Relish paneer ghewar with rabri at Makhan

Brijwasi has launched its first restaurant Makhan in the city taking a step back to begin where it all started, in 1946. Ambience Finding your way to the joint can be an uphill task, so your best bet is to use Surti Hotel, a popular landmark, in the area as a cue to get directions. It’s hard to miss the Brijwasi logo that greets you at the start and welcomes you in, giving you a peek into an array of mithai that this place is famous for. While its exteriors don’t give any hint of the place being more than a mithai store, you have to step inside to actually experience what’s on offer. We got a slice of culinary history from the busy bylanes of Kalbadevi on our visit. At the entrance, you have a wall that displays the photos of the founding fathers of the joint and their guests with a back history of the joint. Apart from information about its origins, we also spotted a frame of Late actor Raj Kapoor standing outside a Brijwasi store in a scene from a Bollywood classic. You also have frames of match boxes dating back to those times adorning both the lower and upper levels.

Food We began our meal with some welcome drinks. The Jaljeera (Rs 50) had way too much salt. The Kokum Sharbat (Rs 50), fresh Coconut Punch (their own innovation Rs 100) and Chaas (Rs 70) were refreshing. For starters we went with the Mirchi Bada (Rs 110), a regular tea-time snack that lacked the kick of the chilli but went well with the spicy garlic chutney. The Aloo Methi Tuk (Rs 100) was tasty yet salty. The Amiri Khama (Rs 100) that looks like a grated yellow dhokla mixed with sev was delicious and not something we have tried before. The Kobi Matar na Googra (Rs 120), a stuffed fried snack is a crunchy option to opt for, if you are looking for something fried. For the main course we tried the Gatte ki subzi served with Satpadi Paratha (Rs 150), which was good. The Bajre ki Khichdi served with a bowl of raita (Rs 150) makes for a comforting and delicious meal that’s healthy, minus the overdose of ghee. The Daal Baati Choorma (Rs 160) was good and the Kair Sangri, a winter speciality went well with the bhakri (Rs 170). For dessert we tried the Jaipur special Paneer Ghewar with Rabri (Rs 170), which proved to be much lighter than we expected, and was  the highlight of our meal.

What’s good Makhan has some interesting food and snack options which are priced reasonably.  The place also serves Jain dishes and food prepared for fasting days.

What’s not The generous amount of salt used in most of the dishes and beverages. There’s flavour but that tends to be overshadowed because of the excess salt.

At:  Makhan, Kalbadevi Road, opposite Cotton Exchange, next to Carron.