Gaylords is a classic Indian restaurant frequented by people across the spectrum from all parts of Mumbai. The restaurant, which opened in 1956, still carries a strong brand and maintains high quality with its service and menu. I love its Punjabi dishes where I find many household staples that are not common in Mumbai restaurants.
Mr. Noel D’souza is an ever so charming and friendly gentleman, who has been keeping the show alive and vibrant for the past 26 years. An active traveler, lover of food, and an engaging conversationalist, Noel loves to bring a little bit of Germany to Gaylord Restaurant every October. For this season, Gaylor held the Beer and Sizzler festival between 22nd September and 4th October. With focus on quality, he imported fine cut meats from Germany to go with select beer to celebrate a bit of the October Fest.
The menu had 5 options with 1 vegetarian, Spinach Gourd and Cottage Cheese, and 4 meat options, with German Sausages, Goan Calamari, BBQ Chicken and Beer Batter Prawns to choose from.
I selected the German Pork Sausage Sizzler and the Goan Calamari with Rice on a plate to kick off the proceedings. The sausage sizzler presentation was simple, clean and inviting, without the usual ‘throw it all in there’ approach. The Pork Sausage was delicious, fresh and warm through the middle (despite its size). The cheese was soft and complimented the sausage. The meats on the platter were top notch that met the standards I expect from Gaylord.
I next tried the Calamari and Flavoured Rice, which was a little cold and flat in taste. It may have been due to the plate and the wait for me to finish the sausages, nonetheless, I wish I had requested for the serving in a sizzler format as recommended.
Finishing my first tasting, Noel served the original and his favorite set of Indian dishes for the tasting. First was the Grilled Rawas, a soft, tender and juicy dish that I really recommend with the beer. The texture was perfect, as it was not over cooked. A dash of lime adds to the flavor and you yearn for more.
The main course was set as Chicken Masala, Mutton Rogan Josh and a classic Punjabi dish – the Dry Daal. In my many visits to restaurants in Mumbai, this was the only time I saw the dish on the Menu.
The Mutton was soft and flavorful though nothing unique or out of the world. A north Indian Punjabi would expect the flavors and feel at home. The chicken was quite a surprise, with a good dose of spices (not masalas) that lend strength to the bite. The gravy was quite a new experience and seemed to be well suited to the meat. The dry daal was great, with a clean and fresh texture with cooked onion and coriander adding flavor and color to the dish.
We topped the visit with a lovely Kulfi – flavours of pista abundant and consistent. A perfect way to close a hearty meal.
Gaylord is a must visit for those who haven’t tried, as it always offers something new to keep you interested while maintaining a steady base of dishes and flavours that bring its regulars back time and again.
Watch out for the next festival which should be around the corner, you never know what Noel has in store.
Meal for Two without Alcohol: Rs. 2000 with taxes| Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Timing: 10:00 to 23:30
Wheelchair Access: Yes
Address: Mayfair Building, Ground Floor, Near Ambassador Hotel, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400099
Telephone : 022 2282 1259