A bodhi tree in red clay welcomes you as you step into Hotel Pankaj’s rooftop garden and restaurant, Nisha. Wrought iron chairs lie stranded amidst green bamboo plants. Bright yellow blossoms line the edges, and from your seat, you glimpse the blue expanse of sky and the panoramic view of the city.
The menu doesn’t disappoint either. Shrimps tossed in Schezwan sauce, placed on a bed of fried rice garnished with egg white strips, is what Volcano shrimps look like on a plate. For Rs 220, it is a treat.
Another exotic delicacy the menu boasts of, is Chicken Marthanda, wherein chicken and chicken liver pieces are chopped, sauted and served in an onion based gravy, best served with chappathi or tandoor breads. And for veggies, there is Paneer Kofta, fried cottage cheese and potato balls in a tomato cashew gravy.
The rooftop restaurant is open from 6 pm to 10.30 pm. For those of you who would want to sip some red wine or gulp chilled frothy beer, alcohol is also served at the rooftop restaurant.
It has been three years since Hotel Pankaj has altered their lunch menu to suit the customers’ tastes. “We had a lot of customers from the Secretariat and they all wanted homely food. So did those who came for shopping to the nearby shops, hence the change” says S Lal Kumar, executive chef of the restaurant.
With a variety of 28 Kerala dishes, both veg and non-veg, the buffet at their 6th floor restaurant, Sandhya, is a good bargain. A must-try in their buffet is chuttaracha chammanthi made with onions, smoked red chillies, scraped coconut, and curry leaves. It is best paired with kappa. Priced at ` 250, the buffet offers value for money as it includes specialties like nadan chicken curry, fish fry and a payasam. Payasams vary from day to day.
The glass-walled kitchen allows you to catch a glimpse of the clean and healthy method of cooking involved. If you are going for a la carte, pick the steak. Available in three choices, pepper steak, chicken diana and King fish Steak, are served as sizzlers dipped in mushroom sauce and accompanied with chips and vegetables.
This thirty-year-old hotel was most known for being the choice of stay of Mollywood celebrities. “Things have changed over the years. Many more hotels have sprung up but we still do have celebrities like Suresh Gopi, Innocent and Siddique frequenting our hotel,” Lal adds.
So this weekend if you are feeling a little sluggish and in need of fresh air, you know which place to try out!
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