Ghazals can be extremely annoying. Now before the die-hard ghazal devotees start swinging their clubs, please allow me to explain. I’m a ghazal fan myself, but when I hear somebody rendering ghazals a la Venkiah Naidu, I get caterpillars in my stomach.
daulat lo, magar sur mein gao
As we took our seats, the ghazal strains emanating out of the speakers were exactly that. A strain for the ears! Initially, we thought they were playing some rotten CD, but then we spotted the singer in a dark nook at the far end of the restaurant, hidden from our view by a big fat pillar. After straining our ears, we discovered that the maestro was singing yeh daulat bhi le lo, made famous by the inimitable Jagjit Singh.
kesariya hai roop tumharo
Allow me to rewind a little and give you a glimpse of the entry to the restaurant. Saffron Spice is on the first floor, just above the conspicuous Pizza Hut. You could either take the glass stairs or the levitator (tiny open elevator). When you reach the restaurant, you might have to wait a little. The place has its loyal patrons and can get quite crowded, even on weekdays. While you wait in the tiny lobby, a wall-fountain stares you in the face. There’s enough saffron in the lobby to do justice to the restaurant’s name. I even spotted a psychedelic saffron vase! If it gets too crowded, they let you wait in their lounge bar (called The Clove).
yeh kahaan aa gaye hum?
After a five-minute wait, we were ushered in. It was a Thursday evening and the restaurant was brimmimg with people. The collective din was overbearing, what with the aforementioned ghazal-singer adding to the cacophony. The lighting was subdued and that was a respite.
The place is not very big and the tables are laid along the periphery. The doors & walls have flowery motifs. Statuettes & adornments peep at you (and your spouse) from backlit crevices in the walls. The decor is quite schizophrenic. I was reminded of Ajay Devgan in Deewangee. On the one hand, they’ve tried to bring out the traditional Indian feel. On the other, sharp angles and squarish pieces sneer at tradition. You might want to call it fusion, I call it confusion.
kitaabe bahut si padhi hogi tumne
Yes, the menu is quite a book. The restaurant specializes in Indian food and they’ve assembled dishes from all parts of the country. The Indian menu is divided into four sections East, West, North & South, for starters as well as main course. They also have a reasonably good spread in Chinese & Continental.
The Bar menu also looked impressive. We weren’t keen on drinks, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you much about the sharaab here. I noticed that there wasn’t much choice in mocktails. That might be bad news for teetotallers.
kuch to log khayenge
For starters, we asked for Crispy Corn Water Chestnuts. For the main course, we had Meifoon, Fried Rice and some Chinese vegetables. Reasonably well-prepared but nothing to write home about. While we were at it, I realized that I must have something from the Indian fare since the place is supposedly famous for its Indian spread. I ordered a Masala Grilled Pomfret all for myself (the other guests were vegetarian and they were full already). Again, it tasted good but didn’t leave me asking for more.
bill-e-nadan, tujhe hua kya hai?
The 4-figure cheque arrived. Yeh daulat bhi le lo finally made sense. I paid up and beat a hasty retreat. The singer was crooning a melancholic tum pukaar lo. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
In Conclusion
Saffron Spice is an average restaurant. It’s not an absolute no-no, but I won’t recommend it to people looking for finger-licking food and relaxed ambience. The spread of the menu is its only strong point. For the price it charges, it surely falls short of expectations. For lack of sufficient worthy competition in the vicinity, it seems to be doing reasonably well.