If you are among the many folks who are fond of the traditionally rich cuisine from Lucknowi region then a trip to Infinity, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru is a mandatory affair before the 13^th of May.  They are hosting a limited period food festival that is sure to take you on an unforgettable gastronomic journey to the princely state of Awadh. The special menu comprises of loads of dishes curated carefully under the guidance of Executive Chef Vijay David, read on to know more about my dining experience.

Zuri, Whitefield has got five premium and uber cool dining options and Infinity happens to be their Alfresco poolside bar and Indian Restaurant. The place looks so good during the evenings that you are going to be spoilt for choices when it comes to finalising on where to sit! The ambience is setup according to the food festival’s theme and you can find carts that depict selling Chhaas and Lassi, live counters where you can get your hands on some brilliantly made tandoori items, kebabs and so on.

We were here for dinner and Chef explained about the speciality of Awadhi cuisine that mainly revolves around the Mughal style of cooking techniques. The art of cooking on a slow fire along with intensive usage of rich spices provides a perfect recipe for dishes that are also known as Nawabi khana.

Beverage options include Tulsi Jeera Lassi, Aam Pora Lassi and Chhaas, we got to try each one of them and the refreshing feeling that it brings upon you in this weather is quite something.

Next up were starters and Awadhi cuisine is mostly about Kebabs and Tandoors. So from the veg section we had the Kamal Kakdi ke Shami, these are lotus stem tempered with spices and cooked in clarified butter, a delicious preparation and if you love lotus stem then this is something you wouldn’t want to miss having here.

Then came in the non-veg appetisers, we tried the Ajwani Jhinga, Murg Chandi Kebab, Dum Pukht’s Galouti Kebab and Mutton Seekh Kebab. All of them deserve a special mention for the way they were prepared, very authentic.

I loved the Ajwani Jhinga, it is marinated in cheese and carom seeds and finished in Tandoor. Murg Chandi Tikka feels rich as the chunks of chicken are dipped in aromatic cumin marinade and then grilled in tandoor before they are finished on dum, the layer of silver coating on it makes the Tikka look out of the world.

Main course here can be picked up from the buffet counter, we had an elaborate tasting of most of the gravies. The Gosht Kundan Korma and Murg Rizaila were my favourites, we paired them with Khamiri Roti and Taftan Dum Pukht. We also tried and loved the Qasr-e-pukhtan (Paneer based semi dry gravy), Arbi Qaliya and Guncha-W Qeema Dum Pukht. The final part of our main course was a brilliantly serving of Dum Phukt Biryani (Chicken), vegetarian folks can try the Motia Pulao Rehmani.

You get to choose from a lot of dessert options here, six to be precise. We had the Shahi Tukada, Kalakand, Chenna Payas and Badam Halwa. It was a fitting end to our wonderful dinner.

So folks, hope you enjoyed reading through my experience of being part of the Awadhi Food Festival at Zuri, Whitefield. The special menu can be had until the 13^th of May and is priced at INR 1,499 All Inclusive. Please note that the food festival spread can be had at dinner time only. So yeah, plan your day accordingly and reward your tummies with a royal treat that it deserves!