15 October,2016 08:36 AM IST | | Krutika Behrawala
Though there's no booze or ham here yet, there's good news for foodies who love their T Bones and lobster tails smoked, fired and barbequed at a new eatery in town
Grilled Lobster Tail. Pics/Atul Kamble
Noâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088alcohol. No pork. Imagine an American-style barbeque and smokehouse without them? We hadn't, until we stepped into The Yard, a new restaurant that opens today near Ayub's in Kala Ghoda.
Dotted with archetypal ship lights, tin walls and scrape wood tables, the grungy interiors borrowed elements from the owner, Sarfaraz Saifuddin Delhiwala's background of working at a machine yard.
Pearl Me Up
Though done to death, the industrial chic vibe, with semi-private dining sections with swing seats et al, blended with the restaurant theme (and the menu). The two-level space also houses a sheesha lounge and an Irani café-style breakfast section with a separate menu that will be operational by next week. But that's not what we were here for.
What's at steak?
The menu offers appetisers like the melt-in-your-mouth Pearl Me Up (Rs 750) featuring pan-seared scallops, along with sandwiches, hot dogs, pizzas, burgers, pasta and mains. However, the highlight is the DIY Western Barbecue section with over 15 base options of meats and cuts from T Bone and Sirloin to Lobster Tails and Duck Breast.
Braised Lamb Shanks
Lobster love
Done rare to medium rare, the grills can be combined with sides, veggies and sauces. The meats are sourced from a trusted supplier in Bengaluru and a lava stone grill is used to barbeque the fare, we were told.
The first to show up was Grilled Lobster Tails (Rs 750) accompanied by chilli coriander mash, salad and hollandaise sauce served in a cute mini bucket. Clean, butter-and-garlic spiced flavours caressed our taste buds when we bit into the tender meat, scooped from the glowing red crustacean tail.
The interiors
Saffron and shanks
Laid on a bed of garlic mash and grilled veggies, the perfectly grilled Lamb Chops (Rs 600) scored for their juicy meat falling off the bones. The hit-the-nose flavours in the accompanying pepper jus balanced the mildly-spiced chops well. Meanwhile, we loved the medley of saffron risotto, roasted potato and truffle jus, teamed up with Braised Lamb Shanks (Rs 650). The melt-in-your-mouth mutton leg hit a goal with a smoky-sweet glaze blending into the creamy risotto.
While buttery, creamy mash perched on a mound of black pepper-crusted carabeef promised a beefy high, the Tenderloin Steak (Rs 600) failed to meet our expectations due to the chewy meat. But then again, isn't that the case with most carabeef fare? Instead, we found comfort in the familiar flavours of Grilled Chicken Breast (Rs 450) and refreshing mocktails like Virgin Sangria (Rs 200) and Guava Mary (Rs 180).
