Restaurant Review : TIGER TRAIL - Royal Orchid, Bangalore

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“ Lets relish a Junglee feast ”

Yes , that’s the moto of this wonderful wild themed restaurant situated in sprawling lawns of one of the most enchanting premium star hotel property in midst of Bangalore , Royal Orchid.

With lot of open area around , fascinating green surroundings, the dining here is quite a unique experience in a serene gazebo setting, relishing some of the best authentic Indian dishes ,prepared traditionally with in-house prepared masalas and best of ingredients , cooked slowly and methodically by passionate chefs.

The Menu here has been inspired by the rustic authentic traditional kitchens of India, with some dishes that are named after the popular wild life sanctuaries of the country, like the Jim Corbett ka Paya Shorba , the southern Karnataka Bandipur Hariyali Murgh , the mountainous Kumaon Khumb , the royal rajasthani Ranthombore Pasanda Kabab , the bengali Sundarban Chingri Malai curry etc.

There were three of us and the majority being vegetarian except me.Our tiger trail sojourn began with assortment of best of Kababs and starters from the menu, Dahi Ke Kabab , that would just melt and disappear in the mouth , marinated mushroom delicacy grilled over the coal Kumaon Khumb and Vilayati Tarana Kabab , all for my vegetarian friends.

(Above:Dahi ke Kabab & Kumaon Khumb )

On the other hand, I opted to gorge on their awadhi specials from Lucknow , Kakori Kabab Nawabi & Asli Galouti Kabab , reliving my golden Lucknow days.

“ Originating from the place by the same name in the outskirts of Lucknow, Kakori is prepared from the “Raan” or the tendon of the mutton leg.The story goes that the then host to the englishman, Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi , the late Nawab was the innovator of this amazing variant , when his Seekh Kabab dish failed to impress his guest. The key ingredients used then were the Khoya that replaces the usual “Charbi” or the animal fat , Black pepper and the mystical Indian masala mix making it the perfect blend.

The juicy jumbo tiger prawn the Royal Bengal Tandoori Jhinga served to me too was absolute delight

Indian Breads at Tiger Trail

It is worth mentioning that Tiger Trail is one of the best place to try an relish Indian & Awadhi Breads in Bangalore.

speciality indian breads menu at tiger trail

sheermal

a rich bread with ingredients like milk, fat , flour & Saffron ,usually cooked in an iron tandoor.

kandhari naan

crispy rich indian bread stuffed with dry fruits, Khoya,desiccated coconut powder , braised in indian clarified butter

ulte tawe ka parantha

nawabi parantha cooked on inverted kadai resembling tawa without handle.

amritsari kulcha

stuffed dough with spiced potato ,cooked in tandoor & smeared with butter

taftaan

saffron and cardamom enriched persian bread,made with milk ,curd & eggs

tashkent naan

light & fluffy uzbek flavourful flat bread , always torn by hand, never cut with a knife

chironji naan

clay-oven baked flat flour bread with milk,eggs & sugar , dabbed with chironji seeds

ajwaini naan

flat flour bread with milk,eggs & sugar baked ,dabbed with ajwain seeds

kulcha

soft textured fine flour golden coloured clay oven baked bread with elasticity & chewy texture

altafi naan

refined flour naan with semolina, egg and milk

tandoori roti

wheat flour hand flattened bread cooked in clay-oven

And then came the Nalli Nahari , like a jewel in crown.

The Purani Dilli style lamb shank preparation from the walled city of Delhi, usually braised & stewed for long hours or even overnight , giving it perfect flavours. Usually a breakfast dish , I can relish it for any of my meals.

It goes well with any bread though I prefer it with Khameeri , sheermal or any other awadhi breads. Must Try at Tiger Trail.

Tiger Trail ki Kali Dal is another absolutely MUST TRY here. Cooked slowly for more than 16 hours , the rick black lentil gets thickened with red kidney beans ,tomato paste and butter ,giving it the creamy consistency.

For those who are vegetarian , British Raj Subzi , prepared with array of seasonal exotic vegetable in the khada or the un-powdered masala , is sure try.

Meet the Chef Altaf Hussain

Working in the kitchens since the tender age of 16 , Chef Altaf Hussain, is the man behind the culinary experience , we had at Tiger Trail.

A truly Awadhi food expert, he is very particular about his ingredients in the kitchens and prefers to make his own set for each of his recipes. Some of his masala have been prepared using more than 50 ingredients and we were lucky to check some of them ,while talking to him.

Above: On display , the various In-house masalas by Chef Altaf for the Tiger Trail kitchen

After a heart mains and talk with the Chef, we also tried some of their desserts. For me , no meal is completed without the Kesar Pista Kulfi Falooda , Indian pistachio ice cream (called kulfi) frozen to the consistency of a popsicle, served with a few strings of cold vermicelli noodles, sprinkled often with rose water-flavoured syrup, and we were glad to try one here. Also the hyderabadi Shahi Tukda , fried bread delicacy from the mughal kitchen served with thick rabdi , was equally delicious.

VERDICT

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as we had a absolutely fabulous lunch experience. Special mention for the Awadhi ones, and the Indian breads, certainly among the best in Bangalore in terms of quality and authenticity. However I felt , one visit is not sufficient here and I will be back again soon to try the remaining dishes.