Jodhpur, the popular fine dining experts are back yet again with a brilliant Iftar menu of innovative Indian cuisine under the guidance of Chef Pradeep Khullar. With a set menu showcasing dishes with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, this is one to definitely try this Ramadan.
Location: Roda Murooj Rotana in Downtown Dubai.
The Food
Pre-Starters: The pre-starters were Textures of Dates which are stuffed dates with rice crisps, dark chocolate & coated with coconut milk powder & feuilletine. An amuse bouche of their popular Macaron Chaat stuffed with tangy filling & served as chaat: an amalgamation of sweet, sour, crunchy and chewy.
Starters
The Lamb Haleem is one option of the three hot starters you can choose from. It consists of lamb haleem cooked for 24 hours, seasoned with fresh herbs and spices with assorted toppings like onions, coriander, and crunchy potato sticks for added texture. A fantastic dish with a well balanced flavour and a great way to start off. Another option is the Kolivada Prawn, with Wasabi Beetroot Dip, a tempura prawn fried till crisp & tossed in onion chilli masala with curry leaves served with a beetroot wasabi sauce. The prawns were well cooked and the masala coating was full of flavour.
For the next round of starters we each tried a different dish, one being Beef Kofta with Strawberry Chilli Chutney, beef in a pâté-like consistency wrapped in kataifi and fried so that it had a crunchy exterior and topped with a strawberry and green chilli chutney which surprisingly had a nice zing to it but wasn’t sweet and complimented the kofta well. The other dish, which is an option in their vegetarian menu is the Red Quinoa & Wild Mushroom Tikki, a wild mushroom tikki that is coated with red quinoa then flash fried. This dish was perfection! The mushroom mix was delicious and had a crunchy exterior along with a garlic sauce on top that added an extra flavour to it.
To finish off the starters there was a cold starter of Red Kidney Bean Hummus with Mandarin Skin served with Toasted Bread. We’ve always loved Jodhpur’s simple, elegant presentation, not to mention the innovation behind it and this dish ticked all the boxes. When presented to our table it looked like Mandarin on a plate. When you cut into it you can see that it’s spreadable, and on that crisp baguette piece, it was divine! Absolutely delicious.
Palate Cleanser: The palate cleanser of Mango, Cranberry & Kaffir Lime Sorbet was tangy, sweet and icy and considering that it’s mango season it’s an apt choice of fruit. The usually serve this before the mains but its delicious enough to mention.
Mains: On to the mains!
Ghee Roast Mutton Boti with a Dosai Crisp such a well cooked dish: pieces of lamb in a rich onion, tomato masala with a small cone shaped dosa on the side.
Shredded Chicken Meatball with Makhani Sauce, a modern take on everyone’s favourite: butter chicken; pieces of chicken tikka made into a sphere, crumbed and then fried with a jug of makhani sauce on the side that’s poured around it when served to your table, absolutely no faults here, this dish is something everyone will love.
There was also their usual Faux Dal Makhni which is an urad dal makhani and Chur-Chur Kulcha which is stuffed with cottage cheese, onions and cumin and made into pieces when served so it’s easier to eat (and you aren’t counting how many you’re having, not that it would matter because it’s too delicious not to indulge in).
There was also a side of Chicken Biryani which adds a rice option and had a lovely aroma of cardamom.
The Dessert
Mango 2 Ways, Cheesecake & Kulfi a beautifully presented dish with a piece of mango cheesecake on one side topped with a brilliantly made piece of sesame glass. Anyone who knows a thing or two about sugar craft is aware of the technique that goes into it. The sesame glass added some lovely texture and reminded us of chikki or gingelly (popular Indian sweet snacks). The cheesecake itself wasn’t too sweet which we liked, the only comment we have is that the cheesecake base could have had more of a crunch or bite to it, it seemed slightly underdone. The mango kulfi was refreshing especially with the pieces of mango inside along with dried cranberries.
The other dessert option is a decadent Sticky Burfi, Banana Barrel with Cinnamon Ice Cream, we thoroughly enjoyed this dessert. The ice cream was on a bed of feuilletine which added some extra crunch and the banana cake was soft and delicious. Not to mention that caramelized banana barrel on top. It added a good amount of sweetness to the dish.
The Drinks
A refreshing mango and passionfruit mocktail with a touch of chilli which kicks in at the end of every sip. We were expecting some passionfruit seeds because we didn’t get much of the passionfruit more the mango. Nonetheless it was a nice drink that complimented the meal.
Ambience
Jodhpur maintains it’s usual turquoise and gold royal interiors, with a candle lit lantern adorning each table.
How to get there
By Public Transport: The closest metro station to Jodhpur is Financial Centre Metro Station (land side) on the red line. From there it’s a 15 minute walk to Roda Murooj.
By Car: From Sheikh Zayed Road, heading towards Abu Dhabi, take the Dubai Mall exit. Keep left at the fork to continue toward Financial Center Rd/D71. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for The Dubai Mall/Za’abeel/Burj Khalifa/D71 and merge onto Financial Center Rd/D71. Take the first U-turn and go straight while keeping to the right lane. There will be a service lane to the hotel on the right side.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/pNB8GcDiBRG2
Details
To Make a Booking: Call: 04 3559846 or make a reservation on Zomato: http://bit.ly/IftarAtJodhpur
Price: AED 199 per person including water. A special mocktail menu is available with drinks priced at AED 40 each.
