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This article is part of Slurrp's Friday Food Walks. Catch up with our previous tours, through Chennai's Sowcarpet, Kolkata's Simla Mishti Para, Chandigarh's Punjab University precinct (and Ahmedabad's campus circuit), Jaipur's MI Road, and Srinagar's Dargah Hazratbal.
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WHEN it comes to Lucknow, it is hard to pinpoint one area for food because every street here is a culinary destination. But of course, some places are legendary: case in point, Tulsi Theatre. Sounds like a strange name for a food street, right? Here’s the story behind it: Tulsi was a well-known film theatre in Lucknow and next to it were many popular food joints. When the theatre shut down in the ‘90s, the complex was converted into a shopping arcade and a few restaurants opened inside it too. Today the entire area is known as “Tulsi Theatre” and is the hub of the most scrumptious food in town.
The street comes alive in the evenings when stars begin to twinkle in the sky and the embers start to glow on the angithis. It remains in business until the wee hours — or until the food runs out, which is very often. Just like everything in Lucknow, eating at Tulsi is an art. You start with the kebabs, move on to curries, savour the biryanis, partake in kulfi and finish with a paan. Yes, you find all of this here.
Chicken Masala & Galawati Kebab At Dastarkhwan
Lucknow’s food may mostly be about mutton, but our Chicken Masala is legendary. And the best place in town to try it is Dastarkhwan at Tulsi. A street joint that has a larger restaurant at a little distance, Dastarkhwan is also credited with creating the recipe.
A reddish masala coated dish that is cooked on griddle for hours, the Chicken Masala might look intimidating and spicy to a newcomer but is a mild and layered dish that is unlike any other you’ll eat in Lucknow — or anywhere else. The other thing that many swear by here are the galawati kebabs. The quintessential melt in mouth kebab of Lucknow, galawati are best eaten on their own, but if you must, get a nice golden paratha to go with it. And do not forget to order a chilled Thums Up — the galawati kebab, paratha and Thums Up is a legendary combination in Lucknow and a must try.
Location: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=26.85209689,80.93612574
Phone Number: +915224307866 , +917860736766
USP Dishes: Chicken Masala Fry, Mutton Galouti Kabab, Masala Paneer, Kali Mirch Chicken, Shahi Tukda
Timings: 1:00 PM To 10:30 PM
Address: U. P. Press Club, China Bazaar Gate, Hazratganj Hazratganj, Lucknow 226001 India
Cost For Two: Rs 800
Kebas Done, Time For Curries At Zeeshan
Lucknow takes immense pride in its curries… be it the fragrant chicken korma, the hearty mutton stew or the unique boti kebab, which is a curry with small chunks of mutton cooked in a velvety gravy. And it is at Zeeshaan, a humble joint with a few open-air tables, that you find some of the finest stew and boti kebab. They also have rolls, but eating a roll in Lucknow is sacrilege and I never let anyone order one. What we eat at Zeeshan is the boti kebab, the stew and roomali roti. The thin as handkerchief roomali rotis, made over an inverted karahi, a staple in Lucknow, work as the perfect foil for the saucy curries while being light enough to leave scope for more binging. The biryani is great at Zeeshan, and one must try the mutton biryani here even though some locals prefer to eat the biryani at Dastarkhwan and others at Naushijaan. The truth is, every biryani in Lucknow is better than any other biryani anywhere else. So take your pick!
Location: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=26.85275556,80.93697222
Phone Number: +917081041137 , +919807129819 , +919140496021
USP Dishes: Butter Chicken, Chicken Biriyani, Paratha
Timings: 12:00 Noon To 11:00 PM
Address: Near Tulsi Theatre, China Gate Bazar Road, Lalbagh, Lucknow
Cost For Two: Rs 350
Tamatar Ki Goli, Mutton Kofta, Kaleji Soya Methi At Shakhawat
After all this food, it helps that the next stop is a short walk away. An institution since 1911 and in the same location since 1960s, Shakhawat’s has been serving unique curries, koftas and kormas in Lucknow and their pasanda and shami kebabs are crowd pullers. A place that prides itself on quality over quantity, Shakhawat is for those who want to go beyond the cliches of Lucknow’s food. Everything is cooked on a wood fire and the recipes are still the same as they were 112 years ago. When here, trying the mutton tamatar goli, kaleji soya methi (a winter special) and mutton shami kebab with Mughlai paratha is a must. Their biryani is also beautifully subtle and different from the rest and is a must-try on the menu — as are the pasandas and the parathas made with recipes that differ from all others in Lucknow. They say that if you fall in love with Shakhawat’s food you cannot eat anywhere else in Lucknow.
Location: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//26.85258,80.93416/@26.8522439,80.851602,12z?entry=ttu
Phone Number: +91 93357 27195
USP Dishes: Tamatar Ki Goli, Mutton Kofta, Kaleji Soya Methi
Timings: 2:00 PM To 11:00 PM
Address: 2, Behind Oudh Gymkhana Club, Kaiserbagh, Lucknow
Cost For Two: Rs 400
Kulfi At Chanakya & Paan At Chaurasia
Lucknow loves its meetha as much as it loves its kebabs and paan even more. So, it is only fair that we close the trail with kulfi and paan, albeit across the street. At Chanakya, the kulfi is made the old-fashioned way by churning thickened milk over ice and salt. Flavoured with saffron and nuts and sold in small portions on pattal, the lightly sweet and beautifully textured kulfi makes for a perfect dessert post all the meaty indulgence. To close the evening, hop over to next-door Satish Chaurasia Paan Bhandar which is a favourite of celebrities and commoners alike, and get either the classic sada or the popular meetha paan. After all, what is a meal in Lucknow that doesn’t end with paan!
