“In the heyday of royalty, especially in Rajasthan, the dining experience – the food, the entertainment, the entire gamut – was spectacular. It was all about how much you could flabbergast your guests…” says Sanjiv Bali, restauranteur and businessman, referring to the inspiration behind the dining experience in his restaurant – 1135AD in Jaipur’s Amber Fort.
Flabbergast it does. And how: it would not be hyperbolic to say that unless you’ve got royal lineage yourself, you’re not likely to have laid eyes on the kind of superlative opulence which the restaurant – spread over two levels – presents.
The meal commenced with the waiters – impressively dressed in embroidered sherwani jackets and huge saffron coloured turbans – laying out the succulent (and signature) lal maas (a traditional Rajasthani meat preparation), a never-ending kebab platter and an assortment of rotis. “We’re trying to maintain authenticity yet still offer choices to someone who may want something more regular,” says Bali, adding that, “Totally authentic food is very rich. It uses ingredients like saffron, cashew nuts, raisins, almonds and the like. So the menu is a combination of the very traditional and something new. – jungle maas, lal maas, gatta curry.” The service, as you’d expect, is highly personalised, courteous, and discreet.
1135AD is not a place which you’re likely to waltz into for an evening snack on a whim. In more ways than one it’s an anachronism in this age of homogenised fast food. It belongs to another era when a meal was an occasion – elaborate and ritualised – to be savoured with pomp and leisure. Whether you’re out for a romantic evening with your better half, a gourmet trail through Rajasthan, or just a meal with a side-dish of history, you’ll do well to don the formals, switch off the phone, and settle in for an evening back in time. Close your eyes and you can almost hear the sound of distant hooves. The King’s back in Jaleb Chowk.