It’s been a Long time, Since I had taken the family out. Esp. after all the hard work, on last Sat. So I planned a night out with kids & family.
My guilt *trip had to be paid, Esp with my wife & Nida. LoL. Food is the best way out most of us. After a lot of *this, that, where, which, north, south, indian, chinese.. Uff..I was thinking of my Single days, when I was away from home, used to haunt for places to try food. Nida made a choice of Sahib Sindh Sultan (Not Sahib Biwi Gulam) as it is situated close to home too.
It also has a reputation, where in U have to wait for a long time to get a table. So I asked Nida to make table reservations & when called in the evening the restaurant told Nida they do not take any reservations. FCFS. Ugg on a Week End. No way.
We reached by 7:45 PM as we were eager to get into the train. Alas the Bogie was completely booked. Booked? Where Did I land up?Railway Station. LoL. I am in SSS. We actually enter into a station platform like dining area. There was a full length mirror on one side of the platform which gave it a much longerlook.
The platform had tables for seating with columns of riveted masonry, lamps that belong an earlier century, & even a copper bell for the Station Master & next to it U have from one end of the wall to the other a Pullman-style carriageway which makes U feel like U’re dining inside an actual train & stands on rails, complete with the oh-so-familiar pebbles *on the tracks & the *wooden sleepers.
On April 16, 1853, when India’s first passenger train chugged between Bori Bunder & Thane, it was hauled by three locomotives, Sahib, Sindh & Sultan, after which the restaurant is named. It is a tribute to a bygone era & everything from the interiors to the culinary experience is reminiscent of a mix of the traditions of Indian royalty & the British Raj.
Much care has been taken to recreate the feeling, with the tastefully done décor, silk tapestry, & exquisite silver ware. Done in accents evoking all the charm of Hindustan circa 1850, it is all about unpretentious Indian food bringing back memories of the *Colonial *period with even *Maps *& *Painting *on the walls.
Since were a group of 10 we opted for a table on the platform instead of the compartment. Beware the compartment is for 4 persons per coupe LoL. Since it is a theme restaurant, it is important that U look around to bask in the ambience. In the compartment the overhead racks had old suitcases & British hats. It has got small & round fans how we have it in trains.
The waiters & stewards were dressed as railway personnel; Ticket Collectors, Porters, Engine Drivers. Outside from the platform if U peek above the train U can see stars as in a real station. The platform has an old telephone *& a old railway map. If You would think that the decoris the best selling point of this restaurant, wait until U get the **menu card & of course then try the delicious food!
The menu book makes interesting reading. The first Sheet gives an introduction to the oldest train in India with the three engines named Sahib, Sindh & Sultan.
The menu is comprehensive with vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes. Among entrées, the restaurant pampers U with its choice of North West Frontier Province, fancifully named Lady Canning’s Reshmi Paneer Tikka, Sir Francis Drake’s Lobster, Vulcan Foundry Murg Badam, Fish Tikka a la Lord Rippon, Jhansi Rani ki Farmaish, Karara Palak Chaat, Kanpur Tomato Shorba, Mishkin Paya Shorba, Chicken Dak Bungalow, Kakori Kebab, Shikampuri Kababs, Roti ki Boti, Railway Mutton Curry, Murgh ka Soola & Lord Mountbatten Lobsters.
The food was served on a silver tray in line with the overall décor. Most of the dishes r large portions meant for sharing, & as we were a large group, we did have the chance of sampling all its utterly delectable items. The tables r furbished with four different chutneys & bread sticks r served with three lip-smacking dips & not to forget the Salad with Pickles. We were generous in cleaning them too.
We began with Mel Jol Subz Kurkuri, crispy vegetables roll offer scrumptious fillings between their thin sheets. The main course ushers in bread/rice with Keema Meat a-la-Rara, Murgh Peshawari, Rajputana Lal Maas delicious kebabs, Mangal Pandey Ki Pasand, Bharrey Lahori Aloo, Atta Chicken & Kadai Paneer Kamalkakdi with an assortment of parathas & such other delicious items. Biryani too is exceptionally well done, Kachche Gosht ki Biryani, low on spices & high on flavours.
Oh yes U will hear train arrivals & departure announcements periodically, & also the stationmaster, who occasionally rings the bell to signal the departure of a train!
On second thoughts, U could try almost anything on the menu & have a guaranteed great meal, so another visit is a must for the things U didn't get to taste the first time.
The establishment also boasts an extensive beverage menu, with fine wines, cocktails & non-alcoholic beverages, as well as a decent dessert section, should U care to venture that way after an almost assuredly large repast. Make sure U save some appetite for SSS’s fabled desserts— litchi ki Tehri, & apple walnut phirni, to name a few.
The service was quite fast, may be because way too many r out in the waiting hall. Even though in a place like this U don’t mind it to be slightly slow so that U can sink in the ambience. SSS sets a high bar for itself with its elaborate, innovative menu -& manages to deliver. Prices r not too expensive; the bill for agroup of 10 adults was around Rs 4500.
At the end of your SSS dinning experience a paanwaladressed in typical Benarasi style with a dhoti & a Nehru cap with a nice moustache presents U a Pan Menu. The specialty is its maghai (twin paans). The meetha paan is also quite tasty & the supari is quite soft. Also on offer is the kesar filled rampiyari which is a nice twist to an already popular paan. It’s a must stop after such a sumptuous a meal.
As U walk out, don’t forget to tug on the Station Master’s Copper Bell; helps to remind U that U r still at the City Centre Mall, 5th floor, Road No. 1 Banajara Hills, Phone: 66570000, 66683337
