The Koramangala version was one of the first restaurants reviewed here, and the review of the Indiranagar version first appeared in Bangalore Mirror.
The restaurant is located right after the flyover when coming from Koramangala, above Bombay Store. (map) Don’t try the U immediately after the flyover – there are cops waiting for you. 🙂 Two-wheelers can be parked right next to it, and more wheels will be taken care of by valet parking.
As per the restaurant’s own description, Rampur is a princely state in the upper regions of Uttar Pradesh, which has been influenced by Afghan Rohillas, Mughals, Rajputs as well as the British, in addition to its homegrown Nawabs. But Bollywood is probably a bigger influencer since Jaya Prada has been beating the royalty in elections regularly. Apparently, the food still owes much of its allegiance to its Nawabi heritage – ‘rich’, and cooked in ghee. That and the fact that it had a bias towards non-vegetarian delicacies were key factors in prompting a visit. With a gigantic hookah, swords and a shield, fez worn by the staff, and comfortable seating, some of the place’ character is indeed reflected in the restaurant itself. You can find the menu at Zomato. The beverages menu is quite exhaustive, and includes wines, champagnes and mocktails too.
When life gives you a lime, it might not be a bad idea to add some chaat masala, and that’s what makes a Nimbu Pani Rampuri, which would’ve been quite good if not for the dominant masala flavour. The Mix Vegetable Shorba was thick, creamy and a decent start to the meal. It was definitely a few notches higher than the Murgh Badami Shorba, a thin soup which the Badam didn’t deem worthy enough for an extended presence. The best of the starters was the Bhune Hue Subzi ke Sheek Kabab, mildly spicy and coarse, in terms of texture. The fish didn’t seem to have bought into the concept of Mahi Sarson ka Tikka. Not only was it unevenly cooked, it also suffered from a dominance of mustard and an absence of any other flavour. The Galowti (sic) Kabab was much better fare and though it wasn’t at ‘melt in the mouth’ levels, it did get pretty close.
The veg dominance continued in the main course too, with the Rampuri Dal Tadki wali – mixed dal, smooth and mildly spicy – becoming the favourite. The Paneer Lababdar came a close second with its thick consistency and creamy flavour. The Gosht Kundan Kaliya did sound like a Bollywood movie remix, but proved a fairly good dish with tender meat and a mildly spicy gravy with a dash of turmeric. We weren’t that fortunate with the Murgh Makkan Rampuri which had a tasty gravy but was spoiled by the chicken itself – hard and bland. There was unfortunately nothing khaas about the Rampuri Kaas Paratha, and the Taftan, in addition to being slightly burnt, lacked the saffron-cardamom flavours that make it special. The Ulta Tawa ka Paratha was relatively the best of the breads, though it did skimp on the ghee. The Murg Dum Biriyani also did not live up to expectations, and though the chicken was good, and the portion size large, the overly sticky and flavourless rice let it down. It needs to be mentioned that none of the dishes were really ‘heavy’, but considering the Ram’pure’ desi ghee proposition that the restaurant claims, that’s not really a good thing.
The spectre of dessert unavailability that seems to be following me around refused to let go here too, though its presence was limited to the Kesar Rasmalai and the Shahi Tukda. The soft Kesar Gulab Jamoon was the best of the lot though the Kesar itself couldn’t attend. The Matka Kulfi wasn’t so bad either though it could’ve been sweeter. The Phirni was quite insipid, and the Rampur ka Sewian was completely ignored, after the first tasting.
A meal for two would cost roughly Rs.1200, and they also have lunch and dinner buffets available on weekdays and weekends. The restaurant’s self proclaimed bias for non veg dishes fell flat on its face with the veg dishes clearly upstaging them. There seemed to be a focus on the buffet, which could explain the service staff trying to nudge us towards it, as well as the average delivery of the a la carte offering.
A Taste of Rampur, #4031, 1st Floor (aboveBombay Store),100 Ft Road, Indiranagar, HAL 2nd Stage, Ph: 080 42156000