Mughal Mahal Super Review: 7, Sethi Bhawan, Rajendra Place, New Delhi

Mughal Mahal Review: 7, Sethi Bhawan, Rajendra Place, New Delhi

I have been going to Mughal Mahal from the days when they had a string painting adorning their main wall (which houses a huge mirror now). Mughal Mahal was my family’s favourite joint apart from Nirula’s Chinese Room to host family celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.

Being born and brought up in Old Rajinder Nagar, Mughal Mahal, Rajendra Place was one of the two non-negotiable “venue” for our special occasions. It has today become a landmark in itself, with several offices using it as an indicator for their office addresses.

A lot of water has flown under the bridge since my childhood days. Mughal Mahal, Rajendra Place has visibly taken a beating by time and looks run down. Nirula’s Chinese Room has shut down. My family has moved to Gurgaon and work on skeletal ties with Delhi. To make matters worse or maybe better for Butter Chicken’s sake, a Mughal Mahal franchise has opened in Sector 31 Market in Gurgaon.

Read the review of Mughal-Mahal, Gurgaon. All in all, a lot of reasons hinder a visit to the “real” Mughal Mahal. Having said that, I have already made two trips to Mughal Mahal, Rajendra Place in this year – all for the love of their crisp, fluffy naans and the butter chicken that is no less than a legend. I often jest humorously that apart from blood also flows in my veins the creamy butter chicken gravy of Mughal Mahal.

The interiors of Mughal Mahal are a bit run down and tacky if I may say. Though, you don’t go to Mughal Mahal for its interiors or the watering hole it has become. You go to Mughal Mahal for its food and to relive old memories as in my case. During my last visit, the brightly lit restaurant was full of families celebrating birthdays or just eating out as well as a group of beaten-down corporate executives drinking their stress away.

The solid wood tables were full which is an indicator of a successful Mughlai restaurant, especially in today’s competitive time. There was a lot of Punjabi chatter around with stray conversations appreciating the great food Mughal Mahal restaurant serves till date.

The Manager and stewards looked primarily the same from the years of my childhood. I have a recollection of these young, lean servers back then who have not only aged but grown (horizontally) too. While I thought the pot-bellied Manager looked a bit uninterested, the service guys were super and served with a smile.

The order was taken & presented in a reasonable time, though a couple of things requested were not available hence there was a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, we didn’t miss a generous “thank you for coming” and “please come again“. This speaks volumes about ensuring that the patrons remember the delectable food as well as splendid service.

When one eats at Mughal Mahal you have to forget your sensitivity (or averseness) to butter, cream and ghee. My order is fairly standard and oh!! it indeed is loaded. It comprises of the yummiest, creamiest, tangiest, boneless butter chicken ever (Rs.895) accompanied with Gosht Pasanda (Rs.365) made with delicately spiced, small pieces of succulent mutton. My meal cannot ever be complete without their Mughal Dal Makhni (Rs.250) & Paneer Makhani (Rs.495) which simply melt in your mouth.

Their naans are always at their crispiest best. While some of us opted for Butter & Garlic Naans, I always reserve myself for their huge plain naans which come topped with Kalonji (Nigella Seeds), something I long for at their branch in Gurgaon. They are just not half as good though the other dishes are close enough, if not 99%.

A visit to Mughal Mahal, Rajendra Place for me is like living my carefree days of life once again with scrumptious food on special occasions or just like that too. It is really not a restaurant for me but a part of my life’s (culinary) journey. If you haven’t been there ever, it is about time you did.