Upon arrival, we were greeted by the team and well-seated. Soon after arrived the ‘Kitchen Magician’ himself to welcome us, Executive Chef Pradeep Khullar. He is such passionate and has many captivating food stories. He not only hosted us but also took us through the vivacious concept of this retro-innovative restaurant. Khullar and the kitchen team at Jodhpur are reinventing the endearing traditional Indian cuisine. They still made sure to keep intact the reminiscences and narrated memoirs of past coupled with every serving dish.
.
Our foodie flight took off with the ‘Jeera Khari & herby yogurt’ a dish presented with fondly conceptualize themed accuracy. Comprising of an Indian puff, scattered with caraway seeds these staples of Indian street food sit on the Charpai/Palang (Handmade colorful traditional woven bed, used in the Indian subcontinent) that aim to remind people of their trips to Indian land and gave a quick classic glance to history.
Yogurt dip indeed had an addictive combination and paired fit with the khari. On my request, they even presented me with Ginger milk tea to sip along with khari (What we referred as Bakhar Khani back home in Pakistan and consumed with tea as adopted by the Parsi community in some areas). This first impression built up our expectations from rest of the food run.
Assorted Mocktails were brought to our table left us awestruck. It was a spell-bound presentation of Berry & Passionfruit Mojito along with the drink called Passionate. All the drinks were great in taste and involved an entire enthralling staging on the table.
Facade can be deceiving for the petite amuse-bouche ‘macaroon chaat‘ which probably is the most Instagrammed dish at this restaurant. It was so tasty and original that I didn’t stop raving about this classical take on French patisserie item and transforming it onto a savory appetizer. Union of bold flavors in bold & deluxe variety.
Kale-Patta Chaat was a dish which was a clear winner for me. It broke all the norms and became one of the best dishes served that night, It was crispy, with sufficient gravy(chutney/sauce) content to form a perfect chaat. I never had this kind of chaat before but believe it has a Wow-factor, I shamelessly hog on Mr. K’s plate after finishing mine.
Beef Short Ribs with Aam Papad Glaze was one of the most delicious items on the menu. Meat is braised for 8 hours & hurled into reduction syrup consisting of Aam Papad, Tamarind & chili paste. I highly recommend this dish being so crusty from inside. However, tenderness wise it is still a very lenient and well-cooked beef chunk swayed in batter and quick fried. The secret to the whole dish is the coating of lip-smacking aam papad liquid mixture. Perfection !
The desi pesto kebab was delectable with its popcorn sauce on the side & raisin malai inside. It was extremely smooth, soft and savory. We highly commend this new grilled concept in a kebab. While cutting the kebab, Mr. K expressly enjoyed & appreciate Chef Pradeep’s cooking precision as creamy parmesan emanates from the spongy center with still-intact-crispy-crust. Roughly ground crushed pine nuts tasted brilliant in the whole concoction.
The service was prompt; staff was smart & chivalrous starting from the lady who received us and took us down through the spiral staircase till the guys who opened the door for us while we were leaving. They carried a big smile throughout. Serving staff was also well trained about the names and ingredient of the dishes. Our plates got changed after each course, and they kept fixing the napkin each time my kids move out from the chairs.
Chicken Tandoori & Chestnut Kulcha served with Sumac Laban was very unusual menu items that we tasted at Jodhpur. It’s generously stuffed, in spite of the petite dough size. “Mastermind Chefs used the mixture of chicken and chestnuts as stuffing. Gladly I never get to taste any bitter taste of nuts was according to me could swerve the flavor of the kulcha. This take was a challenge within itself to a whole new level.
While being done with our starters, presented with palette cleansers of Mango, Cranberry, and Kaffir Lime Sorbet. Endearingly served in a Miniature pressure cooker to be a symbol of its worth in Indian domestic cooking practice. These Sorbet Popsicles made with Fresh Alphonso puree spiked with kaffir lime leaves & dehydrated cranberries. It was quite nostalgic as it was not just a palette cleanser but also a journey down the childhood lane where we use to sip on ice lolly/ popsicles (Gola as we use to call). Mouthwatering!
Chur-Chur Kulcha reminded me of something my mother-in-law prepared on special occasions; we call it Churchura Paratha, it is made up with clarified butter (Ghee). However, this one at Jodhpur is Crisp Kulcha stuffed with cottage cheese, onions, chilies & cumin seeds cooked in tandoor & crushed with hands. The myth behind crushing is not to count or take into account if how much you have eaten. Especially mothers in old times use to do the same for kids, so they continue eating till tummy packed. The best, so crunchy and tasty that you can’t control yourself when eating it!
Dishes of keema pav and Palak Makai arrived along with chur chur kulcha. They are average in taste. However, I loved the concept of bite-size pav (soft, airy buns) skewered and presented on a stick. Visually the dish looks impeccable. Palak Makai was better in taste that Keema Pav. Butter content is not excessive, and you could taste both the main ingredient at par balance ratio.
The faux dal makhani was very rich and daunting. Moong Dal replaced Black Urad here & cooked precisely alike. Surprisingly I didn’t find it heavy on stomach compared to the traditional version, but it carried all its authenticity and flavors. Mr. K enjoyed it with boiled rice while I devoured it with the Chur-Chur Kulcha. Biryani was average and could have been better in taste considering their starters are remarkable and diners intent to have high expectation automatically.
Lastly, we closed the long line-up of food with perfect desserts i-e an evocative Harry Potter inspired treacle tart with Lotus and salted caramel. Lotus biscuits based desserts are so popular these days, and this one is their take on it. It was not excellent but is not bad either. I loved the Jalebis and enjoyed this course too.
Verdict:
A genuine fine dining restaurant where the quality of food is beyond exceptional. The kitchen team is really on the spot. The Indian flavors in the palette are quite valiant and clearly marked in Chef Khullar’s cooking techniques. Jodhpur truly indicates fusion at it’s finest, and instantly opens up the taste buds and leaves you desiring further. My little munchkin (Misha) rated the restaurant 5/5, in fact, some additional stars which my daughter herself has presented to Chef Pradeep. We loved the whole experience and certainly recommend this place to our readers, if not regularly then at least on a special occasion you should spoil a loved one here, it’s a great value for money and fitting payback.
ESSENTIALS:
LOCATION – Roda Al Murooj, Downtown Dubai, Dubai
Phone number -04 3559846
Hours-12 Noon to 3 PM, 7 PM to 12 Midnight
Table booking recommended
Cuisines – Indian, North Indian
Cost – AED 500 for two people (approx.)
Cash and Cards accepted
Wow. Presentations are fabulous. If i get a chance to visit mean I love to enjoy this presentation alone for an hour… superb presentation and its tempting to eat.