White Pearl Restaurant - Hotel Kiranshree Portico

Tandoori Pomfret

Fine dining in Guwahati can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places. Case in point, can one imagine the busy lanes of Paltan Bazaar playing host to one of the finest eateries? Well, White Pearl, in the dazzling Hotel Kiranshree Portico lends that option. I visited the restaurant one afternoon upon being invited for lunch by the management. Turns out, their chef, Kamruddin Ali had quite a spread set out for me on that occasion, sort of a multicultural ensemble on a single table. So in came a Chinese starter with Golden Fried Babycorn followed by a twin continental main course with Chicken Stroganoff and Chicken Steak with Brown Sauce. Stroganoff is cooked traditionally with beef, but of course in India, the chicken variation with a slight modification to the recipe is quite popular. It is made with cubes of boneless chicken cooked in a deep pan with sautéed mushrooms and vegetables and wine and sour cream. It is served with rice or pasta.

 That was not all, with Indian vegetarian Bhawa Parval and then mutton in the form of Khara Masala Gosht following suite. The Gosht is traditionally made in the Dum Punkht style and is cooked on slow heat. The Indian and Continental fare coming one after the other was not enough, so they decided to go fusion and bring Tandoori Pomfret. This was my pick of the lot. Juicy, succulent and flavorful, I think putting it in the Tandoor dispelled the strong smell that pomfret usually has. For dessert, they served Éclair pudding.

Their menu offers a host of options including Lobster (on advance order), Fish Portuguese, Minestrone Casalinga, which is a thick soup usually made with vegetables like leeks and Zucchini, herbs and pasta. They also have something called the Portico’s Sea Food Salad and a Greek Farm House Salad.

The restaurant has a band playing live Ghazal music in the evening (after 7 pm). An average meal for two is priced at around INR 900 plus taxes. The hotel also has a café called Mezz9 and a lounge bar, Atmosphere, for those who like to go beyond food.

(Published in the Eclectic Times, May 2011)