After the jumble that was Hometown Café (remember the Italian décor and Malaysian food?), the China Gate group of restaurants brings us another geographically-challenged eatery in Andheri called Kazan - it's named after a Russian city, sports scenes from Kazakhstan and serves North Indian food. We wish they would stick to the yum Indian-Chinese cuisine they do so well.

Shorba in the City

Navigating big chandeliers and the carvings at Kazan, we got seated, hoping to get a taste of good Indian food, matching walls or not. The menu comes with a long list of dishes, but not many live up to their fancy names.  The Lucknowi Seekh Kebab for instance, was dry and devoid of flavour. The plate of Zafrani jhinga showed off glistening jumbo prawns, ruined by the smear of run-of-the-mill tikka masala.  The vegetarian kebab platter was also disappointing, as its contents – Sufiana paneer, grilled cauliflower, olive stuffed mushrooms- were lacklustre and bland; the makai seekh was the only one we swiped clean. Also, steer clear of the Shorba-e- Nazaakat, which was too salty and packed with garlic.

As we inched towards the mains, we hoped for a dish we could like and praise, but no such luck. The stuffed kulcha was in reality a butter naan lined with onions and paired with a bowl of subz jugalbandi, a regular home-cooked style mixed vegetable. The rogan gosht wasn’t nearly as aromatic as it should have been, but was tasty and the best part of our meal. The dal Kazan (known outside of Kazan as dal makhani), had an overpowering cardamom kick and was the final let down of our meal.

End of Day

Our trip to Kazan had two happy ends, both very required. First, a yum gulab jamun, not too sweet and served hot. Next, the Kazan Special cocktail, a medley of orange and pineapple juice and a memory-impairing triple vodka shot. Where is Kazan again? They don’t really know either.

Getting there: Kazan, Oberoi Chamber Building no. 1, opposite Tanishq Showroom, above Hometown Café, Link Road, Andheri (W), call 26748704, Rs 2,500 for a meal for two (with drinks).

bpb reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for its own meals.