Grill Kabilla

We trudged out in the snow on a Sunday afternoon with a little slipping and sliding along the way, in search of lunch. We thought it would be about time we paid Lahore a visit since quite a few people have brought it up whenever it comes up in conversations that we live just off Commercial Road. Perhaps it was fate that stepped in that Sunday afternoon - too long a wait for a bus, pavements that were a little too slippery for our own good and the fact that Lahore 2 was closed. On the verge of giving up, we stumbled upon Grill Kabilla - bright, warm and with the 50%-off posters cheerfully displayed, we didn't need any convincing.

Grill Kabilla
Commercial Road
Nearest bus stop: Watney Market

Hungry and glad to be out of the cold, we quickly got down to ordering. (Oh, the joys of ordering knowing that everything on the menu is half price!)

Sag Paneer, my must-have at any Northern Indian restaurant. Creamy, with chunks of paneer, this version had a very slight sour twist to it.

Lamb curry - tender pieces of lamb in a curry that was flavourful and had just the right amount of kick. This provided a nice balance to the milder, less spicy Abdul's Butter Chicken.

From the tandoori menu, grilled fish with onions and bell peppers. We watched from our table as they pulled out a skewer of fish, onions and peppers from the tandoor, with the onions slightly caramelised and the fish a lovely smokey flavour.

Vegetable dumplings in yogurt. For our second vegetable dish, we decided to go down the path less taken (for us, anyway). I have to admit that for awhile before we were served, I had visions of delicate, Chinese-style wantans in a creamy yogurt sauce. I suppose you simply cannot take the Chinese out of a girl and yes, what we were actually served made a lot more sense. The expert among us remarked that the dish is usually a lighter colour, something a bit closer to the natural colour of yogurt. I did quite enjoy it however, and would order it again.

One of our three naan selections that day, the onion naan. The perfect complement to all things spicy and flavourful.

With the 50%-off signs cheering us on, we decided to go for a whole jug of mango lassi. Deliciously thick and creamy, it felt almost like dessert.

While not as good as Mirch Masala, the food at Grill Kabilla is still pretty satisfying, particlarly if you get everything at half price. I love a meal with variety and when you can get variety like this for less than 21 pounds in total, I'd say it's a pretty good deal. The servings are rather small, however, and I wouldn't think that there would be good value for money without the half price promotion.

My advice? Get there while the promotion is still going. While it doesn't say when the 'Opening Promotion' will last until, it may be worth trying your luck if you happen to be along Commercial Road.

Curry and spice - that's what you need to chase the winter blues away.