Made in Punjab (MIP) made its presence felt in Bangalore on 23rd September in the most fun and entertaining way, just the way Punjabi’s are known to celebrate. Since then, it has been the go to place for a lot of folks who wish to indulge in authentic Punjabi flavors and interesting set of cocktails and mocktails. MIP is a part of massive restaurants, a venture curated by Zorawar Kara who is also the man behind premium brands like Farzi Cafe, Masala library and Pa Pa Ya.

Made in Punjab is known for its smart casual dining featuring cuisines from the princely state of Punjab and it has successfully managed to bring together the rich culinary heritage of various gourmet destinations like Amritsar, Lahore, Peshawar and Baluchistan among other notable regions that come under this belt.

The decor is designed to give you a premium feeling, it is roomy and ensures a peaceful dining experience with subtle Punjabi beats being played. The brown theme inside is clutter free and goes well with the ambient lighting. The restaurant offers buffet for lunch and the massive counter for the same takes center stage here.

I was here on two occasions- one during the launch party which saw well known people from the Bangalore’s ever growing food industry, and when I was here for dinner along with other blogger friends. This article will talk about my dinner experience.

There is very less scope of a beverage menu to go wrong at a Punjabi restaurant and it was evident here as well. The MIP in house special cocktails have got quirky names and you need to look at the ingredients to understand the likeliness of ordering that drink. There are some interesting cocktails which we tried from this section like Nashili Chai, Jatt Risky after Whisky and Naya Zamana. These were less potent and went well with the food that we had ordered. The best of the lot was Nashili Chai, a mix of Vodka, Gin, White Rum and tea concoction and presentation of this drink goes with its name as it is served in a tiny chai glasses.

Nat Khat Kela was least preferred by us probably because it was more strong and Indian palette is usually vary of such cocktails. Like always we had one designated driver who is not supposed to touch alcohol and luckily it wasn’t me this time. LOL! He ended up ordering Kesar Pisteywali Lassi Pede de Naal (an elaborate name for Lassi) and liked it so much that got it repeated twice!

For starters we had Burnt Lehsooni Tikka, Legacy Tandoori Champ, Chicken Tikka and Kalmi Kebab. What worked best for me was the Lol Tikki which is lamb leg patties cooked for 6 long hours and then topped with mint and tomato to give it a very humble yet devouring look.

Vegetarian options included Dahee Pataka, Karara Bhatti Paneer Tikka and my personal favorite being the Mela Seekh which is a combination of assorted veg and lentil seekh kebabs.

MIP even has a small section in their menu where you can order Chaat dishes, this section is a major life saver if you don’t want to stuff your self with heavy starters. We decided to order two items here – Tokri Chaat and Popeye Paaji ki favorite Chaat. Tokri Chaat is mini potato baskets stuffed with spiced green peas, crispy colocassia topped with chutneys, a perfect Chaat dish for two! Popeye Chaat is spinach disc (Papdi type) loaded with a nice mix of green and red chutneys (mint and tamarind).

Main course was a vegetarian and non vegetarian affair. Luxury BC is MIP’s version of butter chicken in its premium form, the goan cashews along with tomatoes and fresh white butter takes this dish to another level altogether. Nalli Hardcore is something you would not want to miss if you love mutton. Paneer Lababdar and Maa ki Dal is something you would not want to miss here among the vegetarian options, the slow cooked burnt garlic and onion essence gives out a very inviting aroma.

We paired all of this with the assorted bread basket which had an assortment of flavored Naan, Kulcha and Parathas. The first attempt of trying out Guchichi Pulao was exciting as it houses an ingredient which is native to the Himalayan regions, I liked this rice preparation and did not mind skipping the traditional Biryani.

Dessert menu here is loaded with options that are traditional items with a lil tweaks here and there. We had Nukkad Jalebi which is crispy jalebi nicely laid out in a bed of Lachcha Rabdi, a traditional North Indian way of savoring this sweet dish. Ghoushalla di Kulfi is our usual kulfi which is condensed milk ice cream topped with berry cream.

Overall, a meal at Made in Punjab can easily fulfill your desire of having authentic dishes from Punjabi cuisine. The prices on menu might look premium initially but at the end of it, every dish is prepared with ingredients that make the entire dining experience well worth it. I was here on invite and hence did not pay for food and drinks.