Kissa – A Good Mughlai & North Indian Food Experience

Kissa Gurgaon is backed by a lot of history by the courtesy of Sameer Chona. Kissa Zaike Ka is his unit’s actual name and it is a relatively new delivery outlet in Gurgaon.

Kissa Zaike Ka is a backed by a cloud kitchen that doles out stuff that is not the regular North Indian fare. There is a lot of Multani-Peshawari influence in their food and cooking techniques.

Beyond North Indian and with with Multani-Peshawari influence they cover the cuisines of Afghan, Baloch and Turkish communities.

While Kissa Zaike Ka is a lockdown baby, it has been created by Sameer Chona from the same team that ran the famous Chona’s restaurant in Delhi at Khan Market. I used to be a regular there.

For those who are not looking for the regular naan-paneer-chili chicken-pizza stuff, Kissa Zaike Ka is relatively a good place to order from.

Kissa Zaike Ka has made an attempt to revive the signature dishes, heirloom recipes and forgotten delicacies from the pre-independence era.

From Peshawari Chapli Kebab to Dum Ki Nalli to Butter Chicken and the Biryani, they are trying to to offer people of Gurgaon a chance to visit the long-lost heritage through their culinary offerings.

My most ordered dish from them is the Peshawari Chapli Kabab. Even today, it reminds me of those big mutton cutlets that used to be served in old restaurants like United Coffee House.

The most noticeable part of the Peshawari Chapli kabab is the slice of tomato that rests on top.

However, while I agree that tomatoes are a part of the ingredient list for the Peshawari Chapli Kabab, not many Peshawari-Lahori chefs use this garnishing tactic, but I agree that it makes it unique.

I once had naan breads like these with big tomato slices with char magaz perched on top in Leh, Ladakh while going to Pangong Tso.

It was very unique naan bread with it the vegetarian lunch was quite delicious. Hence, it remains memorable to date. Such a small inclusion, can be a definite a game changer in my opinion.

My order of Peshawari Chapli Kabab, Tandoori Chicken & Tandoori Lachcha Paratha (Hari & Lal Mirch ones) was good enough for two. You throw in a Pind Wala Dal Tadka, and there’ll be leftovers.

The price point is slightly high, but the cause of this Kissa is the pandemic that has caused dish prices to go up significantly all over the world. Kissa restaurant  is no different on pricing.

1. Peshawari Chapli Kabab – The original form of chapli kabab recipe found in Peshawar was only made with minced beef but now in some parts of the world, including India it is made in chicken and lamb. It was quite nice, pieces of relatively dry mutton Peshawari Chapli Kabab with a balanced blend of spices. Two roomali roti was the bed on which the kabab rested & that was a very nice touch.
2. Tandoori Chicken – It was juicy, tender & well seasoned. The well cooked tandoori chicken was also accompanied with roomali roti and tasted sumptuous which led to finger licking.
3. Tandoori Lachcha Paratha – I ordered both the red and green chilli variants. They were soft and crisp. However, if I knew the starters will be accompanied with roomali roti, I would have either ordered for more roomali roti or perhaps not ordered for paratha at all. I look at such omission of information from the menu as a suspicious & unappreciated way to increase sale.

The omission I wrote about above is not just about money, it also leads to a mighty wastage of good food. So, I hope if the owners read this, they do something to do their bit to mitigate this issue.

Their food quality overall was simply nice. It was well presented and tasted decent. The accompanied chutney & onions were made well too. So, the cooking talent exists, fortunately.

In fact, even with someone like me who has quite an appetite, I think that the order portion quantity was quite sufficient for two, which makes the price point somewhat reasonable for this deliciousness.