Hardeep Punjab (Sion Koliwada) — Restaurant in Mumbai

Song in the background: “Kaala Chasma Jachda” Location: Sion-Koliwada Food: Punjabi Does it get more Punjabi than the combination of the above 3 elements?

Sion-Koliwada is one of the localities in Mumbai which have a very high concentration of Punjabi’s & Sikh’s. Most of them arrived in Mumbai as immigrants / refugees, the city welcomed them with open arms and what it got in return was delectable & authentic food. The sheer variety of food that this locality offers makes one wish that the stomach was made of an infinite elastine to accommodate it all. This is the locality where the iconic FISH KOLIWADA & KASHMIRI SODA was invented.

There are many success stories of people who came here from humble backgrounds and went on to achieve the success they dreamt of. The success story of Late Shri Mohinder Singh Abrol, the founder of Hardeep Punjab, is one of them. It started off as a small dhaba and eventually went on to become one of the successful restaurants in the locality.

I was invited over by the management of the restaurant to review them.

We started off with a cooler to beat the hot, humid & sweaty climate of Mumbai. I was served a KHUS COOLER [INR 110], made from Khus syrup, subja seeds, mint leaves and some soda; the flavor of Khus was nice. I was served CRISPY CORN [INR 220] which is regular starter and was decent. It was followed by the evergreen HARA BHARA KEBAB [INR 190] which was crispy on the outside and soft & mushy inside. It went well with the mint chutney. I was recommended WATERMELON MOJITO [INR 140] which was watermelon juice instead of lime juice, mint leaves, sugar syrup & ice.

Our Captain, Sahil, then pulled the rabbit out of the hat and served 2 amazing dishes which honestly were mind blowing, delectable and innovative in the method of preparation. One was SPECIAL MUSHROOM TIKKA [INR 270], soft & mushy button mushrooms were stuffed with a mixture of grated Paneer & Cheese, some spices & paprika. The mushrooms were then grilled on a skewer to a slightly charred exterior & the smoky flavor; it was AMAZING. The next dish was PANEER CHASKA MASKA [INR 340] which was an out-of-the-box innovation. Chunks of marinated Paneer were grilled and then put in an earthen pot, then cream, cheese sauce and some spices; the result was one hell of a dish which was creamy yet spicy, charred & smoky, soft & gooey. Hats off to the Chef who thought of this!

We were served out last round of starters in rhe form of PANEER CHILLI MILI TIKKA [INR270], which was Paneer Tikka served with a slice of spiced & marinated pineapple slice and a cheese slice. It was grilled nicely & had a smoky flavor to it.

We went in for the main course & were recommended PANEER TAWA [INR 250] by Captain Sahil. I can’t even begine describing how amazingly this dish was prepared. The gravy was made up of tomatoes, onions, a hint of Kasuri Methi and the flavor of the spices hit the right notes. The Paneer was really really soft and quantity was more than enough for 3 people.

We were recommended to try the MATKA DUM BIRYANI [INR 320] which was cooked in an earthen pot & sealed with dough. The proportion of rice grains to vegetables was really nice but the flavor was slightly off-track. The flavours required in a Biryani were missing, the aroma was also different; they need to work on it.

Though we were fully stuffed, we had GULAB JAMUN [INR 80] which was served hot. The Jamun was soft, nicely soaked in sugar syrup.

The service was nice, attentive & personalized. They were patiently waiting for us to finish each dish & then served the next one, giving good enough time to take photos in between as well. I left the ordering part to the waiting staff & I’m ghlad that they [the staff] know the menu card like the back of their hand & we were treated to some wonderful, lip-smacking food.

I sure enjoyed relishing every morsel of what I ate here, just as they enjoyed cokking the lovely dishes that came our way. If you want to bite into authentic Punjabi food then just drop into Hardeep Punjab and you won’t be...

So post Unlock we really wanted to indulge on some lip smacking tandoori food cos rest all dishes we were certainly able to prepare at home but tandoori items are something which cannot be recreated perfectly at the comfort of your home, you need to have proper clay clad tandoor setup for that authentic charred, flavour from the burnt coal. Definately we do have options of take-away and home delivery but there's some kind of charm when you get to sit down & indulge food and simultaneously enjoy the entire vibe all by yourself at a fine dine restaurant.

Was eagerly waiting to visit "Hardeep Punjab" as it's one of the most iconic restaurants of sion koliwada which is in business from past 35 years. So without giving a second thought we straight away decided to visit this place, which is known for serving authentic dhaba style north indian as well as mughai food. Cosy, calm ambience and comfortable, elegant old school style wooden seating with themed decor.

So slowly we are getting back to normal with dine in culture but with utmost care. Considering the current covid situation all safety measures are very well taken care of. Tables were throughly sanitized.

Special thanks to our captain Mr. Sahil who very well guided us to shortlist our menu, which was as mentioned below:

🛑 Chicken maska chaska - So this creation is their signature dish which is invented by the owner himself & i am surely not surprised why it is a hit between everyone. Special mention for the rustic presentation 👌👌 Succent tandoori chunks of chicken tossed in creamy, cheesy luscious sauce which is seasoned with herbs, chilly flakes, pepper etc. Served in matka which is a clay pot and is covered with tandoor roti which was used to bake it in tandoor. Highly recommended 👍

🛑Amritsari Fish Tikka - Tender pieces of fresh rawas marinated in mild tandoori masala and cooked to perfection in charcoal tandoor. Simple yet full of flavours.

🛑Prawn Lasooni - Heaven for those who love fresh flavour of chopped garlic. Perfectly marinated plump, juicy prawns in yogurt based marination. Relish it with mint coriander chutney.

🍹Cranberry virgin mojito - Strong flavour of cranberry in every sip with hint of sourness from fresh lime.

🍹Green Queen - Pineapple based mocktail with base if ice cream. Very refreshing 😀

🛑Mutton Bhuna with chur chur naan - One of tge most tender, soft pieces of mutton which was tossed in medium spicy onion based gravy finished with crushed fresh peppercorns.Was a perfect combination with chur chur naan.

🛑Matka Mutton Biryani - Long grain rice along with soft, tender pieces of mutton beautifully incorporated with tangy tomato broth and cooked until fragrant. This biryani was absolutely delicate in flavours and when combined with punjabi pickle and raita was a match made in heaven.

🛑 Rabdi Gulab Jamun - Perfect combo of thanda - garam in one. Soft pipping hot mawa gulab jamun dunked in lachedaar chilled rabdi.

🛑 Kulfi Falooda - Tri flavoured kulfi along with rabdi and lacy falooda sev can always hit the right spot. Delicious👌👌

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our food to the core. Prices are worth for the quality and quantity they serve. Very polite & humble staff. They do have valet parking option which will be functional from probably next month. Better to reserve your tables well in advance as they are mostly full...

One of the Finest, Fine Dining Restaurants in Mumbai, that serves Authentic Flavours of Punjab. From the Hospitable Service of Shyam & Uday to the lip-smacking Delicacies, Hardeep Punjab has so much to offer you.

. . . . HARDEEP PUNJAB also offers a new type of menu with servings defined by the number of people. Plan for your next birthday party, official celebrations or even a small gathering in a much easier, faster & economical way to order your favourite dish by the kilo.

Further details kindly call the Resturant.

So what did we order? . . . ▪CHICKEN CHASKA MASKA TIKKA

One of the highlights & the most tastiest appetizers we have ever had till date is the Chicken Chaska Maska. It’s essentially Chicken Tikka, cooked & covered by a Italian-style cheese sauce, the kind usually seen in pasta. The dish is served hot in a clay pot & blends spicy, soft chicken with thoroughly melted cheese. This dish alone, really, is worth making a trip to Sion. It’s unique, tasty, & innovative. WORTH IT!!! . . . ▪ CHICKEN PUDINA TIKKA

Pudina Chicken is a delicious, mintalacious, fabulous Punjabi cuisine which is marinating the Boneless Chicken Pieces in Green Paste of Mint, Coriander, Spinach & Methi Leaves & cooked to perfection.. LOVED IT!! . . . ▪CHICKEN BURNT GARLIC

Burnt garlic gives this chicken dish extra flavour. Garlicky, buttery, tossed in a slow-cooked chicken to make this an appetizing starter. YUMMMY . . . ▪MUTTON TIKKA

This mutton tikka is the tastiest version of mutton tikka's we’ve ever had. Boneless mutton chunks marrienated in yoghurts & spices shimmered to perfection. LOVELY!! . . . ▪CHICKEN HARDEEP PUNJAB SPECIAL

This Specialty chicken curry in a thick gravy with a nice spicy flavor, but is not too hot. SUPERB!!!

ENTREE . . . . ▪CHICKEN LALPARI

A favorite with the Maharajas, rich flavorful, served with curry sauce with spices & saffron. MADE FOR ROYALTY!!! . . . ▪MUTTON TAWA

Very nice and flavorful mutton recipe Mouthwatering Tawa Mutton Tender & Fresh Meat Cooked in Tawa in Traditional Coconut Red Masala, Curry Leaves Paste & Clarified Butter ... . . . ▪CHICKEN MATKA BIRYANI

The beautiful, flavorful steaming, hot, sealed in dough. The hot biryani is a deliciously made in the flavors of clay pot makes the biryani so delicious & special. LOVED IT!!! . . . ▪CHURA PORATHA

This Delicious paratha is very crispy, flaky, this layered wheat is a popular fried dough in Punjab & the street of Delhi & we were blessed to savour such a Paratha... AMAZING... . . .

DRINKS

▪VIRGIN MOJITO

This Classic Mojito Mocktail is the refreshingly non-alcoholic drink with sprite, mint, sugar, lemon. A very well made mocktail. MY FAVOURITE!!! . . . ▪FRUIT PUNCH

containing fruit or fruit juice. This is a long delicious glass of fruit juice mixed with a scoop of ice cream. SPLENDID!!! . . . ▪SCREW DRIVER

The screwdriver is a popular alcoholic highball drink made with orange juice and vodka. Very well made by the bar-tender. SUPERB!!! . . . DESERT . . . ▪MALAI KULFI FALOODA

The liquidy Malai Kulfi Falooda dessert would be a best...