One could probably stumble over Al Maza restaurant on a chance browsing of Zomato for restaurants in Anna Nagar (E) to satisfy a weekend high calorie crave or while walking through or driving through the shady roads of the quiet colony where it resides and even then would find it difficult to complete their intention as the entry to the restaurant is very ambiguous. Not until recently, when the husband made a visit to pick up a large order, did he demystify it for me. The restaurant sits on the first floor of a building and the entrance is from the side through a flight of steps. Ok, go ahead and judge me, but wait till you find yourself there and cast about for those very stairs.
Since Ana's entry into our lives, we have really not gone out to eat much and that meant missing out on a lot of good places to eat...I mean it, a lot of restaurants that would otherwise had been ticked off with serious diligence have gone unnoticed. And before you ask? We find it comfortable and easier to dine in than to go out with a baby, a pram and a diaper bag in tow. Not to mention, to not having to deal with said baby's temperament in public and relieving fellow diners from the said baby's temperament. Ermm...so, Al Maza restaurant didn't need this kind of introduction. But since I write such few blog posts, I do tend to ramble a bit in the ones I am writing.
Okay, getting back to point. The first time we ordered from home after a quick glance at Zomato, I went for their Mughlai dishes. Even now, after ordering a few times now, I would still go for their MNA (Mughlai, North Indian and Arabic items). I have never ordered from their Chinese menu. I am generally quite wary of multi cuisine restaurants especially ones with this level of disparity in their cuisines, but this restaurant delivered on their orders and how.
These days to review a restaurant I tell myself to visit the place a few times at least, given the barrage of reviews being put up in sites like Zomato or Trip Advisor and that too after just one meal. It is quite unfair to the restaurant or hotel to be reviewed on just a single visit. First impressions are good, yes, but there is no harm in giving someone another chance.
No such problem with Al-Maza anyway. We started on a lovely note and just like in a love story you know that the particular boy/girl was going to be bound for life, I knew from the first bite of their succulent, juicy, punch in the gut Sole Kabab, that mine was going to be a love story too. There is a certain seriousness to their cooking, which is so difficult to come by in restaurants these days. Al Maza's strength lies in its back to the roots cooking. I have tasted about three of their kababs to date and I can say very clearly that the marinade or the taste itself is unique to each.
There is a general expectation from regular kababs served in Tandoori joints. Chicken tandoori, tikka, kali mirch etc tend to have a tangy, spicy taste and the malai tikkas and afghani murg tikkas generally have more subtle flavors. But here, in addition to the tangy, spicy taste of the Shole kabab which was charcoal grilled chicken pieces having a spicy marinade, there was such depth of flavor that I couldn't quite decipher. There was a definite feeling of tasting something different from the usual tikka. Other tikkas that I have eaten and loved are: Kaali Mirch tikka, that had a strong pepper flavour but was tasty, Al Maza's special chicken 65, which was simply out of the world; it is not like any Chicken 65 I have tried. I am yet to foray into their lamb and fish kebabs, but the wait I know is going to be worth it.
The gravies that support the meal and these specialty kababs were not of less repute either. Whether it was the tangy Sabsi kada masala or the spicy, flavourful Veg Jalfrezy, suffice it to say that they held their own in the battle of the senses. The gravy in both cases were thick, creamy and packed with flavors and were good accompaniment to the array of Indian breads in the menu. But the item which really prompted me to write this blog, is their Mutton Biriyani. Purely on the strength of their earlier orders, I confidently ordered a kilogram of biriyani for a Sunday lunch and I was not disappointed. The rice grains were separate, the spice and the masalas were well entrenched in the meat as well in the rice; and the thing that stood out for me about it was that it was just this side of tear inducing spicy. Just a teeny, tiny bit...just enough to stand apart from the rest of biriyanis...just enough to get me to sit and type out this blog post.
Al Maza, is a true value for money with a Rs. 850+ for two for a sumptuous, tasty meal. Their friendly, keen staff and attentive management are a bonus to the whole eating experience. If you haven't been there already, I would suggest a quick weekend lunch or dinner. Immerse yourself in a spread that is reminiscent of the intricacies of Mughal cooking.
Since Ana's entry into our lives, we have really not gone out to eat much and that meant missing out on a lot of good places to eat...I mean it, a lot of restaurants that would otherwise had been ticked off with serious diligence have gone unnoticed. And before you ask? We find it comfortable and easier to dine in than to go out with a baby, a pram and a diaper bag in tow. Not to mention, to not having to deal with said baby's temperament in public and relieving fellow diners from the said baby's temperament. Ermm...so, Al Maza restaurant didn't need this kind of introduction. But since I write such few blog posts, I do tend to ramble a bit in the ones I am writing.
Okay, getting back to point. The first time we ordered from home after a quick glance at Zomato, I went for their Mughlai dishes. Even now, after ordering a few times now, I would still go for their MNA (Mughlai, North Indian and Arabic items). I have never ordered from their Chinese menu. I am generally quite wary of multi cuisine restaurants especially ones with this level of disparity in their cuisines, but this restaurant delivered on their orders and how.
These days to review a restaurant I tell myself to visit the place a few times at least, given the barrage of reviews being put up in sites like Zomato or Trip Advisor and that too after just one meal. It is quite unfair to the restaurant or hotel to be reviewed on just a single visit. First impressions are good, yes, but there is no harm in giving someone another chance.
No such problem with Al-Maza anyway. We started on a lovely note and just like in a love story you know that the particular boy/girl was going to be bound for life, I knew from the first bite of their succulent, juicy, punch in the gut Sole Kabab, that mine was going to be a love story too. There is a certain seriousness to their cooking, which is so difficult to come by in restaurants these days. Al Maza's strength lies in its back to the roots cooking. I have tasted about three of their kababs to date and I can say very clearly that the marinade or the taste itself is unique to each.
There is a general expectation from regular kababs served in Tandoori joints. Chicken tandoori, tikka, kali mirch etc tend to have a tangy, spicy taste and the malai tikkas and afghani murg tikkas generally have more subtle flavors. But here, in addition to the tangy, spicy taste of the Shole kabab which was charcoal grilled chicken pieces having a spicy marinade, there was such depth of flavor that I couldn't quite decipher. There was a definite feeling of tasting something different from the usual tikka. Other tikkas that I have eaten and loved are: Kaali Mirch tikka, that had a strong pepper flavour but was tasty, Al Maza's special chicken 65, which was simply out of the world; it is not like any Chicken 65 I have tried. I am yet to foray into their lamb and fish kebabs, but the wait I know is going to be worth it.
The gravies that support the meal and these specialty kababs were not of less repute either. Whether it was the tangy Sabsi kada masala or the spicy, flavourful Veg Jalfrezy, suffice it to say that they held their own in the battle of the senses. The gravy in both cases were thick, creamy and packed with flavors and were good accompaniment to the array of Indian breads in the menu. But the item which really prompted me to write this blog, is their Mutton Biriyani. Purely on the strength of their earlier orders, I confidently ordered a kilogram of biriyani for a Sunday lunch and I was not disappointed. The rice grains were separate, the spice and the masalas were well entrenched in the meat as well in the rice; and the thing that stood out for me about it was that it was just this side of tear inducing spicy. Just a teeny, tiny bit...just enough to stand apart from the rest of biriyanis...just enough to get me to sit and type out this blog post.
Al Maza, is a true value for money with a Rs. 850+ for two for a sumptuous, tasty meal. Their friendly, keen staff and attentive management are a bonus to the whole eating experience. If you haven't been there already, I would suggest a quick weekend lunch or dinner. Immerse yourself in a spread that is reminiscent of the intricacies of Mughal cooking.
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