ZAFRAN RESTAURANT - BLOGGERS EVENT, A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE NEW MENU

I was invited for a bloggers' event  at Zafran on Wednesday 13 November, for a sneak preview of their upcoming winter menu  to be introduced from December 2O13. For those of you who are are not familiar with Zafran, it's one the finest Indian restaurants in Kuwait that offers contemporary Indian cuisine. 

Gaurav Singh, Brand Chef

Mr. Khalid Khader, the operations manager welcomed us and spoke to us about Zafran. We were introduced to brand chef Gaurav Singh who explained to us about the new menu. He is based at Zafran restaurant in Dubai and had come down to Kuwait for this event. Chef Gaurav is definitely endowed with the gift of creativity and culinary expertise, quite evident in every dish he has created for the new menu. He also said that only natural ingredients are used for preparing the dishes. A four course dinner was served and we were free to ask the chef any questions we had about the food.

left to right in order - papadums, mixed pickle, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, sweet mango chutney

Sweet and tangy chutneys and mixed pickle were placed along with roasted and fried papadums. 

Pomegranate Blush

Welcome drink was Pomegranate Blush with pomegranate juice, dash of lemon and sprite and pomegranate seeds. Additional drink was Lemon Splash with fresh lemon juice with sprite. Both were quite refreshing.

Double Mushroom

Aloo Tikki

Shammi Kabab - bottom, Double Mushroom - top left, Aloo Tikki - top right

1. Starters -  All starters were unique and delicious.  

* Aloo Tikki, which is mashed potatoes filled with mashed green peas, shaped into patties. Lightly spiced 

* Double Mushroom - Mushroom filled with cheese, then dipped in batter and fried. 

* Shammi Kebab - Minced lamb paste with moderate spices shaped into broad regular patties. 

Minced lamb kebab straight from the grill

Tandoori prawns - bottom,  mince lamb kebab - top most, chicken malai tikka - right 

Platter of grills and lemon splash

2. Grilled Food - was cooked to perfection. If you enjoy grilled food, this is definitely something you will quite enjoy. The marinade used was aromatic and flavors were amazing with just the right amount of spices, making grilled food delectable.  It was served with salad.

* Sheek Kebab was served right from the grill, with smoke, sound and beautiful aroma. 

* Chicken Malai Tikka marinated in cream and light spices and charcoal grilled. It was succulent and well textured

* Tandoori prawns - this was a haven compared to the usual hot and spicy tandoori prawns, I've had in the past in other places. Prawns were marinated in yoghurt with just the right amount of spices and grilled.  Light and delicious.

dal makhani - bottom, steamed basmati rice - top left, prawn in coconut milk - top right

clock wise : chicken tikka masala, prawn in coconut milk, dal makhani, naan, steamed rice

3. Main Course 

* Dal Makhani, a lovely creamy dark colored indian black lentil curry cooked overnight on charcoal which adds a light smokey flavor to it. A very healthy dish usually had with plain rice. 
* Basmati rice - the texture was perfect and the aroma was lovely
* Naan - Indian bread cooked in tandoor oven, best eaten hot or warm.
* Prawn in coconut milk curry which is mild and absolutely pleasant in taste. 
* Chicken Tikka Masala, was one of my favorites. I cannot fathom what magical spice combination it contained, I would say, it  tasted divine.

Chicken biriyani

chicken biriyani 

Chicken Biriyani and Raita - Chicken biriyani by chef Gaurav is amazing, unlike any other biriyani you would have had. The rice is fluffly, flavored with saffron. The chicken was soft and cooked in tomatoes, with just enough spices. The biriyani was cooked in 'dum' style where flattened wheat flour dough is used to cover the pot with biriyani before the final cooking so as to not let the aroma and flavors escape.   I am a huge critic when it comes to biriyani I eat at restaurants, but this is something I really truly enjoyed. You could have this and not feel sleepy or tired, because it's not greasy and it's light on your stomach. Raita is a yoghurt based accompaniment, with bits of cucumber, which was nice.

Pista and saffron kulfi

4. Dessert - Saffron and Pista Kulfi - Kulfi is Indian icecream. It was made using fresh milk, saffron and pista. The kulfi was served with kiwi, water melon and strawberry slices.  It tasted lovely.

The food, taste, texture and smell was wonderful. The presentation was artistic and neat. What I appreciated besides the taste of the food, was that it wasn't greasy. Chef Gaurav is quite aware of his guests' preferences and taste so all the spices used is in moderation. If you want your dish a bit more spicy, or less spicy you can always tell them while you place your order. There is a special children menu,  which they would enjoy and it is healthy too, so you don't have to worry about taking your children to fast food joints. The ambiance at Zafran is quite pleasant. The decor and interiors are endowed with warm colors like black, red and yellow. You definitely should visit Zafran try out their contemporary Indian food. I've been there several times with my husband as well as with my friends in past and have always enjoyed their great food and friendly service. Their new menu will be introduced in December 2O13.  

Zafran restaurant telephone : 25750647, 97281007

Location : Salem Al Mubarak Street, 1st floor, main entrance right beside Centerpoint,  or accessible from Centerpoint as well.

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