The Ancient Barbeque, Gurgaon: A BBQ Joint for a Big Appetite

The Ancient Barbeque, popularly known as TAB, had established itself quite well in Noida before setting up shop in Gurgaon. Chef Nikhil Chopra, a Delhi-ite, knows how to surprise his customers with his exquisite culinary skills. Apart from the items listed on the menu, Chef Nikhil also prepares new innovative items to give variety in the barbeque menu to the regular customers.

Open Barbecue at TAB | Foodaholix
Open Barbecue at TAB

Their Gurgaon restaurant is much bigger than their Noida, Sector 63 outlet, as is true for most of the other restaurants which set up shop in that part of Delhi NCR. There is ample space for you to move around if you feel stuffed and also has an outside seating which you can book for parties and function. The biggest difference, however lies in the fact that the Gurgaon outlet has a liquor license; a fantastic wish come true for all the office going crowd who can visit TAB for an evening hangout, for some beers and barbeque.

Outside Seating | Foodaholix
Outside Seating

First on the list was Murgh Tikka Karachi, which had extremely tender pieces of chicken marinated in a non-spicy masala making it a delightful option for kids. The highlight of the murgh tikka was the aroma of spices that comes from the barbeque after letting it roast for a minute or so. No matter how full I was, the fragrance of the marinating tikkas always pulled me back for another bite. Served with the customary mint chutney, the starter laid out the platform for the rest of the dishes to come.

The Murgh Tikka was served with the Jalandhari Fish Tikka, which literally melted in the mouth. The fish, like the chicken was tender and wasn't spicy. Of the array of sauces kept on the table, we found that it went best with the tartar sauce and the butter garlic sauce.

Murgh Tikka Karachi (Middle) and Jalandhari Fish Tikka (Rightmost and leftmost) | Foodaholix
Murgh Tikka Karachi (middle) and Jalandhari Fish Tikka (rightmost and leftmost)

Next on the list is Keema Tart which isn't part of the menu, but if possible, is a must try for the carnivores. It is a sweet crispy tart filled with not so spicy keema, both going well with each other and confusing your taste buds.

Another dish which scintillated our palette was the Salsa Potato, deep fried potato discs in salsa mayo dip. Though the dish doesn't score points in innovation as there is a similar version of the dish in many restaurants, the TAB one just edges out on the quality. Unlike most other restaurants, it is not overloaded with mayo but has just the right amount of everything for customers to go nuts for it.

 Salsa Potato, Mutton Seekh Kebab and Keema Tart | Foodaholix
Salsa Potato, Mutton Seekh Kebab and Keema Tart (from left to right) 

Crispy Spinach was another dish which caught our tongue. The spinach, as with the other leaves, is very difficult to fry and if left for a little bit longer than necessary, can get burnt and thus has to be prepared with utmost diligence and expertise. The concept of the dish is very simple yet interesting; it has fried spinach with sesame seeds and paprika with a hint of sweetness enhancing the taste.

Crispy Spinach | Foodaholix
Crispy Spinach

After this we headed towards the buffet for the main course. The main course fare was quite decent with the exception of Dumpling in Hoy Garlic Sauce which I felt should have been more fluffy and easy to chew. The Chilli Garlic Noodles went very well with the Hoy Garlic Sauce which has a predominant flavor of garlic along with ketchup.

The Lipta Khumb, with just the right amount of spices, was the star of the fare. The mushroom is cooked to the core and the spiciness of the coating took it to another dimension. The pasta was also cooked evenly, but the Florentine sauce was less creamy than expected.

Main Course | Foodaholix
(Clockwise) Chilli Garlic Noodles, Herb Tossed Vegetables Lipta Khumb,
Corn Salad, Pasta in Florentine Sauce, Hummus and Dumpling in Hoy Garlic Sauce,

To end our lovely lunch, we went to the desserts sections and filled our plates with Beetroot Halwa, Death By Chocolate, Gulabi Kheer, Profiterole and some Vanilla Ice Cream Topped with Chocolate Syrup. Beetroot Halwa has somewhat become a trademark of TAB, and seldom disappoints the customers. It is not too sweet, and goes very well with the Vanilla Ice Cream.

The Death By Chocolate would be better renamed as a chocolate halwa as it doesn't truly emulate the pastry. However, for a chocolate lover, it is bliss, heaven, divine or whatever you want to name it. Profiterole, a french dessert, is an interesting addition, a choux pastry ball filled with cream and topped with chocolate and caramelized threads. The Gulabi Kheer has rose petals in it for the flavors and has a mild sweetness.

Desserts | Foodaholix
(clockwise) Beetroot Halwa, Death By Chocolate,  Profiterole,
Gulabi Kheer, and some Vanilla Ice Cream Topped with Chocolate Syrup

As with most of us, main course and desserts are often not the reason why people visit the barbeque joints as they are mostly stuffed due to the excellent choices and infinite supply of the kebabs. TAB is a great place for barbeque and with the addition of liquor license, can surely be a paradise for many bachelors looking to chill after a heavy day of work at the office.

Price:
Lunch: 499 + tax (Veg), 589 + tax (Non-Veg)
Dinner: 619 + tax (Veg), 699 + tax (Non-Veg)

The Ancient Barbeque
223 & 223 A,
Good Earth City Centre, 
Sector 50, Gurgaon

Also Read The Ancient Barbeque, Noida

3 comments:

  1. mouthwatering... nice photos :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow.. sounds like an interesting place... and those are some awesome mouth-watering pics :-)

    ReplyDelete