The Westin is known for their take on the cuisines that we aren’t much familiar with. They always are a surprise and every fest they come up with has a menu based on the specialties or the flavors they are influenced by.

This time it is a fest dedicated to the Royals of Arcot. Arcot is a town and urban of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The food served at the Westin is something similar or close to the nawabs of Arcot. The food has an influence of the mughals , the nawabs giving it both South and North Indian touches.

The menu is curated by Chef Abdul Quddus.

Lets Check what they have to offer. #letsexplorehyderabad #hyderabadfoodexplorer

Ambience:

The restaurant Kangan has a calm ambience. As soon as you enter you witness the art of bangle making with lac. You can get one for yourself made in front of you.

They have a bar counter and a live kitchen to showcase skills and you know whats going behind. A live music duo playing tabla and veena (not sure) ensures you enjoy a comfortable meal.

The cover was setup with a table mat of the ongoing festival.

Food and Beverages:

As soon as we sat we were offered the welcome drink which was nannari sharbat. Nannari is a herb plant which is sweetened with sugar. It has a lot of medicinal properties as well.

Soup:

We had Paya shorba, this probably was one of the best I have had. Not comparing to any but this had a balance of flavor , not overpowering with the trotters. A really good one.

Appetizers:

Vegetarian:

Paneer Till Tinka as the name suggests has Sesame seeds as a base. The cottage cheese is sandwiched with a mixture of coriander, green chilly , chilly and other spices. This was coated and seared on a pan. It has a delicate sweetness to it to cut down the spice.

Khatte seb ka shami was something I had for the first time. It has sourness from the green apple , base of green peas , vegetables and cheese. Yet another delicate kebab.

Non Vegetarian:

Kolsa kebab is a deboned chicken drumstick marinated with hung curd, kasuri methi and  kashmiri red chilly powder. Beautifully cooked and a subtle marination.

Mahi Talko had a sour marination because of the prominant use of hung curd. It has a freshness in the marinade from the coriander and freshly roasted cumin. King fish is used.

Dhungari Chaap are lamb ribs. As soon as you take a bite you feel the smokyness from the dhunaar process which imparts the smoky flavor. The lamb was well cooked , just got dry over time.

The Shammi Kebab also were really good. Smooth minced meat , perfectly spiced and seared.

Main Course:

Vegetarian:

Haldi paneer looked amazing , missed tasting this. It had a rich looking gravy base . Looked like a generous amount of cashew nut used along with fresh cream. The prominant flavor though had to be turmeric.

Missed out on the Phas Loung Kofta curry as well. Small dumplings made with yam covered with a rich tomato based gravy.

The Dal E nawab was a star. The dal had a texture to it. Unlike the slimy dal cooked for long this was a completely different version. It had a use of green dal , butter and fresh cream. (no picture)

Non Vegetarian:

Lal Baigan andae was another star. A hard boiled egg inside a tomato was something I have seen for the first time. The slight tang of tomato was perfect to cut down the gravy. A unique dish. ( sorry , no picture)

Jhinga nimbu was also missed. Prawns cooked in a gravy with some generous amount of lemon juice.

The Aloo Gosht Korma was another brilliant dish. The mutton was tender and flavorful, The potato worded well with the gravy as well but would have like them to be of a smaller size so that it had much more flavour taken.

Arcot lamb Biryani was the dish oi was looking for and it did not dissapoint.  Saffron playing a important role to add the aroma , subtle marination unlike the hyderabadi one. Perfectly cooked rice and meat. (no picture)

Desserts:

We had Badam ka kund . coarsely ground almonds cooked with khoya and flavored with saffron and cardamom. Loved the texture.

Doodh wali roomani Semiya was yet another hit. Fried vermicelli soaked up a creamy milk mixture. Topped with nuts , this was a pure gem. Perfect amount of sweetness.

Amrit Phal is something similar to a gulab jamun, bigger in size , stuffed with nuts and dipped in sugar syrup.

Desserts were a perfect ending.

Pricing , Service and Location:

They have a few of these on the Ala carte menu apart from the regulars.

The service was smooth , prompt and super friendly. No complaints with it. You request and they come up with it.

Address: The Westin, Mindspace IT Park, Hitech City, Hyderabad