Qureshi Restaurant @ Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club

A Taste of Royal Indian Cuisine

Little did many know that there is a majestic Indian restaurant located in the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club that serves fine Awadhi cuisine, Northern Indian cuisine from the city of Lucknow. Qureshi Restaurant made it appearance a year ago but unknown to many, the restaurant belongs to Indian Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi and family. Born into a family of legendary chefs, who has serves the many royalties of India, Chef Imtiaz’s journey was equally as great if not better than the Qureshi clan of master chefs.

Turning 86 this year, Chef Imtiaz has also just been awarded the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri, an award that chefs rarely are recipients. Still the grand master chef of the acclaimed Dum Pukht restaurants of the ITC hotels, he not only still reigns his empire himself but his sons are also with him in the same industry.

While his two master chef sons, Mohammed Ashfaque and Mohammed Irfan Qureshi, has their own restaurants all over the world, his other son, also an acclaimed master chef personally trained by his father, Muhammad Ahsan Ali Qureshi manages the family’s newest international venture and the first in Malaysia.

Stepping into Qureshi, one cannot help but to be immediately in awe of its grandeur. The restaurant is gorgeously elegant. All decked in gold, black and neutrals, the main dining room even has a fabulous dome ceiling covered in gold and black.

Lustrous chandeliers mixed with Indian light pieces, elegant plush high back chairs and pristine table setting with brightly polished copper cups, plates, napkin rings and silverware really take shouts fine regal dining at its best. There are also two private rooms as well as alfresco area outside.

From the moment we sat down to the end of our meal, service was discreet and impeccable. And this doesn’t apply to us only because we can see the same for all the other tables too. What surprises us was that the menu was filled with dishes set with affordable pricing. Despite the fine and grand ambiance, Qureshi’s menu was decently priced and quality of the food was indeed refine.

A starter of golden thin disc of pappadums served with some bread and an array of dhals and minty spiced yoghurt was already an explosion of flavours on the palate.

Seafood Pakora (RM45) was golden and crispy prawns, squid and mussel enveloped in a spiced batter. Delicious on its own, these were made even better with a side of soy vinegar reduction.

Crispy patties of potato and cashew nut are breaded with tiny crispy bubbles and fried till golden in Aloo Moti Tikki (RM25). Served with pretty pink radish and mustard pickle and sides of tamarind chutney as well as mint chutney.

The patties are delightfully light and creamy with crispy edges. The flavours are beautifully tasty of potatoes and nuts. The radish gave a refreshing boost while the chutneys are bombs of flavours.

Murgh Peshawari Tikka (RM35) is superb. Boneless chicken thighs marinated in Peshwari spices and grilled in tandoor oven was very moist and tasty. The chicken has a solid balance of spices but is not spicy in heat. Even my little one enjoy this chicken very much although he is not a fan of spices.

Qureshi’s signature is their Dum Biryani. One simply must order these as Chef Imtiaz has made extra effort in perfecting his Dum Lucknowi Biryani (RM45). Cooked the traditional method where the rice and meat is cooked separately before being combined and cooked again in a sealed dough. The long grain basmathi rice is beautifully fluffy and golden. Spiced and seasoned well, we dug in to unveil pieces of succulent spiced lamb that is wonderfully tender and tasty.

Our order of Butter Chicken (RM35) had all the check marks of a delicious mild and creamy curry with a tomatoey base. Large pieces of boneless chicken coupled with the curry had me piling on my plate with much happiness. This is one of my all-time favorite curry and Qureshi’s version did not disappoint indeed.

Gloriously moreish, the Prawn Curry (RM45) warrants an order for its rich depth of spiced flavours. Not too spicy, the prawn has sublime flavours that makes you want to keep savoring it’s richness.

There is also a lush yellow Goan Fish Curry (RM35) that goes very well with rice or bread. Mellow and creamy, the curry goes really well as it does not overpower the delicate boneless fish pieces. Great for diners of all ages, this curry is a signature of the Goa state in India.

Chickpeas ‘Dhaba’ Style (RM26), luscious cassoulet of creamy and nutty chickpeas cooked with nigella seeds till soft was another crowd pleaser that evening.

Paneer cheese is a constant favorite of mine and I would definitely order it if it’s on the menu. The Paneer Tikka Butter Masala (RM28) was easy to enjoy. Cooked the same as the Butter Chicken, the creamy soft paneer was heavenly in the creamy tomatoey curry.

Mirch Balgan ka Salan (RM26) had everyone raving on the gorgeous soft brinjal and bhajji chillies cooked with peanut, coconut and sesame. It has such a tangy and spiced up flavour that literally makes the dish mouth-watering addictive!

One simply must order their Dal Qureshi (RM30) too. While most dal curries are quite mild and cooked with lots of vegetables and yellow dal, the Dal Qureshi is slow stewed black lentils with tomatoes and finished with butter and cream. The result is a masterpiece of luscious curry that goes really well with all their rice and bread.

Qureshi offers a good selections of bread. One can order their Tandoori Roti (RM10) or Cheese Naan (RM12) to go with all the rich curries. I was particularly fond of the Tandoori Roti for its buttery flavour.

We ended our meal with more richness and the Gulab Jamun (RM20) was even served with mango yoghurt sorbet. The dessert turned out to be pretty good because the unctuous fried balls were nicely lighten up with the fruity sweet and tangy sorbet.

We also had some Mango Yoghurt Sorbet and Pistachio Ice Cream.

A surprising treat at Qureshi reminded me that we should not judge a book by its cover. Despite its majestic ambiance, the restaurant is decently priced. Lots of efforts are seen at Qureshi from its gorgeous ambiance to the beautiful rich Northern Indian menu as well as the impeccable service. Head on over if you are looking to impress your dinner guests or family.

QURESHI RESTAURANT

Ground Floor, East Lobby,

Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club

No 10, Jalan 1/70D,

Off Jalan Bukit Kiara,

6000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-2011 1007

Email: info@qureshi-intl.com

GPS: 3.138820, 101.639465

Website: www.qureshi-intl.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/QureshiRestaurantKL