dum pukht - itc maratha

another great restaurant @ itc maratha, uniquely different from other fine indian restaurants in offering great lucknowi cuisine.

*veg only review*
this restaurant is special for its kebabs and biryani. there are very limited choices of both, but more variety does not mean better. despite a selective menu, the veg kebabs are great and unlike the ones you find at other restaurants. 

we are a couple and had the dudhiya kebab & hara bhara awadhi for starters. for mains, we had the veg biryani. this menu was suggested by our server (great service), and was perfect in variety and quantity, as the food here tends to be really filling.

there was distinctness in flavour and texture, and the kebabs were very well cooked. these kebabs are not like your regular bbq ones but they are pan-fried or various techiques maybe. that said our kebab came with bread and its a great combination. the veg. biryani was very nice and fresh, optimal temperature and well steamed. the traditional cooking style did give it a nice taste. maybe the only suggestion for the biryani would be that it was much less spicy and little less flavoursome, but that depends on one's palate.

overall, it was a great experience and reccommended. we really look forward to visit again, especially for the kebabs.

pros
+ great kebabs
+ great service
+ unique indian cuisine offering

cons
(-) none specifically
(-) maybe increase choices for veg biryani to suit various palates

this place is a must visit if you are craving for authentic awadhi food. the ambience is legendary. kakori kebab and the murgh yakhni pulao is a must try, the kakori kebab literally melts in your mouth. highly recommended.

amazing good, great staff.

kakori kebab and lamb biryani is a must have. murg chandani kebab is good too. over a good pick for a nice sit down dinner with family.

absolute fine dinning experience...mr anand is very good host and knows how to take care of guests...we planned for ala carte but he suggested to go for set menu which have all what we desired costing around rs. 3675 +taxes...ambiance perfect mughlai feel...itc maratha never disappoints on food even in buffets...their signature dish kakori kabab just melts in mouth (but found just hint of more clove it in)...shahi nihari was perfectly cooked...pick of the dishes were lamb biryani..i think there are very few places in mumbai where you get such amazing awadhi type biryani....in veg dudiya kabab and some daal which was soaked for 24 hrs were excellent...in the end kulfi badshah to complete your meal....overall it was a perfect lunch for the price you pay....will surely visit again...

tried their kakori kebab, the flavour of cloves was so overpowering my mouth went numb and had to take a healthy swig of my wine to clear away the unpleasant taste, the sheermal does somewhat balance out the strong spice but it is too tiny to be adequate... but the lamb biryani changed my mood completely.... it reminded me of the delicious old school biryanis i have tasted in lucknow and went one better. the spices were delicate and well balanced and the flavour of pure ghee was magic. the meat was so soft that despite being on the bone i could cut it with a spoon. the liquor variety was good & not overpriced, best of all.... they have wines by the glass. so just for the biryani, liquor and ambience i would give them full marks...took away i mark for the kebab.

the kakori kabaab just melts in the mouth. also jhinga dum nisha was awesome- the prawns were perfectly done, fresh and perfect.

the dum pukth lamb biryani is a signature dish. the lamb is perfectly marinated and dish is low on spice, steaming hot, perfectly retained moisture in lamb/ steamed rice.

the dinner here is a marvel. top it with great ambience and hospitality.

dont miss the sahi tukda for desert even if you are full.

this place knows how to make ur occasion special, let me start with thanking pramod for taking such good care of us .. wonderful ambience , wonderful service, awssum food . loved every minute spent at the place . thank you atu and sudeep too for lovely service offered. biryani is a must .

excellent food..great ambience..my friends had the lavish ramzan thali..they couldn’t stop praising it..i had veg biryani..again out of the world!! great experience..limited choice for vegetarians but you will love whatever you eat....

i was enamored with all the royal treat at the recent iftaar experience at dumpukht.

the opulent decor to sumptuous food to the flawless service that makes you feel no less than a king or queen.

a special festival ruhaniyat at dum pukht is a glorious feast showcasing the khwaan thaal; thaal filled with ramadan delicacies and abundance of traditonal flavors.
from succulent kebabs to incredibly delicious haleem, nihari and biryani, you name it and they have it.

larger than life, this khwaan thaal was a gastronomic delight!

i'll remember this meal for a very long time!

would definitely recommend to visit and experience this before 14th june.

exquisite food with beautiful decor! perfect place to spend time with your loved ones! great service to help you out with your perfect dish.

date : 21 apr 2018 at 8 pm

while have been to this hotel quiet a few times never had a chance to have dinner at this place. so decided to have dinner here with family. had reserved a table so after being seated , dived into the menu. 

the wine collection is good here and if you love wines [which i do] then you have a treat. wend for the red and ordered starters to go with, the starters were very good , cooked to the right level without loosing the texture of the dish. 

for the main corse ordered assorted breads, with a veg & a non veg main course. the breads were very well done and had a taste of their own. the main course did not live up to my taste as it was more 'satvik' in taste. 

had a soft gulab jamun in honey which was good for the sweet tooth.

the service was very good but i found the decor to be a little dated [including the menu cards] which were worn out. i expect these small things to be exquisite and neat when you are at such a fine dining place. 

also, was almost half empty for a sat evening , so that did not give a good feeling while dining . i like the place i dine to be full with guests this helps liven up the place.

i give it a 4/5 little more due to the itc pedigree else it would be a 3.5.

awesome place/ambience, great food. cooked well, right amount of spices. the breads are really well done. staff is very friendly as well. book in advance to avoid disappointment. it gets really crowded. must visit. food at any itc is always great.

beautiful ambience, tasty food, good quantity and it's served in beautiful crocery set, which adds more colour to your dinner. yes it's very expensive but its worth it.

after eating a peshawri a day before where i was not satisfied with the cooking, i was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the way the staff at itc took my feedback.

based on that, i decided to give the renowned dum pukht a try and i must say the turnaround was brilliant to say the least. every bite from the starter to the paan was filled with flavour. the texture and taste of every dish was different and that's what made me enjoy every bite.

i went for a chefs fixed meal rather than individually ordering anything as gives me a bit of everything

in the starters, i had a seekh gufani, kakori kebab and a prawn starter. each of them were unique and flavorful in their own way. the kakori kebab which is a signature dish truly melts in the mouth and i could actually eat a lot more then had the thought of the other items also.

in main course i was served lamb nihari and something similar to dal makhani but made with green lentils. after seeing that dal i was convinced it is dal makhani but the flavour of the same was so different and i couldn't believe how a dish so similar in texture to dal makhani could taste so different

a biryani was also served with a garlic flavoured raita and the raita was exceptional

for desert a gulab kheer was presented which was as different as possible from a conventional kheer, i was literally licking the spoon

the chef and the senior staff came to take my feedback and i must say i will go here again and probably eat everything again that i had today

this restaurant is by far one of the best restaurants i have visited in india. the food stands up to its reputation and the high price is compensated with finger-licking delicacies of fine biryani and melt-in-mouth kebabs.

we ordered the 2 non-veg biryanis (one was murg yakhani pulao though) on the menu and a kebab. this was shared by 3 people and the quantity was extremely good (kebabs are heavy nonetheless) for a pice of about 6,800 rs.

the beauty of this restaurant lies in its dum cooking and the legacy of the qureshi family who have cooked for generations for the awadh royal family.

what disappointed me the most is an unpleasant odour when we entered the restaurant and depressing lighting. the interiors are of traditional awadh style but the lighting did not do justice to the same.

the service was really good and the waiter at our table (i forgot the name but he said he was from bhopal) was extremely hospitable. it was reflective in the genuine service that he put up for us.

over all, full marks to food and service but they really need to work on interiors and proper ambience in general. (you can see my love for the food that i didn’t even care for a good picture because i wanted to munch in faster)