Ramzaan Special Buffet at K19 Park Plaza

0 Comments

'Bangalir Baro Maas e Tero Parbon' roughly translates in to 'Bengalis celebrate thirteen festivals in twelve months'. The celebrations &accompanied by grand feasts are what we look forward to break away from the monotony of everyday life. It doesn't matter whether the festivals are religious, cultural or geographical we always find a way to overcome the boundary. One such festival has to be Eid-Al-Fitr, which in spite of being a Islamic festival, is celebrated throughout the world.
A unique celebration where the believers fast for throughout the day for a month to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. May be as a foodie what attracts me most is the Ramzan special delicacies. These are dishes which aren't normally prepared throughout the year, only during the month of fasting they are served at the iftar i.e the meal consumed at the end of the day to mark the end of the daily fasting. Not only the popular haleem, fruits, salads,kebabs & traditional desserts are also served in iftar which has grown into banquet festivals in recent times.

The restaurants in the city took up the opportunity to serve some excellently cooked delicacies in the Ramzan Special Buffet. K-19, Park Plaza did not lag behind. Already known for its all day buffet spread which is well appreciated by the foodies & regulars alike, K-19 has recently introduced a Night Revellers Buffet available from 10pm-1am at a discount of 50% on the original price. For the Ramzan special buffet, Chef Jayanta Bannerjee & his team has added some special dishes to the usual spread of soups, salads & desserts.

PanchPhoron was invited over along with other food bloggers of the city for a tasting of these special items, & this is my short review for the items I tried.

Machhi Talatil:

The first to arrive, an appetizer which somewhat resembles fish fingers, but much more flavourful due to the generous sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. The crunchy outer layer & the soft inner layer was just a perfect match.

Saufiyan Paneer Tikka:

Chunks of cottage cheese lightly coated in the tikka style marinade of ginger garlic Chilli & saying paste, this too was good in taste, but surely I liked the fish one better.

Peyaz ka Pakora:

Simple onion fritters, crunchy & crispy, these quite vanished from the plates, the moment they were being served.

Salads:

Warm Masaledar Red Chana Salad / Assorted Fruit Chaat.

The assorted fruit Chaat was a great addition, since that is one of the most common items for the 'iftar'.

However I was looking forward to their non veg items, hence skipped the salads.

Nizami Murgh Biryani:

This was the show stopper. The mix of coloured rice & cooked chicken pieces has always been my favourite. This one was perfectly cooked, & the boiled potato with the imbibed flavours , was just mouth watering my delicious, both to look at & eat.

Afgani Machhi:

Although the gravy was decent & flavourful, I didn't quite like the fish. The piece I had was a bit over fried, giving the outer layer a undesired crispy feel. Maybe I was unlucky, but this didn't appeal much to me.

Gosht Haleem:

This, is what I was eagerly waiting for. This year our group visited a no. Of restaurants in search of the best haleem served in the city. This mutton haleem served at K19 has to be among the best. The rich gravy with chunks of well cooked mutton, this was absolutely cherisheable to the last morsel. Some unlike me like their haleem with the meat totally dissolved in the soup. But I like this version more.

Awadhi Style Aloo Methi Masala / Chukunder Paneer/ Sultani Dal / Mazmuah E Subziyat / Achari Arbi:

These items were in the spread , however I didn't try them.

Pakizah Phirnee:

This thick creamy blend of milk & rice was really delicious. In fact I had a big spoonful serving of the same. Perfect blend of flavours & optimally sweet this was a good ending note to the spicy meal.

Aam Halwa:

I wouldn't call this a Halwa, since the usual texture of Halwa is missing. This one is far more smoother with chunks of ripe mango flesh added to the aromatic mix of condensed milk & mango. Absolutely loved this one.

Thus ended a great meal. The biryani & the haleem were perfect. The fish in the mains disappointed, however the starter was outstanding. As good were the desserts. I would definitely recommend this one to people looking for some really great foods. Even after the Ramzan Special, K19 will continue serving their all day buffet & the Midnight Revelers buffet, which are as delicious as they are value for money.