Andaaz Restaurant

Lovely Andaaz

We had some friend's over from abroad and they all wanted to go Cuckoo's Den, obviously for its proximity, as they were all lamenting the food
And then I remembered an e mail from an old friend who is a chef
He had recently opened a restaurant in that area called Andaaz
I had know him since his Ugly Duckling times and would vouch for his culinary skills any time of the day So I logged into my e mail and there was a website address for this new restaurant A WEBSITE FOR A RESTAURANT IN LAHORE sounded kind of kool
And as I opened the site I saw a picture with the most amazing view of the Badshahi Masjid. The restaurant is located on The Fort road same as cuckoo's ONLY with much better views as it is much before Cuckoo's right across the road from the main mosque
The site was pretty decent with all necessary information, the menu and online reservations stuff -
So we decided to visit Andaaz
And as we got to Fort road, right after the dental college we saw this nicely restored-art deco style - building sitting on a corner lot- right across from the main mosque. There was a white shalwar kameez black waistcoat guard standing on the road who led us to the parking lot in the courtyard behind the building and efficiently opened the doors for us with a welcoming note- the interior was mesmerizing - paintings on the walls and ceilings, chandelier, atrium stairway, and a marble fountain- as we climbed up the stairway the soothing sound of water falling morphed into the sound of flute coming from the rooftop
At the rooftop we were greeted by a very charming lady who asked us if we would like to get a table or lounge on the rooftop garden - yes with real grass - and floor cushions - is what we opted for- and she introduced us to Anum - our hostess for the night
Then we called for our old friend who is also the chef - he had'nt changed a bit- smiling behind his gotee - he gave us a brief of the menu and just like old times - we asked him to excite us with his selections - in the meantime we were served papar and chutney which was so divine- our friends from abroad could'nt stop comparing the papars with their usual restaurants back home - and tehn right after 30 minutes as had been promised - our breads arrived- an assortment of pratahs and naan - could not have been better - and then came different courses of Malai Boti, Baluchi Tikka, Kabargah Chanp, Jhinga Karahi, sabzi Karahi and Daal Makhani - everything was served to us bit by bit by Anum our hostess and Marina who was assiting her - the girls knew what they were doing VERY WELL and could converse about practically everything - from the history of Lahore Fort to where to find the best khussas and churian - and explained to us all the ingredients and techniques involved in preparing our food - we were all so impressed - and the food UMPHH was better then any desi food I remembered having - our friend Ahmed had done it again - and as we devoured on our we were pampered by our hostesses - I think I am running out of word space here so let me cut it short - after the meal we were served Kulfi Faluda and Dahi Ki Kheer and Jaleibi - THE BEST JALEIBI IN LAHORE - and then we had Kehwa and Cardamom Sheesha - and then Paan on the house - abd all of this for a very reasonable price - around Rs 700 per person
Over all it was a great experience - I would rank Andaaz amongst the top 5 restaurants in Lahore - if not No. 1- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED