The husband and I were at Saffron recently, to partake of Kashmiri Wazwan, the Kashmiri food festival that they have going on right now. We ended up having an absolutely lovely time here, with some great food being served. We started our meal with Sabzi Badami Shorba, a light vegetable soup with slivers of almond in it. It was subtly spiced, the perfect foil for all the beautiful dishes that we were about to taste over the course of the meal. Along with the soup, we were presented a basket of papads and fries, with an assortment of Kashmiri dips. The dips – spicy onion, walnut and curd, radish, and green chilly and mint – were so very lovely. We loved munching on these, especially so because they brought back fond memories of hearty meals we have had while holidaying in Kashmir. Then came the starters. The Paneer Tikka (cottage cheese marinated in spices and grilled) and Makai Malai Tikki (corn and cream cutlets) were presented first, both of which were decent. The paneer was supremely soft and the corn tikkis melt-in-your-mouth, but, again, I felt they could have done with a bit more flavour. The next starter, Nadru Ki Shaami, cutlets made with lotus stem, didn’t really titillate my tastebuds. They were really well done, but I would have loved some more flavour to them. The Zaam Doodh Kebab or hung curd patties that were brought to the table next were beautiful – the star of the starters for me. They were just the right amount of sour, perfectly made, and the walnut stuffing within took the taste up several notches. And then, it was time to move on to the main course.   With some wonderful, pillow soft flatbreads, I sampled four vegetarian Kashmiri curries. The Kashmiri Dum Aloo, baby potatoes cooked Kashmir-style with a yogurt- and tomato-based gravy, was just beautiful. The Tamatar Chaman, deep-fried cottage cheese cooked in a tomato-fennel gravy, though, was just average. The Schuk Wangun, baby eggplants cooked the Kashmiri way, with a tomato-and-tamarind base literally had me licking my fingers. Yes, it was that delish! It was the Al Yakhni, a yogurt-based preparation with bottlegourd, that stole the show for me. It was so mild, so simple, yet so delicious! Who would have thought bottlegourd could be this fantastic?! The Modur Pulav that came next – a sweet Kashmiri preparation with basmati rice, dry fruits, nuts and herbs – was brilliant too. It was so fragrant, so subtle, yet an absolute delight to eat. Along with our meal, we sipped on a couple of mocktails from Saffron’s extensive drink menu. I tried out The First Kiss, a medley of orange, apple and lemon, was very well made and refreshing. I also sampled Black Magic, a mocktail with cola, lemon, ginger and mint that I loved to bits. Please note that the mocktails are not part of the Kashmiri Wazwan menu. We washed the food down with some Kashmiri Kahwah, a warm and mildly sweet concoction that was very well brewed. Our meal ended with the two desserts that are on offer as part of the Kashmiri Wazwan menu – Phirni and Kesar Ras Malai. I have never been a big fan of the grainy texture of phirni or its taste so, as always, it didn’t excite me too much. The Kesar Ras Malai? Now, that was a different story altogether. It was so very well done, with just the right amount of sweet and thickness. Served cold, with a hint of saffron to it, it was heavenly! I loved most of the food that was served to us, and Saffron’s wonderful hospitality ensured that we had a great experience overall. Like I was saying earlier, the food took us back to our holidays in Kashmir, making us remember some lovely meals we have had there. The food is, indeed, true-blue Kashmiri, or at least to the extent that that is possible in Bangalore.  The special menu curated for the Kashmiri Wazwan food festival is available only for dinner at Saffron, on an a la carte basis. There are loads of options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, which is something I loved. I also loved that the menu encompasses more than Kashmiri pulao, kahwah and dum aloo, which is what Kashmiri food means to a lot of people. The food for the festival is being cooked by an actual Kashmiri chef and his team, and is hence as authentic as can be. How cool is that!

Me and my fiancé were experimenting with the places we have been and didn’t want to go to the places we have been to. So got the place from the collections, but wasn’t up to the expectations actually. The ambiance was the only thing that I boast about but the food wasn’t that great. I just expected the food to be much more nicer than the ambiance. The management can work on the food rather than the ambiance to make it a better restaurant.

The saffron Radisson blue food was very good. Services was excellent.server was great. Staff was very friendly.place amazing...............👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌💐💐💐☺️☺️☺️☺️

A feast in every senses is the regal Kashmiri Wazwan. And Saffron, Radisson Blu is showcasing Wazwan feast for dinner everyday till the 20th August. Me and some of my fellow foodie friends were invited for a feast. The stand-outs in the appetizers to me were the succulent pieces of Maaz Sheekh, lamb mince delicately spiced and skewered to make kebabs. Then it was a signature Wazwan favorite, Tabak Maaz. Fatty mutton ribs deep fried in ghee with subtle flavours, hit the spot. Also loved the flavours in the Tawa Sarson Fish. In the veg, loved the Nadru ki Shami, deep fried patties made of lotus stem and dry fruits, it was superb. Another veg starter which was very tasty was Zaam Doodh Kebab, hung curd patties stuffed with walnuts. This gave it a typical Kashmiri flavour. Then came a barrage of main course dishes. Here the stand-out albeit a lil lacking in salt were the Mutton Rogan Josh and Mutton Dhaniwal Korma, both flavourful and tasty. But here the one true epic dish was the Lahabi Kebab, superbly made mince kebabs cooked in delicately flavoured gravy went perfectly with the fragrant saffron rice. To end on a sweet note we had some Kesar Ras Malai and my all time favorite Indian dessert, Phirni. And of course to end it all with a warm fragrant cup of Kava, the famous Kashmiri tea. Overall, this Wazwan was a feast for all our senses. The vibrant colours of the food, the subtle fragrances of the spices and the sublime taste of the food. It was indeed a feast!!!

Saffron is a celebration of flavors from North India be it Lucknow, Punjab, Mughlai or Kashmiri. Located inside Radisson Blu Hotel in Marathalli. The ambiance here is authentic of a high classy restaurant with decor of rich orange. They even have a small dinning area which is open. With open kitchen you can capture all the action. We recently visited the place to try some authentic Kashmiri Wazwan headed by Chef Irshad Ahmad Wani from the Valley itself. This festival is from the 10th of August until the 20th of August. The Chef has been called upon from the branch in Jammu to showcase his talent to the food lovers of Bangalore. The chef even got the Kashmiri spices from there. A special menu has been curated for all the Kashmiri delicacies.