Lip smacking food thrown in from regular menu as well as a special food festival menu, array of drinks, an exquisite ambience and company of like minded foodies, the perfect formula for an evening well spent, this is how I will describe my experience at Circus, South Ex.
The place exuberates, energy and liveliness all throughout, with ample bright space for seating, an outdoor balcony space and a beautiful terrace, you can choose your den as per your mood and the weather.
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There is an ongoing Punjabi Food Festival at Circus and hence we got to try the best of both worlds, to begin with we ordered Dahi Ke Kebab, Makhani Lahori Tikka and Paneer Pepper Fry. Dahi Ke Kebab were nice, crispy on the outside and soft inside, one of the best dishes we had that evening, the Lahori Tikka was really nice, perfectly spiced and mouth melting, one must try these. The Paneer Pepper Fry turned out to be a bit disappointing, it was too spicy and except spices there was just no taste.
Next we ordered Mutton Tikka Tak A Tak, Chicken 65, Butter Chicken Pizza and Loaded Potato Skin. The Mutton was really nice, tender pieces cooked in a tawa type thick masala, I really loved it. Chicken 65 was another winner, perfectly spiced with loads of curry leaves. The Butter Chicken Pizza was good, though didn’t really feel the butter chicken taste in specific. The Loaded Potato Skins were really good, the hollow potato skins were filled with creamy cheddar cheese and then baked. Its a delight for vegetarians.
A wide array of drinks were there to choose from, Circus Bloody Marry, Masala Gang and Joker No 7 were really nice. For mocktails there was Kiwi Cantaloupe Cooler, Mixed Apple Mojito and Salted Caramel Shake.
From the Punjabi Festival menu, we ordered Machi Amritsari, Machhi De Tikke, Beere Da Kukkad and Papadwala Paneer Tikka. The Amristsari Fish was basically fried fillets of fish with a really crispy covering, this was awesome, and must try while the festival lasts. Macchi De Tikke, were big chunks of fish marinated in tandoori spices and were really tasty. Beere Da Kukkad was typically the tandoori chicken prepared really well. The chicken was really tender and juicy and I loved it. The Papadwala Paneer was amazing, the crushed papad coat added a lot of crunchy to otherwise soft paneer.
For the main course we ordered mainly from the Punjabi Food Festival menu, Dal Makhani, Kukkad Patialashahi, Mutton Ghee Roast, Palak Paneer and Andhra Chicken Curry.
Loved the way the main course was brought in home style dabbas, perfectly accompanied by kachumbar salad and assorted breads. Fell in love with the food just by looking at it.
The Dal Makhani was totally as per expectations, creamy and very Punjabi, the Mutton Ghee Roast had a perfect masala, but somehow was a bit salty, but otherwise this could have been the winner. Kukkad Patialashahi was the best, a very well prepared chicken gravy, this was delectable. The kachumbar salad a dose of tanginess and spice to the whole meal, it was a perfect accompaniment.
Coming to desserts, we tried the Moong Dal Halwa, Aatte Ka Halwa and Circus Special Sunday. The Moong Dal Halwa was not as per my expectations, it was little dry and less sweet for my liking, but the Aatte Ka Halwa made up for everything, it was delicious. The Circus Special Sunday looked the most tempting and was nice too, though it wasn’t very sweet, it was berrylicious with some strong flavours of strawberries and cherries.
But my overall experience at Circus was fabulous and I really look forward to visiting it soon.