lark dhaba

a place we often go when in search of good food is lark . situated in old town in night you can get parking but in day it is next to impossible to go in the car. they have revamped the place a bit but still desi toh desi hi rahega na. purana furniture hai abhi bhi . they have separate halls now for family and drunkards. raita and peanut is good . the gravy of chicken is nice and full of flavours. fish and sauce are also good in taste. thei karahi paneer is full of spices , dhuaan nikaal de and chilly paneer is ok ok.
you can go there to have some great food.

went to ludhiana for office work.thought of having some local street food/local flavour.
went to this place. just opposite to the station area / clock tower.
a very non-descript place with a air conditioned hall on the first floor.
ordered a butter chicken quarter / naan and reshmi kabab.
absolutely great tasting food. all spices come together - smooth and buttery - homogenous yet distinct.
one of the best butter chicken and reshmi kabab i had in a long time. such a welcome difference from the regular buffets in 5 star hotels - with no character of the local cuisine.
ambience - well nothing to talk about.
crowd - everyone around will be having royal stag/royal challenge quarter with soda and water.
total bill was 315/-..

heard from family elders about it,n it seems to b one of oldest(though not that old)restaurant of old side of city..located at crowded place,one can easily find the place to park car in front of old cinema hall..broad stairs will take you to narrow stairs,and there are two halls..i did not notice any seperate family hall,so if its more like men/big boys outing..go for it,but avoid with family..one reason would be cheap posters of c grade adult films may catch your eye at parking space, since they got drinking license,its more like place of sharaabis..coming to food,me being not a regular non-vegetarian,enjoy non veg after long gaps n breaks(say once in two month)keema naans are tasty...never tasted as yummy malai tikka ever.
seekh kabab passable..reshmi chickan live upto its name..though i dont like to eat non veg on regular base,i enjoyed it at lark..

is it possible to walk into a nondescript eating joint located in the crowded city quarter and discover gastronomic excellence?yes,if the city is ludhiana and you've been dragged by your husband to a place called lark that he fondly remembers.family outings in his childhood meant a movie followed by keema naans for dinner.

my daughter and i reluctantly accompanied him on a nostalgia trip with zero expectation.a pleasant surprise awaited us.we made it to the place without facing any traffic snarls and got a good parking space as well.there are a number of dhabas that line the road which housed rekhi cinema opposite the railway station and each one is superlative i am told.

we walked into lark dhaba and were very courteously greeted and welcomed.though a no frills place,the service would put any so called fine dining establishment to shame.we ordered keema naan and reshmi chicken to start with.the keema naans were the best i've had so far.crisp yet flaky with a tender lightly spiced filling(we were asked if we wanted the food spicy or lightly spiced and we opted for the latter).the accompanying gravy was delightful as were the crunchy onion rings,pleasantly green with copious amount of fresh,green coriander,zesty with lime juice.the reshmi chicken kebabs,bite sized pieces,were individually wrapped in foil and lived upto their name.they were silken and melt in the mouth,liberally laced with green cardamom.the green chutney they came with had a fiery kick to it,a perfect partner!the main course of butter chicken,tandoori roti and butter naan too was par excellence.each time i think i've had the best possible butter chicken,i discover a hidden gem that offers one even better.it can happen only in ludhiana!

though the location might not attract people,for those familiar with the city it should not prove a deterrent.the street could easily be converted into a food street on the lines of lahore if the city and it's denizens took some pride in its strengths and traditions instead of flocking to food courts of malls with their indifferent cuisine and lacklustre service.