ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Restaurant Name: Habba Kadal, Whitefield, Bangalore
Phone: +917603821537
Address: 326, Inner Circle, Ward 84, Hagadooru, Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka 560066 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 22:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,400
Cuisines: Kashmiri, North Indian, Mughlai, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Indoor Seating, Family Friendly
Habba Kadal Whitefield Bangalore: Food Review
Named after a bridge across the Jhelum in Kashmir, this place calls itself the Habba Kadal Kashmiri Heritage Hub. As you may have guessed, it’s more than just a restaurant. The creators of the space have set out to recreate here not just the cuisine but also the culture of the place they left amidst turmoil.
Located in the inner area of Whitefield, Habba Kadal is a vast space. Walk in and you might mistake it for a sculpting studio or art gallery. The garden surrounding the restaurant is stocked with sculptures, including a massive Devi statue from Tamil Nadu, various objets d’art and even a cart. As you enter the restaurant, you get a traditional welcome with sandalwood paste and flowers. Inside there are several dining areas, each done up in elaborate style with carpets, lamps, wall hangings and carved wood. At Habba Kadal there is much to take in. On another floor, there is a store for clothes and accessories. I went here for dinner on a weekend night and it was pretty busy. I was dining solo and settled for a meal on a plate. It was the Wazwan Trami for one; it had Gushtaba, Rista, Rogan Josh – all mutton – plus Haak, the Kashmiri green, with rice and chutney. It came on a traditional plate, the rice piled in the middle with the gravies and accompaniments in small bowls. The Gushtaba and Rista were nicely done, the meat pounded, shaped and cooked in two classic Kashmiri gravies. I enjoyed the Rogan Josh the most. The meat was tender and had absorbed all the flavour from the robust red gravy. The Haak added freshness and the walnut chutney was excellent. I only wished the rice had been less grainy and dry.
I was told the Kabargah Bemissal, the Kashmiri Pandit version of Tabak Maas is a popular dish here. So, I tasted some of that as well. It had a crunchy surface with tender meat and plenty of fat. It’s one of the richer dishes on the menu here. For dessert, I had a subtly flavoured Phirnee.
The unique Kashmiri breads like Girda and Katlam are another speciality here. I might stop here again for warm girda and a cup of kahwa.
