Samarkand - An Arabian experience. Review on Samarkand, Infantry Road, Bangalore

It was my friend's birthday and we decided to go to Samarkandfor lunch. It was truly a pleasant experience and thus my need to share the experience with my fellow MSians.

The Place:

Samarkand

Gem Plaza

Infantry Road (Quite close to Safina Plaza)

Bangalore.

It is a North ?West frontier theme restaurant that tries to recreate the rustic ambience of Samarkand (A city of Uzbekistan). The interiors of the restaurant integrate a unique blend of sophistication and magnificence that is deeply influenced by the northwest frontier provinces. The dim lit atmosphere, rough stony floorings and walls takes you back to a bygone era. The seating is comfortable with aesthetically designed low-seating tables and wooden chairs. The splendor of Afghan is well depicted on the rocky walls through classy paintings, flame like torches and ethnic gear. The whole ambience is created to transport you to the exotic lands of Samarkand and Afganistan. To add to the look, the waiters are also dressed traditionally.

The service:

When we reached, we were welcomed by a man who was fully bearded and wearing an Afghani robe. As we entered the restaurant, our eyes took a while to adjust to the dimmed atmosphere and we were greeted by a smartly dressed hostess who informed us that we would have to wait for a while for a table. In about five minutes, we were shown to our table. We were given hot towels to refresh ourselves along with some complementary snacks.

I must mention about the menu card here ? It is not like anything that I had seen before. The menu has been printed to look like a newspaper and the various items are well described in article-like sections. The waiter helped us decide what to eat by describing the flavor of the delicacies. Once the order was placed, the food didn?t take to long to come. We could also see the chefs at work in the kitchen through glass windows and the wonderful aroma of the various food items really worked up our appetite.

The food:

Now for the most important part ? food. This restaurant offers a wide variety of rare Afghani and Peshawari delicacies. The choices are many starting from exotic tandoors, appetizing kebabs, lip smacking biriyanis to delectable desert items. The drinks section has an exciting range of tempting cocktails, mouthwatering mocktails and other drinks from the central Asian regions. The prices are a little high but the portions are quite filling. A meal for two would cost around Rs 700.