This year I could not celebrate the "Bhai Duj" with my brother, as he was not well on that day. But somehow I wanted to do something special him. So last Sunday we planned for a family lunch. Now, he stays some 30 km away from my place, so we selected the venue near his place. He’s the one who suggested "Chulha Chauki Da Dhaba", a new outlet has just opened near Hennur Bus depot. He also told me, " Just visit the place, I know you will be impressed. I have celebrated my birthdays with me friends there, the food is awesome! They organize events for corporate people also, so it’s not very average. Just give it a try and then tell me." I was surprised, because my bro generally doesn’t give so much certificate to anything! We agreed to try this, but we had a doubt whether we will get a table or not, without proper booking on a busy Sunday lunchtime.
However, we reached the place by 3 pm. There is no proper parking space, so we parked our vehicle on the main road near this place and walked a little to reach the destination. It’s on the third floor of that building, lift is there. Once we entered the restaurant, we found it very interesting. Fortunately we got the table easily, as the rush of lunch hour was just over. Believe me, this is the area where I lived for almost 4 yrs but never thought something like this is possible here! The decor is cool, based on the theme of Punjabi Village. I liked the lanterns hanging overhead with electric bulbs in them. There was these typical "Khatiyas" and sitting arrangements to make it look like a dhaba. The waiters are also dressed in Punjabi Kurtas.They have an open kitchen and a corner for "paan".However the washroom is not that good, toilets stink there and it’s dimly lit. Well, we are not to spend time there.... so we concentrated on menu card.
The price is on the higher side, but my bro assured, after eating I will not complain. So we placed the order, Fulkas with dal fry, Tawa Chicken, and lassi. The waiter suggested that Chicken dahiwala is also good, so we ordered for that also. We found the waiters a bit cheeky, but we were all busy discussing about my brother’s marriage, so didn’t pay much attention. The food arrived within 15-20 minutes and we busied ourselves with it. Fulkas were just like homemade rotis, soft and good.The dal fry was just AWESOME! I just loved it. The tawa chicken is also good, with grated ginger and tomato. It was spicy and tangy, so my hubby ordered for a Pepsi. Chicken dahiwala is the best part of the food, grated chicken cooked in a spicy gravy and curd. They served lassi in earthen glasses, equally awesome. I felt like having another glass of it, but my system already showed the "no-room" notice. Finally the bill came, it’s around Rs. 650. I am happy that didn’t burn a whole in my pocket! We were satisfied with the cleanliness and courteous behavior of the waiters. The experience was overall very satisfactory.
Now, the question is, will we go back to this place? Obviously, whenever a party is there I will come. I will refer my friends also. The taste is not "totally" Punjabi, but it doesn’t matter. Food is not very much spicy, but I am sure one will love it. The visit to this place was a successful one, I am happy that my brother brought to the right place. Brother’s are for that, isn’t it?