Hyderabad’s Zouq brings cosmopolitan dining with Middle Eastern flair

Hyderabad: If you want the taste of truly authentic Turkish, Lebanese, Persian and Deccani dishes, there is only one address: Zouq at Imran Plaza, Road Number 2, Banjara Hills.

The ambience is warm and inviting, the decor tastefully Middle-Eastern and the restaurant interiors with its lamps, pictures, furniture, plates and pottery are all carefully chosen and beautiful.

The menu is so extensive that it has something to please even the most discerning and fussy diner. The mezze or cold salads have a wide choice. We chose the Zouq mezza cold platter consisting of Labneh, a Turkish salad with yoghurt and cucumber with a sprinkling of mint and garlic; Fattoush, a Lebanese salad made of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, mint and radish along with pieces of toasted Khubz to give it a delightful crunch; Hummus; Tabulah; and Baba Ghanoush where the eggplant was raised to creamy heights and a variety of flatbreads.

The Zouq Special Grill was a gigantic serving platter which was a mix of Lebanese, Turkish and Persian meat and fish delights. Shish Tawouk, Chicken joojeh, Adana Kebab, Ali Nazik, Iskenderi Kabap, Mutton Shish, Wings, Breaded fish and grilled Prawns were served with Garlic paste, spicy sauce and Arabic pickles. The grilled meats were tender, succulent and full of flavour.

Kebabs

There are special seafood platters for fish lovers and Meter Kebabs for those who like chicken and lamb. Needless to say, each kebab, as the name suggests, is a meter long.

Stand-alone dishes like Adana Kebap, Turkish Grill Fish, Persian Koobideh Kebab, Jujeh Kebab and the Dejaj–Meshawi: Lebanese Grilled chicken are hugely popular. Varieties of flatbreads and different kinds of rice can pair up with these.

Deccani flavours

For those who want Deccani flavours, Tangdi Chicken and Saffron Paneer Tikka, Shaddio Wali Mutton Biryani and Red Chicken are available. Delicate Pilafs and Exotic Biryanis are on the menu; Shwarmas and Doner Kebaps are also popular.

For a special occasion, the Turkish Kuzu Tandir or whole lamb grill can be pre-ordered.

Vegetarian Mix Grill Platters have Paneer saffron, Broccoli, Zucchini kabab and cheese koftas, to name a few, all served with Garlic paste, spicy sauce and Arabic Vegetable pickle and flatbread. Baghali Polo is a Persian dill-flavoured rice dish made with fava beans.

Desserts are Turkish delights like Kunafeh, Bakhlawa, Middle Eastern Umm Ali bread pudding and Basboosa cake; Deccani Gajjar ka Halwa, Badam ka Kund and Firni.

Turkish tea is served complementary to each diner. The waiters are helpful and knowledgeable about the food served here.

If you haven’t yet visited, you are missing something incredibly delicious.

Cost: Rs 600 - Rs1,000 per person, depending on what you order.