With its high ceiling and mezzanine, this spacious restaurant might be reminiscent of an exotic temple, but once you have a menu in your hand there's no doubt that it's the the food that counts - and, coming from both India and Pakistan, that means some big choices.
The promise from owners Farooq Khalil and Chef Muhammad Ali (who was previously with the Jaipur group) is that diners will find all the classics and some unique dishes here - and, with several menus offered, there is certainly no lack of choice. Unusually, this includes a dedicated collection of healthy curries, as well as a set menu, and a restaurant menu (plus takeaway too).
Starters are divided into two longish sections: general, and a tandoori list that includes all the meats - and all the heats. From the general list, you might begin with Punjabi style crab cakes of hand picked crab meat, delicately cooked on a hot pan, for example, or Aloo Tikki - these pan fried potato cakes accompanied by a tamarind-date sauce and mint & green apple chutney are a favourite from the city of Patiala in northwestern Punjab.
Mains include well-known Indian dishes such as Rogan Josh, made with either chicken or lamb; the Tandoori Specials, including Chicken ot King Prawns, and a range of tempting Chef’s Specials. Good poultry dishes include a great Chicken Tandoori (chicken thighs marinated overnight with hand pounded spices, garlic, yogurt, and saffron, cooked in the clay oven and served with apple salad) and delicious Duck Tikka, a popular dish of Barbary duck marinated with tandoori spices, cooked in the clay oven and served with passionfruit chutney.
Accompaniments include some unusual chutneys and salads, and the healthy curries offer plenty of choice without sacrificing flavour - Chicken Ginger, for example, is a distinctly zingy dish of diced fresh chicken cooked with ginger, tomato, pepper and hand pounded spices.
As in many Indian restaurants, friendly and effiicient service add to the experience and the wine list, although short (and with just one white and one red available by the glass, at about €5.5), matches the food well and includes the popular Indian beer, Cobra.
Gaylord's promises to be a bit different, and it is consistent too.
