The Park Hyderabad’s speciality restaurant Aish, shut since the pandemic, reopened recently with an evening to remember.
Before we fed our stomachs, we fed our minds. And, even before that, we fed our eyes. We were at the relaunch of Aish, the Hyderabadi restaurant at The Park Hyderabad. The restaurant had been shut for two years, because allegedly someone somewhere ate something they shouldn’t have (aka the pandemic).
The Park Hyderabad sits at the edge of the magnificent Hussain Sagar Lake. Everything about this designer hotel exudes style. And Aish, with interiors by Tarun Tahiliani, is its crown jewel. The restaurant has a subtle grandeur. Details include embedded mother of pearl inlays, an oakwood ceiling studded with Swarovski crystal lights, antique crystal chairs and chandeliers, a fine collection of antiques and portraits and lots of mirrors. That’s the feeding with the eyes I was referring to.
The stimulation of the mind came next. Actor and theatre artiste Padma Shri Mohammad Ali Baig and his wife, Noor Baig — the leading lights of Hyderabad’s theatre scene — did a poetry and book reading. The audience absorbed the celebrated theatre couple’s flawless oration with rapt attention, as they spoke about Hyderabad’s legendary hospitality. And then it was time to break bread and sip wine and partake of this legendary hospitality.
The menu at Aish is a perfect jugalbandi between the richness and grandeur of the Nizami kitchen and the freshness and simplicity of the Telangana rasoi.
We began with some kababs. The vegetarian ones stood out: the doodhiya kabab (cheese and pomegranate layered paneer kabab), hari gobhi ki tikki (broccoli, ginger and cumin patties) and the meve ke shikampur (vegetable patty filled with dry fruits & yoghurt relish).
The gosht ka marag was a comforting mutton broth, with an astounding depth of flavour. Being Hyderabad, the gosht haleem was flawless as expected. But even the vegetarians were grunting satisfactorily at their katthal haleem.
A kala jamun sorbet followed. Some of us thought the meal was over, but the sorbet was merely a palate cleanser. Hyderabadis don’t do things by halves, certainly not food.
The main courses came together in a shimmering thali, preparations like the unusual dakhni saag, the sukhi maash ki dal which was a revelation, a delicate arvi gosht, and lal mirch ki machhi. There were biryanis and breads to accompany the feast.
Chef Mohsin was at hand to explain the delicate nuances of the food, but mostly we were descending into a food coma at this point in the meal. What stood out for me were the subtle differences in the use of spices, which made each of the main course gravies distinct and bursting with interesting and novel flavours.
A trio of desserts — badam ka halwa, qubani cream cheese mille-feuille and desi gulab ki kheer — brought the royal meal and memorable evening to a sweet finish.
Aish serves both a la carte dishes as well as three multi-course set menus which begin with a royal welcome, a refreshing welcome drink, amuse bouche, shorba, selection of kebabs, splendid mains, delightful accompaniments, unique seasonal sorbets and a selection of divine desserts. The experience ends with chai/kaafi accompanied with Osmania biscuits and ginger chocolate cookies.
Menu names:
1. Zar-e-Khas @ INR 1500
2. Shaan-e-Dakkhan @ INR 2000
3. Heera-e-Aish @ INR 2500
Aish, Level 3, The Park Hyderabad,
22, Raj Bhavan Rd, Somajiguda,
Hyderabad, Telangana 500082
Tel: 040-44990000
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Max: 5 stars)
Food: 9/10
Drinks: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Interiors/Décor: 8/10
Vibe: 8/10
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