in the queues of people waiting for a chance to taste the ’ambrosia’ served inside.The restaurant has a NWFP setup. Stone walls and waiters in pathan suits. THe tables are low with stools as chairs. Sitting for long on the stools can be a back breaker - but hey they go with the theme of the place.
So, I went to Bukhara in feb ’10 fully aware that this was a very expensive restaurant. I was surprised by the crowd at the place. We were given a table after a good 60 minutes wait. In the meantime we had a look at the surprisingly curt menu - 4 types of veg kebabs, 6-7 non veg kebabs, dal bukhara, a few Indian breads, curd and desert !! that is it !! No rice items on the menu, no dishes with gravy (save the daal). Wierd, isnt it? And just to give you a feeler of the cost. Daal bukahra at 550/-, kebebs (veg and non veg) starting from 1300 per plate to 2350 per plate (+ tax). Indian breads starting at 160, fresh lime soda at 250.
For once forget the prices as you have probably gone to celebrate something special. We ordered the dal, a chicken kebab, and Indian breads. The food is very rich - generous amounts of butter in everything - and finishing 1 pudina parantha on your own will be a task. The kebabs were good (but haven’t I eaten delicious kebabs for 100 per plate ?). The dal is a mystery, first taste made me think wonders about it - later however I got bored of it. Mind you the Bukhara cooks the dal for a whopping 12 hours before serving you and it is the ’cherry oon top’ of their menu.
I did not have any drinks at the place but you can be sure that they are expensive (beer pints at 325/-).
Overall, I thought that the food is just ok. Too heavy ala Punjabi by nature ..and the menu too curt . However, just because I got the feel of the high life, foreign nationals, rich brats and successful business all around me.
I would recommend it for special occasion visit.