Over the last few months, due to the sheer number of Asian-forward restaurants we have visited, we have been looking for a change in our dining scene. And that came quietly in the form of Lohri, Bangalore’s newest Punjabi restaurant. Located near the busy Trinity Circle, Lohri is unapologetically Punjabi, with Chef Ishmeet Chandiok making it abundantly clear to us that his food isn’t like the run-of-the-mill Punjabi food that’s peddled in the city.
His partner, Leela, and he joined us for dinner, which was a good thing, because we’re weak when it comes to ordering Indian food, and it's also nice to get a meal curated by the chef himself. He started us off with a round of Prawn Koliwada and Shammi Kebab. Chef Ishmeet mentions that the Prawn Koliwada, while it isn’t inherently Punjabi, the dish came about after Punjabis moved to parts of Maharashtra, including Koliwada, a fishing village, and someone decided to combine the local produce with the Punjabi love for bar bites to go with their drinks.
While Lohri doesn’t offer alcohol, the prawns paired well with our Hariyali Honey Cooler, a cucumber-green apple drink. The kebabs were soft and spiced with blends that have been housemade, with some of the spices specially handpicked by the chefs and brought from the source. Chef proudly talks about his sourcing game when Murgh Ferozpuri comes to the table. The menu describes how a tandoor is an integral part of Punjabi cuisine and culture, as it brings the community together through the ‘sanjha tandoor’, and the entire section is a dedication to that tradition. While we dug into the delicately five-spiced chicken that’s been cooked to the right kind of smoky, charred flavour and texture, the chef spoke about how Lohri is one of the few places that do partridge. And also the fact that you can do a full chicken tandoori as well.
For mains, the chef did small portions of Sarson Ka Saag, Dal Bhukhara, Gosht Rara, and Murgh Tikka Masala, so we could, well, try them all. Our pick for the night was Gosht Rara, a mutton dish with mutton mince and mutton chunks that’s rich and more-ish. Choor Choor Paratha and Makki Di Roti disappeared as quickly as they came, thanks to all the curries. Oh, lest we forget. Ask for the winter pickle to be served with your mains. You’ll thank us later.
For dessert, we partook in a few spoonfuls of the kulfi that the chef ordered to the table — not because we didn’t like it, but because we don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
