Review: Traditional Khana, Udaipur - a classic restaurant to indulge in authentic Rajasthani food!

May 27, 2017

Review: Traditional Khana, Udaipur - a classic restaurant to indulge in authentic Rajasthani food!

Review: Traditional Khana, Udaipur

One sentence: Maza Aa Gaya! (a.k.a Delighted!!!)

When you see a 4.9 rating on Zomato for a city restaurant, you know something special is happening there. And my experience with the restaurant is the one sentence, I wrote for the first time for a place serving traditional authentic Rajasthani food. Tried their Mewar Ka Shahi Bhoj thali and the food was bearing all the signature of a master chef who may not have a modern culinary training but experienced enough to cast a spell on your taste buds. The welcome drink was a Rose Sharbat made with thier homegrown ingredients. No fancy colour or fusion, just a pure transparent one with rich flavour. Then came the Pakodis with three different chutneys. Followed by Jakolma puri, Aamchur, Chane ke Daal, Gatte ji Sabji. I'm sure, there are very few high street restaurants who serve Jakolma puri these days. They also served some Bafla Baati, Urad ki Daal and Kadi in the same course. Then, Pakode ki Khichdi , Churma ka Laddu and Chach. Then on special recommendation, I tasted their Chuhla Ka Rabdi, which was made with boiling milk on wood fire. You can feel the smoky flavour and earthy taste in every spoon of this dessert. All the food were served on eco-friendly leaf plates and bowls where the drinks were served in the earthen pot. I cannot express my experience much in words, but the food was just excellent in taste and fresh.

They have a prix-fixe menu with four thali options and a couple of more with platters. Traditional Rajasthani food is cooked with lot of spices and Ghee, so don't be surprised with the hefty amount of fat in the food. Please don't expect any fancy fat-free 'healthy' food here.

The order took around 10-15 minutes to serve as according to the owners; they prepare fresh for each of them, be it a single or a group of six people.

And I must mention the owners, an awesome Father-Son duo, Shri Tribhuvan Kothari sab and his son Shri Harshit Kothari. While the senior Kothari sab will pamper you with his signature Rajasthani hospitality, Harshit ji will guide you with an in-depth knowledge of their restaurant food. You can feel their passion and love for food, the moment you step into the restaurant and pick up the menu. As per the decor and setting, they have created a fancy yet traditional look with the plush sofas and wooden panels and door-window frames. Most importantly, they have kept all the eight big old trees which were there in the plot before the restaurant and build their setting around it. Kudos to them for such an effort while the easy way was to cut them off.

Overall, I must say that if you're longing for traditional vegetarian Rajasthani food and like to eat in a 'good' restaurant, then you must visit this place without a second thought!