
There are few Chandigarhians who would be unfamiliar with this restaurant chain in the city. Not only has it featured on the must-visit lists chronicling the food business in Chandigarh, but it has also to its credit multiple awards. Pashtun, one of the city’s oldest Indian restaurants, specialises in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) cuisine. However, its outlet in Elante mall, unlike the one in Sector 35, offers a primarily north Indian buffet with no a la carte options. The restaurant housed on the mall’s third floor retains its ethnic Indian ambience complete with nomadic scenes painted on the wall and recurring copper hue. The selection of music is well done. There are 2 options for seating – the long sofas and the more comfortable dining chairs. Styled like a value-for-money buffet, which it is indeed, there are no starters here. Instead, there is a decent spread of dishes, a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian along with salads. We liked the addition of 'Chaat-Papri' and 'Dahi Bhalle' on the buffet; it will appeal to the larger groups dining together. The 'Rogan Josh' remains a winner as always as does their signature 'Dal Makhani', which we are told sits in the tandoor all night long. There is also a polite reminder on each table that requests diners not to waste food as it may incur an extra charge. Service was quick though we wished the food warmers were turned on high as some dishes seemed lukewarm. For dessert, there is only the option of ice-cream.