Golden Lamb Chops Star in new Gaylord Indian Menu

Written by David Hagger on 30 December 2020.

Gaylord Indian Restaurant housed in the iconic Grand Hotel in Spencer St (cnr Flinders St) has launched a new menu with Golden Lamb Chops being a star dish, featuring tender lamb cutlets marinated in house spices and grilled in the tandoor. You can eat like a king, as historically this dish was served to kings in Central India. The Mughals would be proud.

A generous amount of edible gold leaf on the chops makes this a dish of distinction and amazing value. I can't also but help think of the restaurant being located in an iconic building in a city founded on the back of the gold rush. Apart from a nod to historical regional Indian cooking, could this also be a nod to the hotel's late 19th century Gold Rush Era heritage? Hopefully we will see a gold rush of sorts in 2021 as Melbourne recovers from a difficult 2020.

Gaylord means "happy place" and this restaurant is an example of joyous dining in Melbourne, indeed a sensory experience (taste, texture, aroma, and visual pleasure). Golden Lamb Chops is a stunning new dish in Melbourne, bringing the history of central India on a plate. The quality of the lamb cutlets for the dish is exceptional, with Raj going to great lengths to source the best of Victorian produce. And the lamb is cooked to perfection.

Start your meal with a refreshing Kingfisher beer.

Impressive is the authenticity of the dishes. You receive a tour of India by dining at Gaylord, with talented chef Suren taking you on a journey to several regions of India.

Off menu Chicken Cigar.

Also we learned that Gaylord has exclusively been supplying the Indian Test Cricket team with dishes during their stay in Melbourne. Which is a Peacock feather in their cap!! The fact that India won the Test Match in Melbourne was a cause for celebration on the day we visited. By the way see Gaylord in our Best Indian Restaurants in Melbourne article.

Authenticity is a point of difference here - each dish at Gaylord is prepared in it's own pan with it's own unique sauce. Therefore each dish has a "freshness" about it, with unique flavours across dishes.

Last time we visited Gaylord we enjoyed the Signature Lamb Cigar and this time we were treated to an off menu Chicken Cigar.

At this point we need to mention the service is first class at Gaylord. Polite and engaging and friendly and nothing seems too much trouble. Raj and DJ at front of house are experienced warm hosts, and the rest of the team upholds the customer service standards.

Hariyali Tandoori Paneer made a big impression with tantalising marinated homemade cottage cheese with big flavour (marinating for a long period and tangi roasted) and firm texture (people are pleasantly surprised with the texture). Along with tomato chutney, a vegetarian delight.

Tulsi prawns with a beetroot sauce was another highlight featuring large King Prawns marinated in a blend of basil and aromatic spices.

After these top notch starters we were treated with a spread of mains including captivating curries.

Saag Paneer featuring homemade cottage cheese, with spinach, garlic and cumin excited the taste buds. A rich and creamy texture also appealed.

Goat Nihari Curry, a chef's special, is a "must order" with tender goat stew slow cooked in a spiced gravy. The skill here is a measure of this fine restaurant and the talent of chef Suren.

Dal Makhani was another fabulous rich and creamy dish as a lentil curry featuring black lentils. For vegetarians Gaylord delivers (actually they excel with both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes).

Butter Chicken is a dish that hits the high notes, with quality chicken pieces simmering in the rich butter and tomato sauce. Rich and creamy this is another "must order".

Talented chef Suren.

Naan bread compliments the mains wonderfully.

Paan Kulfi was the perfect way to finish the meal.

Not to mention an excellent wine list.

Check out the New Year’s Eve special menu and book your table. Highly recommended.

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