Suvarna Mahal Rambagh Palace: Suvarna Mahal at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur is perhaps the most ICONIC restaurant that showcases the opulence and decadence of a bygone era of royal patronage.
I was in Jaipur with a party of thirty friends to celebrate a special occasion.
When we decided to have a memorable dinner outing on the eve of the occasion, I zeroed down on Suvarna Mahal as it had all the necessary trappings for a meal to be etched in one’s memory. .
The Ambience
Rajput valor, glory, and grandeur- this is the essence that prevails the Suvarna Mahal, “The Golden Palace “, originally the regal banquet room. Well, known British designer, Sir Anthony Millbank provided the basic design. The walls were covered with exclusive ivory damask and the finest silk available in India at that time. The high ceiling enhanced with replicas of post-Renaissance paintings painted by Italian prisoners of war gave a touch of European elegance to the palace interiors.
The Italian chandeliers and the Italian alabaster marble lamps added to the serenity of the Suvarna Mahal.
The palace was equipped with a huge teak banqueting table meant for eighty guests. Each guest on that table had one personal valet to attend to their needs.
The flags and the battle honors of Jaipur armed forces were mounted on the walls. Numerous silver and gilt trophies were displayed here along with Victorian silver vases.
Since the time Rambagh housed its public guests in the main dining room, the flags and the battle honors have been replaced by huge mirrors, but the décor and the old world charm of Rajputana courtesy remain as before. Guests are encouraged to relive the splendor and the lives of royal princes and the princesses while dining at the Suvarna Mahal.
Chef Satya Prakash Sharma had laid out an elaborate vegetarian DEGUSTATION MENU( Chef’s tasting menu)on my request comprising of all the royal favorites so that my friends could have an experience akin to royalty.
The Food
We STARTED with:
*Hasrat-e-Husn:
Paneer imbued with herbs and spices glazed golden in the tandoor.L et’s just say that it must have been the only thing that Delhiites would certainly have had better.
*Subz shikampuri kebab:
Elephant yam patties with yogurt filling, pan-fried in clarified butter.Very unusual and delicious.
*Subz Hara Kebab
Winter vegetables and pulses ground together with spices and shallow fried on a skillet.Niiice !!
*Kesar badam ka shorba
Almond broth flavored with saffron was very different from an almond soup. The texture was a little grainy and a bit of Dal added to it gave the flavors a new dimension altogether.
THALI….MAIN COURSE:
*Khubani ke Kofta:
Apricot stuffed cottage cheese dumplings ion flavourful onion tomato gravy was the crown jewel of this feast. The awesome flavors just burst upon your tongue. Could have polished off a bowlful, it was that delicious.
*Safri Gucchi, Khumb aur Matar
Wood smoked Kashmiri morels, button mushrooms and green peas imbued in a rich gravy of almond with a hint of saffron Very tasty.
*Gobhi Methi Masala:
Cauliflower florets tossed with fresh fenugreek though sounded innovative but turned out to be quite bland. Can be avoided.
*Makai shehzadi:
Princess corn and emerald Spinach tossed in a ‘kadhai’ redolent with fresh spices and ginger. It seemed as if the Chef had wielded his magic wand to conjure this dish out of thin air. How could the humble Corn Palak taste this great? The taste of this dish was beyond description and I don’t even like to try it otherwise. Do not miss.
*Dal Suvarna Mahal:
Nation’s favorite lentil delicacy of whole urad daal, tomato puree, and garlic, simmered overnight on the tandoor, enriched with cream
.Beats Dal Bukhara on a good, bad, any day.
*Khuska:
Saffron flavored Doon basmati rice served with a dollop of ghee.O utstanding. Phew!
*Dahi Bhalla:
So soft and fluffy, It had the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Yummmmy.
*Missi Roti and Palak Parantha :
Win hands down the award for the best I’ve ever had.
*Imarti:
Imartis prepared in Desi Ghee were tiny bundles of Heaven. Lipsmackingly good.
*Kesar kulfi:
Palace made ice-cream, delightful in flavor and texture. Controlled sweetness gave it a decided edge .
*Badam halwa :
Almond pudding . Although it was made in Desi Ghee, it wasn’t too dense or heavy . Again, balanced sugar made me finish the entire helping.D elicious.
The superstar in the entire meal was a very special Rajasthani speciality of Bharua Mirch .E veryone was totally enthralled by it.H ad to ask Chef SATYA to part with his recipe which he graciously did !
Boy !! Were we stuffed !!
The Service:
The SERVICE was top notch. The thaalis were gold plated. The crockery was Versace. The AMBIENCE was majestic and the EXPERIENCE was truly DIVINE. Suvarna Mahal should be right up there in your list of “the best life has to offer.”
It s a 4.8/5 on the MOVILICIOUS METRE.
Cost of Meal for Two :
This special meal cost us 5000/-++ which roughly came to 6400/- per head.
GlossyPolish Verdict
This one is definitely a treat!!