Discover the Flavours of Punjab @ Kopper Kadai

I love food and love to try different cuisines but North Indian food has never caught my fancy and I always land up at any North Indian restaurant either due to function invites or because some friend had the mood to have North Indian cuisine.

Hence my initial hesitation when I was invited to be a part of a food tasting experience  with fellow foodies at their restaurant. Aware of my mindset, I did a little research about Kopper Kadai and what spiked my interest was their unique menu and award winning dishes.

I have heard about Celebrity Chef Akshay Nayyar as my mom is totally into cooking and during this visit to Kopper Kadai I had a chance to meet him along with owner. Though he is obviously quite a busy individual shuttling back and forth between all the restaurants he runs, he did take time out to spend a few quick minutes with us.
It would be wrong not to mention, the owner who spent a lot of time talking about how he and his friends started this venture and it is very obvious his love, passion and hard work is what Kopper Kadai reflects in their food.

AMBIENCE:

I did expect this restaurant to be a fine dining experience but the attention to detail given to the interiors is spectacular. Once you enter the first seating area it is difficult to miss the many large spoons (142 nos.) hung on the ceiling. The reason for this is the 142 spices the chef uses in their dishes. They have arranged the seating such that families as well smaller groups can be accommodated i.e. chair and sofa seating including large seater tables.

Not to forget their kitchen is massive in size almost double the size of the restaurant seating area. This shows the dedication to their craft in this case the ingredients, the area for cooking and presentation. This kitchen is run under the able hands of Chef Tourej Khan. Point to be noted that all their dishes are prepared from scratch and hence normal serving time would be anywhere from 15-25 mins.

The staff was very cooperative and accommodating and a special mention to their Manager who took time to explain about every dish and its significance.

Since this restaurant is located in the busy street of Jyothi Nivas College I hesitated to take my car for want of parking space but they have ample parking space in the basement.

Finally coming to what actually matters –

BEVERAGES
We were served 4 beverages aptly named Sherbet Paani in their menu which I assume are their signature ones.

1. CHATMOLA FATAFAT – This is a cola which is khatta metta with a bit of lime and jaljeera with the right amount of tanginess with a cola twist. They served it with bottle containing the drink overturned into a mug.

2. KIWI AMBI PANNA – As the name suggests, I did expect the gooseberry flavour but the addition of raw mango and green chillies made it absolutely refreshing that we landed up ordering for more. This is a must try here!

3. NARIYAL PASSION MANTRA – This was another drink suggested by them containing Passion fruit, mint and coconut water. This drink was bit sweet and coconut water not being a favorite, I preferred the other beverages.

4. LASSI

This is a traditional drink and nothing special hence they have taken that extra step to present in such a way that it turns heads. The lassi was presented in a copper milk bottle in a toy truck filled with ice cubes.

APPETIZERS

1. CHALLI KOLMI KEBAB

Excellent dish made of corn and potato made to look like drumsticks though vegetarian served with chutney. Point to be noted the stick which holds the dish together is edible and this is one of their signature dishes. While I was relishing this dish I noticed it at 2 other tables hence proving my point!

2. GANNA CHICKEN

Another signature dish this time a non vegetarian one made with melt in the mouth chicken mince rolled on a sugarcane stick and served with khatta meetha chutney. I am told this is their Award Winning dish and has never been replicated. This is a must try!

3. LUCKNOWI DAHI KI SHAMMI

Simple veg patties but with a ting of curd. Very light hence not too heavy on the stomach. Served in a delightful umbrella shaped dish.

4. ROYAL KEBAB PRESS

This is one of the best presented dishes of the visit. It was served in an antique charcoal iron box. The kebabs were a mix of chicken, mutton and fish. Personally liked the chicken the best.

5. MAL MAL SEEKH

Very soft and succulent chicken kebabs with their signature ingredients. Do not miss if you a chicken kebab lover.

MAINS

1. NEW DELHI BUTTER CHICKEN

Butter chicken with a Delhi twist. Flavorful yet different from the usual Butter Chicken.

2. WARQI DAL-E-DASTAAN

This is Dal Makhani again made slightly different as expected. Very tasty but a touch overpowering.

3. COOKER MEIN KUKKAD

This was a fun dish as who would have thought to serve a chicken gravy In a cooker onto the table. This again goes to prove a point about the confidence of the chef to serve food onto the table without tasting ( the cooker whistle is opened in front of the patron).

4. MASTAWA

This creamy dish is actually is one of their signature creations and an off-take from Haleem containing mince mutton and urad dal. Point to note, this dish is a bit on the heavy side hence one is more than sufficient for 4-5 persons.

All the above side dishes were served with Butter Naan and Kulcha.

DESSERTS / Meethey Moments

1.DILLI WALLI FRUIT CREAM

Fruit cream made with fresh fruits and served with an Oreo biscuit.

2. NUTELLA DODHALAVA

This was the better of the two as I cannot ingest milk based products. This is a new twist to choco lava cake where the choco is replaced by nutella and the cake by dodha burfi muffin. It can be a bit too much after a heavy meal hence advised to be shared by 2-3 persons.

MY 2 BITS:
A very eye opening and enjoyable lunch.
Definitely a great restaurant to take loved ones and family for a wonderful dining experience.