Jaipur - Suvarna Mahal
Spring 2008
Frank's view 
'Top class Indian cuisine'
“Is that a fly in my water?” I asked the waiter, as I peered over the top of the silver goblet.
“Certainly sir”, replied the waiter.
Without a hint of hesitation, a smile firmly locked on his face, he whisked the glass away and the restaurant manager was by my side.
The offending fly had been buzzing around the table and I was curious as to its resting place. Suicide was not something I’d contemplated.
The point of this tale is that we were subsequently invited to inspect the kitchens of Suvarna Mahal, the flagship restaurant of The Rambagh Palace.
The chef demonstrated the baking of naan breads. He lifted the lid on one of several sunken, clay lined, pot ovens. The heat was ferocious. He tossed the dough mix against the wall of the oven and within seconds a perfect naan formed. Any doubts about hygiene vanished.
“Nothing will survive in the furnace of my kitchen”, declared the chef.
We made a speedy exit, unsure if we would survive many more minutes in the intense heat.
The restaurant is very grand, and was clearly once an important room of the palace in its days of the Raj.
The menu focuses on Indian cuisines from four different provinces, Rajputana (now Rajasthan), Awadh, the seat of the Mughal Kings, Punjab and Hyderabad. A brief introduction precedes each section of the menu.
The food is fabulous and not expensive, with dishes averaging around rps 650 each (£9 / $18).
For example:
Murgh malai kebab – boned cubes of chicken, steeped in a royal cumin-enriched cream, cheddar, garlic and a hint of fresh coriander, glazed golden in the tandoor.
Paneer ka dulma – Slices of paneer cottage cheese rolled with dry fruits, khoya and cashew nut-napped with fenugreek flavoured fresh tomato gravy, accented with saffron.
If you do stay at the Rambagh or are visiting Jaipur, Suvarna Mahal is worth a visit.
Suvarna Mahal
Rambagh Palace
Jaipur
+91 141 2211 919
Link to restaurant
“Certainly sir”, replied the waiter.
Without a hint of hesitation, a smile firmly locked on his face, he whisked the glass away and the restaurant manager was by my side.
The offending fly had been buzzing around the table and I was curious as to its resting place. Suicide was not something I’d contemplated.
The point of this tale is that we were subsequently invited to inspect the kitchens of Suvarna Mahal, the flagship restaurant of The Rambagh Palace.
The chef demonstrated the baking of naan breads. He lifted the lid on one of several sunken, clay lined, pot ovens. The heat was ferocious. He tossed the dough mix against the wall of the oven and within seconds a perfect naan formed. Any doubts about hygiene vanished.
“Nothing will survive in the furnace of my kitchen”, declared the chef.
We made a speedy exit, unsure if we would survive many more minutes in the intense heat.
The restaurant is very grand, and was clearly once an important room of the palace in its days of the Raj.
The menu focuses on Indian cuisines from four different provinces, Rajputana (now Rajasthan), Awadh, the seat of the Mughal Kings, Punjab and Hyderabad. A brief introduction precedes each section of the menu.
The food is fabulous and not expensive, with dishes averaging around rps 650 each (£9 / $18).
For example:
Murgh malai kebab – boned cubes of chicken, steeped in a royal cumin-enriched cream, cheddar, garlic and a hint of fresh coriander, glazed golden in the tandoor.
Paneer ka dulma – Slices of paneer cottage cheese rolled with dry fruits, khoya and cashew nut-napped with fenugreek flavoured fresh tomato gravy, accented with saffron.
If you do stay at the Rambagh or are visiting Jaipur, Suvarna Mahal is worth a visit.
Suvarna Mahal
Rambagh Palace
Jaipur
+91 141 2211 919
Link to restaurant
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
