Daily Times

LAHORE: Nestled in the heart of the very busy Egerton Road, Hospitality Inn towers above its competitors, offering a gym, a salon, restaurants and a bakery other than its luxury rooms.

And on top of all these facilities, lye its renowned Koyla restaurant situated on its rooftop. I had the chance of visiting the restaurant and trying out some of the items on the menu (a single person cannot have the entire menu in one sitting, right?).

Once out on the rooftop area, the sharp December breeze of Lahore seemed to penetrate between the woollen layers I had worn.

Koyla is aptly titled as even though its serves a wide variety of cuisines that range from barbeque and seafood to pastas and paninis, it enjoys a niche in desi food. I like the straight forwardness and uniqueness of its name. The creative team and the brains behind Koyla, are aware of its strength, it seems

There was a humongous pool on top, right next to the indoor premises of the restaurant with stone monk statues lining its one side. While making my way over to the staircase that lead to Koyla, a notice a canopy atop couches with a bonfire right next to it.

I was led inside to the restaurant premises, where I ordered a Mutton Joint Soup, Dynamite Prawns, Hummus, Chef’s Special BBQ Platter, Mutton Ribs, Chicken Ginger Tawa Handi, Chicken Seekh Kebab, freshly squeezed orange juice, and gulab jaman served with cappuccino later.

Here is what I thought of the place.

STRENGTHS

Koyla is aptly titled as even though its serves a wide variety of cuisines that range from barbeque and seafood to pastas and paninis, it enjoys a niche in desi food. I like the straight forwardness and uniqueness of its name. The creative team and the brains behind Koyla, are aware of its strength, it seems.

The outside premises of the restaurant, that include the seating arrangement, the poolside and the canopied bonfire area, are stunning. Meticulously planned, the area is perfect for outdoor winter season functions, lunches and dinners, formal engagement parties, and other such occasions. The stone monk statues lining the outer ends of the pool add to the uniqueness and sophistication of the place. You cannot make your way in without taking a picture or too. Just its sight transports you to a kitty party in your head. Despite the cold, the canopied area is beautiful to look at and once seated, a stone and pebble bonfire takes care of the winter chill. In times where electric and fan heaters take their place in our homes, a blazing fireplace in the outdoors is just what we need. Talk about class!

The Hummus I ordered from their Salads & Appetisers section of the menu is priced at Rs 299 only. It is traditionally Lebanese as we all know and is served with pita bread. It is really something with a strong, soft taste with a half soft, half crispy pita bread. One needs to stop themselves from indulging in this appetiser too much and leave space for what next they order. The Dynamite Prawns from the same section of the menu are priced at Rs 599. These are basically fried prawns, tossed in spicy dynamite sauce served with salsa sour cream. They are, without a doubt, the best Dynamite Prawns I have had in Lahore. Crispy and tender with a rich helping of the dip! The Mutton Ribs priced at Rs 1,899 are any foodie’s dream. I am not a mutton fan personally, but the meat is so well done, one doesn’t need to struggle with tearing it apart or chewing. Definitely, one of my most favourite dishes at Koyla. The marination is on point with just the right amount of spice and salt. The Chicken Seekh Kebabs are priced at Rs 699. Together with their assortment of parathas and naans, I would personally go back really soon just to have the Chicken Seekh Kebabs with their Garlic Naan, which by the way are available only for Rs 40. The Chicken Ginger Boneless Tawa Handi is priced at Rs 899. The handi consists of chicken boneless cubes, which are cooked in tomato, ginger and green chillies, and are spiced to precision. I mention this handi especially as I liked how there was proper gravy with and the chicken was well done. Mostly restaurants do not serve gravy in their handis, which gets very annoying. The Gulab Jaman priced at Rs 449 are served with chilled rabri and one possibly cannot sit back and admire the precision with which they are prepared and served. Every bite is a ticket to a food coma, if I dare say.

The servers, attendants and the management are utterly accommodating, helpful and sweet..

WEAKNESSES

The soups, barbeque platters, juices and the coffees might not be Koyla’s strongest points.

Published in Daily Times, January 9^th 2017.