"Guess who's coming to dinner?"

Well, the "who" isn't a surprise, because it's just me. It was the "where" and the "what" that was interesting.

"Where" was the white-linen restaurant here in my hotel: Saffron. "Where the Chef presents Indian Cuisine from the Royal Homes of the Nizams and Nawabs of Bhagyanagar and Avadh. Enjoy a delectable selection of juicy kebabs served straight from the skewer, curries and biryanis in a lighter and more modern approach to suit the person you are today."

Appetizers (or "Starters") included...

JHINGA SUNEHRI: Tiger prawns steeped overnight in a marinade of yogurt, chili carom seeds, ginger and garlic, grilled in a tandoor.

SAUNFIYA PANEER TIKKA: Cottage cheese cubes packed with ginger, mint and raisins laced in a flavorful marinade of fennel, turmeric, yogurt and asafoetida.

ACHARI PHOOL: Stuffed cauliflower, spiked with mustard, sour mango pickle and yellow chili power, finished in a tandoor.

LAKHNAWI BHARWAN ALOO: Potato barrels stuffed with cottage cheese, crushed potatoes, dried nuts and fragrant spices, finished in a clay oven.

Entrees included...

MURGH ALOO KORMA: Tender chicken morsels and new potatoes simmered in a rich cashew and almond curry, finished with fresh cream and saffron.

PANEER LABABDAR: Cottage cheese chunks cooked with tomatoes, onions and cream finished with dried fenugreek powder.

Accompaniments included...

BHARWAN PARANTHA: Lamk kheema, aloo or paneer.

ROOMALI ROTI (no description, just Roomali Roti)

RAITA: Pudina, boondi, aloo, palak aur hara pyaz or mixed vegetables.

The waiter must have noticed my helpless look when faced with all these choices and twelve more pages of exotic foods, so he came over and suggested the Jhinga Sunehri and Murgh Aloo Korma. It was verrry good.