Khiva, the new eatery in Bhandup, named after an Uzbeki city, had us confused by serving North West Frontier cuisine; its wholesome fare managed to sate our appetites, nevertheless
The eatery that we were about to review, as we read, was located in Lower Powai. The name threw us in a tizzy, posing weird geographical questions. Soon, we realised these folks were referring to Bhandup! The name of the restaurant, Khiva, also prodded us to educate ourselves through a web search, which was revealed to be a city in Uzbekistan.
Mushroom, Shakarkandh and Babycorn Kebab
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A look at the menu and the interiors — which are supposed to look like a mix of rugged homes in the desert — explained that they serve North West Frontier cuisine. The menu was a bag of interesting options ranging from Chooze Ka Shorba, a variety of kebabs and even seafood!
Feasting frontiers
Quickly, we placed our first orders: Tandoori Mushroom, Shakarkandh and Babycorn kebab ('235) from the vegetarian, and Shikampur Kebab from the non-vegetarian section. We were informed that minced meat wasn’t available and so we settled for Murgh Mozzarella Kebab (yes, mozzarella! for '295). Long soup sticks with yoghurt dips were kept on our table to while our time till the order arrived. The vegetarian kebab plate was inviting with pieces of sweet potato, mushrooms and corn plated neatly; it tasted equally good. The potato was the best section as its sweetness gave a creamy contrast to the spice-laden, smoke flavour of the kebab.
Anjeer Halwa
The chicken starter comprised tender chicken chunks cooked in a peppery marinade with cheese grated on top (and unnecessary pieces of olives, too). We skipped the vegetarian section for the main course as we spotted usual suspects such as Palak Paneer and Navratan Korma and opted for Machchi Methi ('405) instead.
Foodie fetish continues
To accompany our gravy we ordered traditional flat bread called Chakori Warqui ('95), which wowed us with its mildly sweet flavour accentuated by ghee. Machchi Methi got our vote too; the tangy mustard paired well with the fish’s delicate flavours.
The Chakori Warqui worked well with the flavour of mustard in the fish. PICS/ DHARA VORA
For desserts, we ordered Baked Anjeer Halwa ('125) that was sinful, thanks to the ghee overdose and a topping of rabri. We loved the Kulfi Lachcha Rabri ('105) too; it had kulfi chunks topped with rabri. Khiva has plans to add a bar in the future. By the time we left, despite being a month-old, all of Khiva’s tables were occupied. Always a good sign.
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