Shahnoor’z… Unfortunately not enough ‘Noor’

I had read a review of this restaurant last night which is why while out this afternoon I suddenly decided to drop in at Shahnoor’z. Ideally, I would have preferred an air conditioned place, but as I was in the locality, I decided to brave the heat and give this restaurant a try.

Shahnoor’z is a tiny joint, quite like a dhabba. The small veranda of the restaurant is lined with approximately 6 tables with benches flagging them on both sides. The tables had a jug of water, a tissue paper stand and light-weight plastic glasses that kept flying off as it happened to be a windy afternoon.

Having walked out of home in the morning on a mere cup of tea I was famished and parched. I requested our server to quickly give me a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of Thumbs Up. Having dealt with the parched side of me, I turned my attention to the menu as my tummy was sending me signals; the likes of which would be rude to pen in a review. *trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably* :D

We ordered the Chicken Shawarma (of course sans cabbage shreds and vinegary pickled vegetables), Lucknowi Chicken Tikka, Makrana Kababs, Tandoori Chicken (half) and Gajar Halwa.

The Shawarma was very well made! The pita bread was freshly baked and it nearly melted in the mouth. The hummus in the shawarma was smooth and well flavored and the chicken was delicious. All in all, I’d definitely give an eight on ten for the Shawarma.

The Lucknowi Chiken Tikkas were spicy, succulent and appetizing. I asked the server the difference between the regular tikkas and the Lucknowi ones. He mentioned that the Lucknowi Tikkas were spicier than the regular ones. They, indeed, were and I loved them!

Next we had the Makrana Kababs. Alas! These just did not tickle my palate. Having had Makrana Kababs which pack a punch of flavor, these lacked ‘oomph’, both spice-wise and taste-wise. I was expecting them to be as good as the ones I’ve had in other restaurants, but unfortunately these were not.

The Tandoori Chicken was just as good, well flavored and moist, as were the Lucknowi Tikkas, not as spicy, though. No complaints about the Tandoori Chicken.

We decided to end the meal with Gajar Halwa. I have had the most awesome Gajar Halwa from places like Geeta Bhavan (Navjeevan Society, Mumbai), Kailash Parbat (Mumbai) and a few other places. I also, often, replicate their Gajar Halwa in my own kitchen. The Gajar Halwa served by Shahnoor’z, lacked mawa (a BIG minus) and the cashews sprinkled on top were raw and slightly stale. If they planned to serve slightly stale cashews they should have had the presence of mind to sauté them a wee bit to hide the staleness and to add the necessary crunch. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the Gajar Halwa to anyone.

The establishment serves decent food but no dish was a six; hit over the boundary line and out of the stadium. The innings had a couple of fours and a couple of singles after which this umpire raised her hand to declare the last player out! The ‘stadium’ staff (server and chefs), were extremely polite and helpful, though, I must say the server was a tad nervous. I wonder why: considering, I am such a demure, non-intimidating soul. ( :P evil laugh)

Ambiance: Bola na dhabba jaise hai.. Kahe ka ambiance?
Food: 2.8/5

Service: 3/5

Address: KP Annexe, Mundhwa, Pune.

Tel: +91 8698750666 / 020 32427871