Dera - Taj Chandigarh

Anmol Jain (Foodie_jaini)

6 years ago

5.0

The elegant Indian Restaurant with inviting ambience Dera – A Top Indian Restaurant in Chandigarh with ambience with its split level design, warm lighting, a busy show kitchen and a fun interactive counter. The hotel is one of the finest luxury hotels in Chandigarh. Located in the heart of the city, at Sector 17, the property is close to all major shopping hubs and business centre’s and a famous all time favorite destination for many of the Film stars, Politicians and Government Officials. Rich and Elegant interiors with Curved Glass walls. This is Luxury at its finest with the staff ever-ready and delighted to serve you. I recently got a chance to try their new dinner menu and here is my review regarding it. Event & Ambiance: - Sizzling Friday Night. Dera has recently launched a special sizzling Friday night menu with unlimited starters, main course and desserts. The Special Menu is for both vegetarians and non vegetarians costing Rs 1550/- and Rs 1750/- respectively. The ambiance is amazing with a live flute music played by a professional that brings back the feel of fine dining. Food: Lavish and cooked to perfection. The best thing is Taj has inbuilt kitchen where they make their own spices and other mandatory essential cooking products, which is one of the main reason behind the perfect taste in the food. It started with a welcome drink. I tried their Sweet Lassi which was very refreshing and thick. Moving on too Appetizers we had Tehdaar Panner Tikka(melts in your mouth), Bharwan Khumb Kali Mirch, Dahi Kay Shole (Highly recommended) and Aloo Nazakat served in a hot sizzler. Dahi Kay Shole – One of the best, I have ever had. Though I am not a mushroom lover but Bharwan Khumb Kali Mirch served at Dera made me fall in love with mushroom. Panner Tikka was also good. I also tried one of their famous Non Alcoholic Cockatil – Kaali (The Digestive dad of all the lemonades, the magic of angostura bitter, ginger ale, cumin, honey black pepper & lemonade) which tasted amazing and is highly recommended. The other options in drinks were Lava Green, Coco Loco, Fresh Lime Black or White, Strawberry Delight, Flavored Iced Tea, Angelina and Island Cooler. In the main course we had Paneer Long Latta, Kathal Masala, Handi Dal, Jeera & Pyaaz Pulao, Aloo Pudine ka Raita served with Assorted Breads. Panner Long Latta and Handi Dal were made to perfection with perfect balance of spices and flavors. Generally people of my age don’t prefer eating Dal but believe me they have best dal J. Pulao (Basmati Rice) was perfectly cooked. In the breads their Laccha Paratha & Butter naan is recommended. Coming to desserts we were served Shan-e-Dera and Moong Dal  Halwa. I picked the Moong Dal Halwa made with pure desi ghee J  and I loved it. I was completely full otherwise I would have pick one more bowl of Moong Dal Halwa J  I really loved the presentation of food served in Thali giving a traditional and homely feel .  Overall a great place with luxury ambience, great food, friendly & supportive staff . A experience never to forget. Thanks Team Dera for being a great host! I'll be back with my friends and family. Cheers! :)

Shubham kataria

3 years ago

5.0

Did you ever like History as a subject? No? me too :/ But you know what, you can still love it when it is served with delicious food at the food festival - Recipes of Punjab' at Dera @tajchandigarh; From 22 - 31 July (Lunch & Dinner). All thanks to Chef Gurleen @what_gurleen_did_next for bringing this amazing food fest here for us in our City Beautiful. That brings out again all the recipes that were lost in #undividedpunjab. As a matter of fact, the time has made these all recipes so extinct and the flavours added onto them by Chef Gurleen make these recipes magically unique, you just cannot find these anywhere else at so ease that Taj Chandigarh has brought to you. Let's check out what and how are they discovering lost Punjab and serving the history of those undivided Punjab kitchens to us. LAHORI CHARGA Out of all that is served, I will highly recommend trying out this recipe, a marinated chicken which then is steamed and deep-fried but magically not oily at all, the Chef’s magic you see. PANEER AMM(MANGO) DA TIKKA For all your tangy food cravings and all those who like an extra squeeze of lemon in their meal. Here is the best deal for you, paneer stuffed with mango and smothered in mustard. What a wonder. KEEMA KARELA At first, I was like no, I can never ever be part of this strange Karela admirers gang, but now I love karela too but just for what Chef Gurleen has served to me. I will still keep hating Karela Sabzi which my mom cooks for us once a week. ☹ MALAI WALA MURGHA I am sure everyone who is reading this must have at any point in time eaten creamy chicken, but I can bet you on this that hasn't had this kind of creamy chicken in your life. Such creaminess and chicken just melts in your mouth. One word - Mind Blowing CHANNA PALAK Another fantastic creation by Chef @gurleen. Garlic chickpeas cooked in Spinach gravy took this dish to another level. The combined flavour of both the channa and palak was just superb. Here comes my favourite part dessert. MEAT DA HALWA Though I am an explorer, I was like what, Meat ka Halwa, really meat. How can someone cook halwa out of meat? But I cannot put it in words but the texture, and the aroma was just so scrumptious. It takes a really good 3-4 hours to get this meal ready to be served. CHURI Anything goes extinct, but Churi? Not really. Let’s not let it go extinct ☹ That leftover Roti, Desi Ghee & Sugar (or Shakkar/ Khand – Crushed Jaggery) and Bebe Ji ka pyaaar put together. All in all, with the efforts of Chef Gurleen a recipe of History, poured with a dash of wonderness and served with the magic of flavours. Let's dive into this scrumptious history class together at Taj Chandigarh.

+2

Foodiesiblings29

6 years ago

5.0

I have been to this place Dera, Taj Chandigarh which is renowned for it's best food quality and services. I was here to enjoy the sizzling friday menu launch. The interiors are beautifully crafted, the cosy ambience and the staff is so kind and humble which altogether made my time at this place. Also, a gentleman was playing punjabi songs on flute which made the atmosphere so calm and composed. Now coming to the food, being a Punjabi, I loved their concept of having the unlimited food in thali. One can ask for as much quantity as they desire on friday nights only. The welcoming drinks included non alcoholic cocktails which are as follows Fresh Lime White, Island Cooler, Lassi, Kaali and Lava Green. Every beverage had unique flavour of it's own. They were so refreshing and healthy at the same time. I would personally recommended Kaali to all. The non-veg appetizers includes ▪Tulsi Mahi Tikka ▪Murg Angara ▪Lagan Ki Boti ▪Kutti Mirch Ka Jhinga I would highly recommend "Tulsi Mahi Tikka". It's a fish tikka made in basil paste and marinated in carrom seeds. The fish was cooked to perfection and the taste was so mesmerising. Next is "Lagan Ki Boti" for recommendation. This is a lamb meat made with various herbs and spices. A must try! The veg appetizers includes ▪Tehdaar Paneer Tikka ▪Bharwan Khumb Kali Mirch ▪Dahi Kay Shole ▪Aloo Nazakat I would recommend "Dahi Kay Shole" for sure. They are deep fried bread rolls filled with yogurt and cheese. The main course in non-veg includes ▪Moge Wala Kukkad ▪Mirchiya Wale Aloo ▪Dal Dum Dera ▪Pyazi Pulao ▪Bhune Lahsoon Ka Raita ▪Assorted Breads Everything was lip smacking delicious. The moge wala kukkad is highly recommended. It's a must try for every non veg lover. It was made in tomato gravy and the texture was so smooth that no one could ever stop it from having it. ▪Paneer Long Latta ▪Kathal Masala ▪Handi Dal ▪Jeera Aur Pyaaz Pulao ▪Aloo Pudine Ka Raita ▪Assorted Breads I haven't had this much delicious dal makhani till now. Can you believe there are 5 layers in dal makhani? It's so creamy and dreamy to have. It's completely different from other dal makhani. Desserts included ▪Shan -E- Dera ▪Moong Dal Halwa The sweetness level was perfect according to me, neither too high nor too low. I think everyone could have it. This place is renowned for their quality over everything and they have had proved this again.

Shreshth Malhotra

3 years ago

5.0

There are very few places that leave an immense impact on one’s mind with their hospitality and food. Dera at the Taj Chandigarh is one such place. I have been regularly visiting Hotel Taj for its food, and to be very honest, Dera and Black Lotus are perhaps some of the best options to enjoy a nice meal with your family. This review is about my experience at Dera during their Lost Recipes of Punjab food festival. The rustic setting of this restaurant always comforts my soul. Speaking about the food, I was amazed to see so many dishes from the time of my great-grandfather to even my childhood days.  The menu offered a wide variety of dishes, including kebabs, shorba, main course, and desserts. I started my lunch with a chilled glass of Bhrami Badam. It was a no-nonsense, delicious welcome drink with a touch of chopped almonds. Really refreshing stuff. Next up, the amuse bouche was a cute little serving of Makki di roti and sarso da saag topped with a garlic pickle. No wonder I loved that one. Finding saag at this time of the year and nailing it is an art in itself, and Chef Gurleen nailed that dish. Amongst the starters, don’t forget to try out their Punjabi Chargha—a popular Pakistani delicacy prepared using steamed and marinated chicken with gourmet spices. highly recommended. Do try their Majhe de chapli kebab and Arbi de patton ke pakode. Sensational stuff. For mains, I was really surprised to see very much household Punjabi classics like Boondi fry, Chana Palak, Lobia Dal and Mutton Kadahi. Paired with their Pulkari pulao prepared using loads of dry fruits, it was a heavenly experience. The best part of the afternoon was their dessert section. I am sure you would have eaten mutton in many forms but not in form of a halwa. That’s right. I had a portion of rich and dense halwa which was cooked for 7 hours with saffron flavoured milk and topped with saffron strands and pistachios. Another masterpiece was their Matar da halwa prepared using fresh peas and milk. Simple but very innovative. Overall, I have no doubt in saying that this was one of the best meals I had in Chandigarh since months. Wishing the team all the very best! Happy eating.

+4

Udhey

3 years ago

5.0

'Lost Recipes of Punjab' (Food Festival) at Dera @tajchandigarh ; From 22 - 31 July (Lunch & Dinner) Chef Gurleen @what_gurleen_did_next has brought one of the most exciting Food Fests to the City. Food habits have changed and recipes have been lost over time. I usually have 'Bajra Roti' in winters but it's getting increasingly difficult to source good quality Bajra as the crops have been shifting geographically, because either eating habits are changing or they're not commercially viable. Someone once told me that Wheat wasn't the primary grain for Roti in Punjab, we used mostly Makki (Corn), Bajra (Pearl Millet), Missi (Black Chickpea). Hence, lots of recipes were/are being lost which were at one point a part of Undivided Punjab that stretched from Delhi till Kabul in Afghanistan. Chef Gurleen has made an effort to bring some of those dishes through this Food Festival. Though everything is fantastic, I'd particularly recommend Lahori Charga, whole chicken that's first Steamed, marinated and then fried, it's not oily at all and super Flavourful. Moreover it's a recipe that I've not heard of. There's also Amm (Mango) Da Paneer Tikka which is Paneer stuffed with a bit of mango and smothered in Mustard. It works!! There's Keema Karela, a fantastic dish which is making somewhat of a comeback as I've seen it appear on some Menus now; and even Chana Palak. It's also fantastic to see Churi as a dessert. Back in the day whenever I use to go back to the farm from the boarding school, Churi was always made by my grandmother. While everyone runs away from ghee nowadays, we insisted on pouring more n more of it in this mash of Roti, Ghee & Sugar Or Shakkar (Jaggery Powder). In short, it's a fantastic experience and seeing some dishes/breads from my childhood appear in this Fest is really amazing. Yes they're being lost, but then as long as Chefs like Gurleen will keep making such efforts, we would always be able to retrieve them and they won't be lost forever. Don't miss this bite into our History!

+4

Ratul Jain (tastestrikers)

6 years ago

5.0

THE ELEGANT INDIAN RESTAURANT WITH INVITING AMBIENCE.Dera, a top Indian restaurant in Chandigarh, presents an inviting ambience with its split level design, warm lighting, a busy show kitchen and a fun interactive counter. The menu showcases an array of traditional delicacies from the Punjab region, with specialities from Amritsar, Lahore and Peshawar.  . Recently visited here at Dera and was really amazed by the food quality they offer. They served us North Indian Thali which was like you are being treated as a King👑 eating in a Chandi ki Thali .. I personly liked the Dera so much that it has been added in my top favourites 👍👍. . For more updates Follow- @taste_strikers on Instagram

Vanshika Dogra

3 years ago

5.0

Recently visited Dera ,Taj for ‘Lost recipes of Punjab’ fest. The menu emphasis on recipes of dadi’s and nani’s. Chef Gurleen curated every dish with perfection . I really loved having matar ka halwa , Yes! Your read that right , it’s matar (Green peas ) halwa even I was shocked when I heard that but trust me you should definitely try this and you’ll fall in love ❤️ Visit Dera , Taj Sector 17 chandigarh for the scrumptious lunch/dinner .

+4

Vedant Gautam

1 year ago

5.0

Visited the restaurant as a family and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. From the drinks to dessert we had exceptional experiences in all courses. The staff was welcoming and Chef was very nice and polite. Lives up to the Taj name.

a

2 years ago

5.0

Food was amazing. Overall the vibe was somewhat missing. For somebody who wants to have good food can definitely give it a try. ⭐️

Guri Singh

6 years ago

4.0

Great place with great ambiance and perfect qualitu as well as sitting area i love it even the staff was very good and comfortable😊 i really like it