Soma's kebab weekends

Don’t you just hate it when your Delhi friends swagger around talking about how Mumbai couldn’t compete in the food department even if the Dilli chefs had their hands tied behind their backs? Well, I’d had it up to here with my capital pal’s trash talk and decided that I needed to shut him up once and for all. To finish this Delhi versus Mumbai saga for good, I took him to the Grand Hyatt where a brand-new preset kebab-and-parantha menu was being unleashed at Soma.

Currently just a Saturday and Sunday afternoon luxury, this special menu is a treat on steel thalis which sets it apart from your regular five-star ‘firang’ised fare. Chef Neeraj Rawoot, chef de cuisine of Soma, handpicks a selection of veg and non-veg kebabs and paranthas himself. Served with salad, soup, daal and dessert, along with unlimited Indian beer, it’s a superbly satisfying meal.

We started with tomato shorba (soup) served in an earthen pot kullad and salad. Then came the wide range of kebabs that we had to choose from. The mutton galouti kebabs were so melt-in-your-mouth that I had a tough time stopping at two to leave space for the rest of the meal! I also binged on the pudina paneer tikka, murg tikka kalimiri and kheema parantha. I didn’t think I could have another morsel, but the fresh and hot gulab jamuns and the delectable rasmalai that followed, ensured that I managed somehow!

Suffice it to say that my Delhi buddy could barely move in his sated state, let alone extol the virtues of the wide roads and the Chandni Chowk chaat! Mumbai wins. KO!

Soma, Grand Hyatt, Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (E), Mumbai; Tel: 6676 1149; Kebab-e-khaas priced at: Rs 1,000 per person, plus taxes.