Castle Restaurant – A pleasant new food Makeover!

Foodie community in the Capital is getting stronger day by day, resulting in many foodie meet-ups and dinners which led to sampling new restaurants. Last well I had experienced the same via a friend Renjen who invited us to the food tasting. However, this time it was at the restaurant I visited last year but haven’t had good experience back then.

 

     

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My experience this time was entirely opposite to my previous encounter. It was quite engaging, informative as well as filled with many healthy food choices. As under the new management (Great Job Mr. Hitesh and all staff – thumbs up) started October, this restaurant had got 360-degree change. They are probably the only restaurant using Molecular gastronomy in Khalifa City area concentrating on Modern Indian cuisine, Traditional Emirati delicacies, and Mix Grills.

 

    

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Lighting and ambiance are improved significant times making this beautiful restaurant much vibrant and visible from long distance. Food Rundown was pretty long; I can’t even recall the name of all the dishes served. I will talk about the one which entices us the most. The welcome gimmick itself was very eye-catching when they brought 2 watermelons carved with restaurant name on the skin. The magic began when they pour liquid nitrogen into it, creating a smoke effect. Guest are treated with this traditional welcome at CASTLE restaurant.

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We kicked off with Murgh SHORBA (i-e Chicken soup). Bowl filled with shredded chicken and mushrooms and coriander leaves was placed in front of us, and then they brought and filled it with clear chicken stock gravy, a typical Yakhni style. It was tasty and gives out the freshness from the ingredients that you wouldn’t get in a usual mashed up or regular blended soup. Carrot Hummus was orange in color, with a lot of carrot flavors infused with chickpeas was a decent and unusual variation of the Arabic delicacy. I personally like the taste, but only wish if some fresh olives could also be added to enhance the presentation.

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Butter Chicken – A signature dish in the Indian cuisine was also well prepared. The gravy was thick, and I also find salt quotient little high, I believe it could be settled if more diluted, the assorted naan they served was an addictive combination with butter chicken though and balances off extra salt too.

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Spicy Shrimp Curry was served in a coconut shell itself. This gravy was rich in coconut taste and turmeric essence. Quality and quantity of shrimps they used were apt; it was one of the most delicious items on the table.

 

     

 

Angara chicken & chicken Kebab both were succulent and ironic in zest. This gives an accurate indication of the level of Barbecued items in their kitchen. They were cooked to perfection, and I am going back for same very soon.

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On the other hand, Bamboo Biryani was fascinating in presentation while putting me with high expectation with taste too but I did find it average. Sides items i-e yogurt and salad were very amusing and made us enjoy it still as is. I would have loved to try their shrimp’s biryani with a little more richness in taste.

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An entirely separate table was set up to try out our yummy desserts including Kala Jamun (Black fried sweet dough balls made up of semolina and dry milk) it was wearing a blanket of cotton candy while the second one which was basically a popsicle form was Jaman Kulfi, it’s an Indian version of traditional ice cream. Post-desserts they offer us to try out the nitrogen cookies to cleanse our palette. They claim it safe-to-consume however it is freezing on your tongue sensors if kept for long in that nitrogen container. So be careful not to get the cold burns. The servers came around to serve each of us these Biscuits drenched in nitrogen gas. You will be advised to place them right into your mouth immediately then you will be breathing smoke from mouth & nose for next few it was an experience to remember!

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Disclaimer: This is the same ‘make-you-feel-dragon’ cookie which Mr. K shot me on camera trying out, and the video went viral 😉 (Click HERE to watch)

Verdict:

Summing it in my words, the whole experience was very well-engaging, and we did witness the fine dining experience starting from Warm welcome of Smokey Melon & scrumptious cloudy Chaat to a very fond dragon cookie farewell, and I can assure you that the value for money if not excellent for sure it will be splendid. Desserts were delicious too. Don’t forget to try out their Jamun Kulfi. It was my personal favorite.

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Essentials:

Castle Restaurant

Indian & Arabian Cuisine
Near Emirates Islamic Bank, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
02 5551110,02 5551114

Castle Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato