Khaan Saab Gachibowli
Overall
3.0/5
Ambiance
3.0/5
Food
2.5/5
Service
3.5/5
Khaan Saab is part of BJN Group which also helms an array of well known brands in dining landscape - Sahib Sindh Sultan, Cuba Libra , Firangi Paani and Angeethi and many more. Already with a big fan following for its Banjara Hills Branch , this place was long pending in my visit list and timing was about to set right. Since we couple of foodies, wanted to meet Midweek for a lunch, we finally made this place as our choice as our fellow foodies said its worth a try and definitely the fine dining decor of Banjara Hills stood testimony to it.
The place located in the top floor in Gachibowli junction, is not a hard one to locate. On entereting the trademark huge elephant statue welcomes you and as the name says the decor with its grandness and royalty wlecomes to enter into a world of fine dining experience. Did the food and service compliment the same? Well I would say , apparantly not as I expected.
As we entered and sat down, we picked the best spot as lighting even though it was fine dining was low and definitely we wanted to click good pictures. The seaitng was very comfortable but wish there more of those kind of tables. There were mixed seating arrangements but I felt for such a buge place , they could offer more seating options. They also have 15-20 member PDRs also for private dining. We started with their drinks which of course are only 3 on menu. Apple-Pineapple Ka Panna was more like nicely flavoured paani poori water with more of chat masala. Frnakly didnt get any apple or pine apple ka flavor in them. Badam Thandai on other hand was too strong on saffron and it was so high , that we couldn't relish the badam flavor thought we felt it could easily been better. Sodewali Shikanjvi which is typical north indian nimbu pani with chaat masala was bit refreshing but could have been more chill. One of us wanted something else and on request, they got us Bar man special mocktail which visually appealed but flavor went down south. I think with a menu so vast in projecting the richness of their cuisine, they should work on improving their drinks and also add some choices for sure. It was not a definite good starting impression for us.
With drinks not satiating us, we moved onto starters. Laal Mirchi Ka Teekha Tikka , portrayed as fiery rajasthini Kebab presentation for Royals of of Rajputana looked absolutely appealing and then on tasting it, it wasnt that spicy or teekha as it sounded but flavor was there. We felt chicken was a bit spongy which also led us to think if it was frozen meat as it also was watery on serving. Malai Jhinga (Malai Prawns) skewered and marinated in processed cheese looked too much burnt for me but the flavor was good enough but pieces were very less for price tag of 490 INR.
Tundey Kebab was our last choice which was brought with just 4 pieces of it and the nightmare didnt end there. On tasting, we felt a heavy dose of cloves paste over dominating the meat and it was mashed up so soft that it wasnt even handy to eat. On total dissatsfaction, their manager apologized and replaced it with Talahua Gosht which was served quickly again. I didnt feel the hotness in this dish, the dish on tasting sounded like more of chilli mutton tossed with heavy green chillies . The marination was indeeed good but wasnt deep enough to get into the meat all the way through. Overall the starters were a mixed bag but I feltall of the dishes were lukewarm and definitely not on the hot side.
After a rather dissapointing or OKish starters, we ordered Murgh Parat Biryani as we thought it was our safest bet and an array of Indian breads with Roghan Josh and Murgh Kali Mirch Ka Tikka Masala on manager's recommendation.
We ordered 5 different varities of breads which actually balance our disappointment big time in their flavors, richness and freshness - Burani Paratta , Shahi Malai Paratta, Pudina Paratta, Garlic Olive Naan and Hari Mirch Ka paratta . Everything impressed us . From the curries both Roghan josh and murgh kali mirch were almost spot on. I personally liked the Murgh kali mirch as it was authentic and no compromise to make it teeka and went smoothly with the soft and tender breads. Roghan josh curry was apt but had too much food color on it. From Parattas, pudina and burani paratta both were brilliant.
Murgh Parat Biryani , marinated and cooked in traditional parat dish , the chicken was perfectly cooked and of course the aroma was good. It was not as spicy as dum biryani and I think faired the part and ended the main course on a positive note.
As my meal any day any time , needs dessert to complete, we first ordered for Litchi Ki Tehri which we felt was unique amongst the desserts choices and when served we felt nothing WOW about it and was very average. There was litchi flavor but nothing complemented each other. On slight disappointment there, Manager insisted us to taste their other optins and brought in Gajar ka Halwa, Khubani Ka Meetha and Gulab Jamun. Now here is where we felt satisfied that all three deserts impressed us. Gajar Ka Halwa was awesome while Khubani Ka meetha was so soft and rich and the apricots used tasted amazing. Gulam jamun I felt was lil less sweet for me and the dry fruits made it even less sweeter. Overall desserts which they offered seemed to have satisfied us.
Service & Hospitality:
Service was never a dull factor in our whole dining experience but trying to provide a royal fine dining experience, I expect them to be providing that aura as part of the service. This was missing big time and they never smiled at all. Manager on the other hand was courteous and was more interactive which was a refresher in this aspect. I feel the staff could be trained to more smiling and interactive because it otherwise could be perceived as dull and unattentive.
Verdict:
Khaan Saab Gachibowli for most part of it disappointed me because of the hype and fan following of their brand in Banjara hills branch and also fellow foodies experience. Considering the pricing and the quantity of the dishes , I was disappointed in the drinks and starters while their main course and desserts were saving grace. The pricing and brand quality should speak to me in every factor and unfortunately for me, it didnt. I hope and wish its an one off instance but it would keep me from opting this place for any subsequent visits.
