Nothing much has changed at Delhi?s iconic Bukhara restaurant since it launched, with its menu and decor remaining the same. But after over 35 years, something new is cooking in the kitchen for the first time
The same menu, the same decor, even the same tableware for the past over 35 years?unthinkable for a restaurant in this day and age when molecular gastronomy is yesterday?s fad. But at much-acclaimed restaurant Bukhara, at Delhi?s ITC Maurya, consistency is a philosophy they cling on to dearly. And how!
If your grandparents ate Dal Bukhara, Sikandari Raan and Paneer Tikka at the Bukhara 30 years ago, you will find the same dishes on the menu today as well, tasting exactly the same. The restaurant looks the same too?stone walls, log tables and stools, copper utensils and bead screens, to name a few. But Bukhara is anything but boring.
What it signifies through its rustic setting and simple, earthy flavours is what most chefs the globe over agree upon?simple, hearty cooking is what appeals to people. Bukhara has just been reinforcing this. And when the restaurant still remains Delhi?s most successful one in an age when experimentation with food is reaching new levels and diners have unlimited options to choose from, you know that it?s got it right.
?After launching Bukhara in 1978, we experimented for a while and finally adopted the present menu, which has remained unchanged since. The focus is on simple food. Our paneer tikka is simply paneer tikka and tandoori chicken just that. We could easily do things like a haryali tikka or a bharwan tikka that other restaurants have, but we don?t. What we offer is simple, straight food,? says ITC corporate chef Manjit Gill.
?Our food speaks for itself; we don?t need to do anything else,? adds executive chef JP Singh. Maybe for the same reason, the restaurant can afford to not have popular gravies or even rice on its menu. ?Rice was not eaten by people of the north-west frontier region. The menu reflects the authentic cuisine of the people, so it?s a conscious decision not to include rice. We don?t even bow down to repeated requests from customers,? says chef JP. And, the famous Dal Bukhara, easily the creamiest lentils, beats any gravy you might want. So popular is it that ITC retails it in a tinned avatar as well. Coincidentally, as we discuss the absence of rice, a group walks into the restaurant, asking for biryani, and chef JP politely guides them to neighbouring Pavilion.
The menu of grilled meats, paneer and vegetables, besides Dal Bukhara, might seem a simple one, but lists can be deceptive. Chef JP tells us that behind the dishes is painstaking research and refinement of the recipes. ?What anyone ate at the Bukhara over 30 years ago is exactly the same even today. The recipes followed over the years have been standardised and we take pride in offering this consistency to customers,? says chef JP. His insistence on the freshest and best ingredients, the choicest cuts of meat and minimum use of spices further adds to the experience that customers keep coming back for.
But about 20 dishes and 35 years later, Bukhara is making additions to its menu for the first time. The restaurant has been a consistent winner at award events (both domestic and international) on the back of its present menu, besides being a perennial favourite with customers that include visiting heads of states.
While chef Manjit Gill is clear they feel no need to change anything at the restaurant, the new dishes coincide with the celebrations of the Bukhara?s iconic status for over three decades. ?We have never felt any ?menu fatigue? among our customers. There has never been any feedback for alteration, so we never tampered with the menu just for the sake of change,? chef Gill tells us. While he does not divulge any details, our source tells us customers can expect two new dishes?a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian one?at the Bukhara.
Apart from the new dishes, Bukhara regulars have another reason to celebrate?a 10-day-long promotion at the restaurant from August 2-11, its second only in the past over 35 years. Every table gets unlimited, complimentary Dal Bukhara, besides a big bowl of phirni to take back home. Not only this, every day at 8.30 pm and 10.30 pm, complimentary champagne will be served and diners get a chance to win a dinner on the house through a lucky draw. ?During the first promotion we had in 1991, we offered food at 1978 prices, and the queues stretched far beyond the hotel lobby. It was mad,? recalls chef Gill. Let?s see where the queues stretch to this time.