lark dhaba

there was moti mahal of daryaganj and then there was and still is lark dhaba of ludhiana junction. one invented 'butter chicken' and the other re-invented the same dish. if ever you are in that region and even if you need to take a slight detour to go through ludhiana, you must do it for the sake of tasting one of the best butter chickens available in this part of the country, delhi included.
we reached lark at around 10 pm and the area was alive, located close to the famed clock tower this area is full of life. once known by a movie theatre that ran matinees and colorful night shows, this area served the after drinkers and while drinkers for you can still order addhas an pauvas thru their waiting staff boys if you are not sitting in their "family room". 
intrigued by their loud posters on must try dahi bhallas, at 10 in the night we decided to give it a start. no surprise, the chaat was excellent, dahi had a thick yogurt consistency and perfect sweet- tang ratio but, this is not what we came for. 
ordered their reshmi chicken tikka, tawa meat,keemakulchas with gravy and their famous butter chicken. the wait of 10 min seemed absolutely torturous. 
the arrived in all its color. reshmi  chicken tikkas came individually wrapped in these little foil parcels, open each one and voila! the tikkas just disappear in your mouth. the softest and the juiciest chicken cooked. tawa meat and thekeemakulchas were great although i felt the gravy with thekeemafilling made it double spicy and maybe that's why its an absolute favorite of the local drinking clientele. 
the star of the evening for sure was their delectable butter chicken, one bite and i was lost. you get the complexities of spices played subtly over your palate and with every bite i felt that the after taste was of dal makhani. i dont know how they do this melange of flavors but its an absolutely smashing dish, that i dream about so many times and have almost taken my car out to drive all the way from delhi to ludhiana just to get a bite of it with crispy tandoori naans. 
lark is undoubtedly a legend that every foodie must visit atleast once in their lifetime. once you've been, you will be hooked for life on their honest flavors

thekeemain the naan was fresh as ever.typical old school preparation.highly recommended.

awesome butter chicken andkeemanaan, butter naan's are so soft to eat quality food delivered by lark. i love this place and marked this place as favourite. best place to enjoy food.

i orderedkeemanaan, taste was unbelievable awesome taste with great quality and quantity. over all out of the world ....... amazing and ultimate

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 bykeemanaans 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 orderedkeemanaan and reshmi chicken to start with.thekeemanaans 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.