McDowell’s and Madras
Masala lamb chops, a new starter, has four chunky chops marinated in ginger and garlic. Grilled to perfection, the meat falls o the bone with the gentlest of prodding. Half a lime adds acidity, whereas coriander brings fresh aromatics to the party.
The rst thing you want to do when the lobster thermidor arrives is post the beauty on Instagram. Dressed in a decadent cream sauce and baked in its own shell, the succulent crustacean is showered with dainty nasturtium owers and some good, crusty bread to mop up all that delicious sauce at the bottom of the plate. After the palate-tickling foreplay, come the full-blooded avours of the Rampuri taarghosht. This Awadhi specialty of slow-cooked mutton blanketed in a rich gravy hits 9.9 on the umami scale. Liquid pleasures come in the form of refreshing gin and tonic and smoked bourbons.
The menu also roams Italy and France with pasta and buttery pomfret meuniere. However, you cannot come to Gaylord and not give in to the chicken ala kiev — a continental classic that the restaurant is best known for. Happy to report that the deep-fried llet of chicken still detonates with a gush of melted cheese when pierced with a fork or knife. Despite being stued, it is impossible to leave even a morsel of the judiciously sweetened custard, which comes in a lake of caramel sauce.
The service is still laid-back but on point — it is peppered with the comfort of familiarity. And while new experiences are great, old things can be so much more comforting, as long as they are done with commitment and panache.
A meal for two costs ₹2,200 without alcohol and ₹3,000 with alcohol at Gaylord, located Mayfair Building, V N Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai. For reservations, call 8657280340.
The brand is named after Angus McDowell, a Scottish businessman who built a warehouse at Fort St. George, close to Madras (now Chennai) and, from 1826, served the British expat community with imports of groceries and spirits. In 1959, McDowell’s & Co established its first distillery in Cherthala, Kerala, marking the genesis of the McDowell’s No.1 brand, launching brandy, then whisky and rum. In 1968, the brand launched McDowell’s No.1
Whisky, marking the inception of the world’s largest selling whisky, born out of India.