Terms such as ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘stealth wealth’ are getting popular on the social media. While the nouveau riche may focus on flashy branding or loud labels, old money is all about subtle craftsmanship and superior materials. The two subjects of our story here – a car and a restaurant – represent the latter, as we realised driving the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 SUV to the Royal Afghan at ITC Grand Bharat, near Gurugram.
The car
The EQS SUV is at the pinnacle of electric mobility, and relative affordability. Priced from Rs 1.33 crore, ex-showroom, it is better value for money than the BMW i7 (Rs 2.05 crore) – a sedan.
But unlike the massive road presence of the i7, the EQS SUV feels understated, and doesn’t have the head-turning ability of the Bimmer. It has also its flaws – the light creme-coloured interior fabric is a stain-magnet, it doesn’t have a frunk (front trunk), there are too many touch controls, and the huge glass screens reflect sunlight into your eyes at certain angles.
Where it excels is cabin comfort and driving range, as we observed driving for an hour on broken roads on the way to the hotel, where it arrived with just 5% drop in battery capacity – its real-world range is more than 600 km.
The restaurant
Stepping out of the egg-shaped EQS SUV into the temple-inspired Grand Bharat is like a transition from quiet luxury to palatial grandness, and finally to the rustic Royal Afghan. Open from 1900 to 2300 hours every day, and additionally 1300 to 1530 hours on Saturdays and Sundays, it’s one of the reasons people connect ITC with food – and is actually an extension of the world-famous Bukhara restaurant at ITC Maurya in New Delhi.
The story
Chef Taranjit Singh Madan of ITC Hotels told us that the Bukhara was born in 1978, and soon after there was a demand for a similar food experience in other parts of the country. Since the name ‘Bukhara’ couldn’t be replicated – it was supposed to be one and only – ITC started the Royal Afghan in 1983. To further differentiate from the cave-like ‘closed’ setting of the Bukhara, the Royal Afghan has an ‘open’ setting, with a lot of natural light. Apart from the one at the Grand Bharat, it’s also located in ITC Windsor (Bengaluru) and Welcomhotel, The Savoy (Mussoorie).
The setting
So that servers don’t get confused, the tables have colour-coded linens: maroon-and-white check napkins for non-vegetarian diners, and green-and-white for vegetarians. The menu is small, scribbled on a wooden block – and is a replica of the Bukhara menu.
The senses
It’s a sensory experience. Because it’s an open kitchen, you can smell the food before you see it. Then you see the actual food. Then you touch it (cutlery is available only upon request). Then you taste it. And then you savour it.
The flavours
You must start with tandoori salad (we rated it 8/10) with a delicious charred pineapple. If you like non-veg food, a must-try is the deeply-spiced tandoori jhinga (9/10), followed by barrah kebab (8/10), and the legendary sikandari raan (8/10) that made Bill Clinton rediscover his taste buds three decades ago (at the Bukhara).
But everything may not seem exceptional. For example, we found dal bukhara (7/10) decent – having tasted similar at home – and paneer khurchan (6/10) average. Though paneer makhani (9/10) was rich.
To be fair, this minor disappointment could be a matter of timing. By the time dal bukhara arrived, we were almost full with the fatty cuisine, and the senses were almost satiated.
A tip for diners: avoid cold water, as it solidifies the fat in your stomach, making you feel full before you are actually full. Instead, have a tiny sip of room-temperature water as a palate cleanser between courses.
But this minor dissatisfaction with the main course was turned on its head when phirni (9/10) and kulfi (9/10) arrived – proving the old saying that there’s another stomach for sweets.
As far as breads go, roomali roti was standard, but the soft naan amal (9/10) was amazing. Rice isn’t served here.
The experience
The true luxury at such restaurants and in such cars is time and space. Located far from the city centre, the spatial Royal Afghan removes you from the chaos, as does the EQS SUV, which cocoons you from the elements even though you may be stuck in a traffic jam.
