Over a July weekend, our Digital Features Writer checks into The Heritage Resort & Spa for a weekend getaway. The highlight? Sampling Northwest Frontier cuisine at the newly-opened Mardan, which features delicacies from the region. By Anushka Goel
On a sultry afternoon, I walk into Heritage Village Resort & Spa, Manesar. Packed with people from Delhi and around, the place buzzes with activity as guests check in and check out, and the soft pitter-patter of the rains only adds to the lazy mood.
I check in and am shown my room, located on the first floor in a cluster. My door opens to the views of a stunning courtyard and the window makes for the perfect place to relax in solitude as I look out at the expansive greenery the property has. I know where I’m spending most of my time alone in the room already.
I’m at the property to sample the menu from their latest restaurant, Mardan, which is Delhi-NCR’s first restaurant serving Northwest Frontier cuisine, filled with delicacies from the Northwest Frontier region of British India (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
However, before I get to eat the delectable meal, I spend some time unwinding and exploring the property.
A green cocoon amidst a bustling city
Heritage Village Resort & Spa is inspired by Rajasthan and its culture, elements of which are visible throughout. The pet-friendly property is home to expansive gardens, a nursery, a vegetable garden and a lot of lawns. Activities such as a game zone (complete with a paintball set-up, archery and more), drone flying (sessions are conducted here for the same), yoga sessions in the mornings and games and creative sessions for children make it a place for families as a whole.
A spent my afternoon sipping on coffee and catching up on some reading as the rain subsided (Pride & Prejudice makes for the perfect intense romantic read, for those interested), and as the sun came out, I headed out for a cocktail-making session. I learn how to make a Bloody Mary, under the guidance of the bartender, Aman, who takes me through the entire process.
Sampling gastronomic Northwestern Frontier cuisine at Mardan
A high tea and some rest later, I make my way to Mardan. The name of the restaurant is what intrigues me the most – Mardan comes from a small town on the Northwest Frontier border of Pakistan. Its the cuisine from this region, along with with the neighbouring regions of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, that have inspired the menu here.
The moment I enter, I am met with stunning chandeliers and fountains outside the corner table windows, where I choose to be seated. The view transports me to one of those modern restaurants that have kept the rustic elements alive, which is exactly the vibe at Mardan. What also intrigues me is colour-coded aprons that are given to all guests to wear – green for the vegetarians and red for the non-vegetarians.
As I wait for my meal, I begin with a gin and citrus-based cocktail, that is the perfect refresher on this humid evening. My server, Chirag, soon fills my table with scrumptious offerings – Paneer Aur Sabz Tikka and Aloo Nazakat from the vegetarian section, and Mutton Seekh and a Murgh Afghani Tangri.
The vegetarian starters are mildly spicy, with the flavour of whole spices exploding onto my palate with a pop. Aloo Nazakat is stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and nuts, adding a unique textural element and flavour profile to the dish, while the marinade on the paneer has my heart. Not just the potatoes, the chicken, fork tender and succulent, also hides a surprise – marinated with the perfect balance of spice and creaminess, the pieces are stuffed with chicken mince, adding a textural contrast of the same dish. And as I attack the non-vegetarian starters, I am surprised at how succulent and tender these kebabs are, even though the dish isn’t as warm as it was when served to me.
I’m joined by Phagun Virmani, who’s the Director of Rooms, at Heritage Village Resort & Spa, and she tells me how the restaurant and its concept came into being. “We wanted to do away with cutlery, because such food is meant to be eaten by hand. However, we’ve had guests request forks and knives, so we decided to bring those back and add aprons (instead of the usual napkins), which guests can use to clean their hands,” she says.
As I’m chatting away with Phagun, our dinner arrives – a selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that include Nihari, Murg Makhani, Dal Makhani and Paneer Khurchan, served with a variety of breads.
Being from Delhi, I’ve grown up eating north Indian fare all my life. But the flavours that the cuisine at Mardan unleashes on my palate are some that I have never experienced. The nihari is fork-tender and succulent, with a rich (not thick), glistening gravy. I scoop it up with a piece of Sheermal, and am amazed at how flavourful it is. The chicken comes next, which I sample with some Bakar Khani – a traditional Mughlai bread which is spiced, thick and fluffy, allowing it to soak up all the flavours in the gravy.
For vegetarians, the paneer makes for a great dish. Different from most paneer dishes served at restaurants, Mardan treats the humble Indian cheese with the utmost care, ensuring that the paneer pieces are tender and perfectly spiced, and the accompanying vegetables – capsicum, onions and tomatoes – are fork-tender while retaining a bite.
This is not all. The cuisine would be incomplete without some rice, and Chef Kuldeep walks out with plates of steaming hot biryani and vegetable pulao. The Murgh Biryani featured pieces of chicken leg, al dente Basmati rice and oodles of flavour, and the vegetable pulao fights for its spot in terms of flavour. The fried onions mixed through the rice give it a nutty, bittersweet taste, and the use of spices makes the dish impeccable in every sense possible.
Soon, we’re served desserts – Kulfi Faluda, and Emarti with Rabri. Phagun tells me how the chefs cook down litres of milk to make one kulfi, and as I sink my spoon into the dessert, I can understand why. The rich milk flavour is complemented by the thin, slightly sweet faluda, offering my palate a respite from the creaminess and making me go back for more. The emarti, on the other hand, is crisp till the last bite, even though it’s been sitting in a bed of delicious rabri.
I leave Mardan with a full belly and an even fuller heart, for the food that the restaurant serves is almost humbling in many ways. The attention to detail that Chef Kuldeep and his team have paid to ensure optimum flavour in each dish – whether it’s a simple roti or their delectable nihari – is worth commending, and the experience leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia and love. It’s comfort food that envelopes you into a warm hug on a rainy day, and ensures that family dinners or date nights will all end well.
Where: Mardan, The Heritage Village Resort & Spa, Manesar
Price: INR 2,000 for two (approx)
Contact: +91 124 2871 500 / +91 124 6111 234
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy of Mardan, Heritage Village Resort & Spa, Manesar
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