Lock up – Dine in this crazy jail themed restaurants

You wouldn’t want to end up in a Lock Up in your wildest dreams, let alone dining in one. But this crazy restaurant brings to you an experience like no other. This is their second outlet and it’s insanely awesome. A half cut Police gypsy greets you and you enter a world you might want to stay well out of in reality. The main action happens in the basement which is huge in comparison – dining tables placed literally behind the bars, ‘420’marked cutlery holders, emergency lights and the surprise checks by the Thanedaar.

What sets this place apart from a regular thana is the amazing food they serve. We started with some refreshing cocktails.

Starting with beetroot kebab – smooth textured, ground beetroot kebab patties with a slight crisp outer covering and melt in mouth flavour.

Vegetarian mezze platter – falafel, paneer sticks, hummus, baba ganoush, Lebanese pickles and pita chips. The falafel kebabs came sandwiched between mini pita breads, lettuce and tomato slices. Topped with crunchy sesame seeds, the falafel kebabs were just the right amount of moist and crispy, a balance even many Lebanese places find difficult to achieve. The paneer skewers too were good enough but the falafel outshone by leaps and bounds. The hummus and baba ganoush too were well prepared, though the hummus could have used alittle more olive oil to add a bit more to the smoothness.

Mutton keema pav – buttered toasted pav, served in a goblet full of flavorsome mutton keema. Quite a mainstream dish now, the keema was slow cooked to a thick boisterous concoction, full of tantalizing flavours.

Chicken lollipop served in a web of crunchy noodles. The chicken lollipop was well marinated, super juicy, succulent and nicely tossed in a sweet chilly chinjabi sauce. A rollicking preparation after a long time.

Cornflake crunchy chicken – battered chicken breast topped with masala and served with flavoured mayo. The chicken bits are well marinated and very juicy and the desi zing with masala is simply golden.

For mains we had their tandoori butter chicken with a pepper punch with butter naan. Topped with cream, this butter chicken preparation was exemplary with its sweet creamy gravy and a punch of peppercorns without any unnecessary heat. Teamed with the classic butter naan, this made for an excellent bite.

For desserts we tried one of the newbies on their menu – gulab kheer served with a sugarwork. Made entirely out of rose petals and topped with fresh roses, this is a sweet delish dessert and completely novel.

So, get locked up and enjoy their fabulous butter chicken, keema pav and coolers.