Indus Express

Located on the lobby level of the hotel, our fine dining restaurant, Indus Express, traces a vintage journey across pre-Partition, undivided India’s North West Frontier. The menu is an exceptional treasure trove of home-style recipes from Kashmir, Pothovar (present-day Peshawar), Rawalpindi, Amritsar, Khyber and Lahore.  The restaurant name is derived from the five rivers – Jhelum, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Chenab- which flow through the Indus basin region, creating a robust food trail. Family recipes from along this trail have been patiently researched and recreated by our chefs, using fresh hand-pounded masalas (spice mixes), complex cooking techniques which - often, literally - involve a trial by fire and bucketfuls of soul. The restaurant’s all-white interiors, dotted with copper bartans (utensils), colonial-era maps and miniature trains, plus an al fresco section for aperitifs and conversations, build an atmosphere that prepares diners for a unique voyage, flagged off with a signature exotic seeds and spice-infused almond milk drink, Khyber-ki-sardai. While meat-lovers can expect the ride of a lifetime, vegetarians cruise along on smoked and spiced aubergine, rare gucchi (morel) mushroom and lotus stem delicacies, all paired with international wines. Regular specials and a chef’s table keep the Indus Express journey full of surprises with distant memories recreated at every stop.

Signature Dishes – Nadru ke Kebab (shallow-fried lotus stem patties stuffed with Kashmiri prunes), Raan-e-Khyber (slow-braised spring lamb leg cured with spices and cooked in a traditional clay oven), Baingan Mizaaj (a Faisalabad specialty, charcoal-roasted aubergine mash cooked in aromatic spices and finished with fresh mint), Rawalpindi Chole (chickpeas cooked in onions, tomatoes and lemon juice with a special spice mix), Punjab Kukkad Makhani (traditional chicken delicacy from Punjab, cooked with fresh tomatoes, khoya and butter), Afghani Kabuli Palaw (long grain rice cooked on dum – low heat over a long period - with a bouqueterie of vegetables, saffron, nuts and raisins; a legendary staple from Kabul).