We initially planned to visit another restaurant but finally ended up having lunch at Urban Tadka.

At first glance, the restaurant’s interior is nondescript. Unlike some other North Indian/Punjabi restaurants, it doesn’t announce itself with its décor. Maybe because it’s tucked inside a busy mall on the ever-busy Ghodbundar Road stretch in Thane.

That said, it makes up for its lack of a jazzy interior with authentic food preparation.

We started with a chicken kebab platter featuring Murg Reshmi and Chicken Tikka kababs. Both boneless kababs came piping hot, served with mint chutney and Punjabi mango pickle. While the Reshmi Kabab had enough cream to coat the succulent chicken pieces, the Tikka, on the other hand, won us over with a perfect fusion of spice, heat, and distinct flavors.

Of course, we had the must-have drink accompaniment, aka Masala Papad, to munch on between courses.

For the main course, we chose the Dum Biryani with chicken on the bone, served in a neatly packed earthen pot. I would say the meat-to-rice ratio was well maintained, with sufficient quantity for two people. So, we finished it in no time with the thick curd raita, which came as a complimentary accompaniment. On the taste front, we didn’t find this biryani overpowering in heat; it had a good spice balance that came through the chicken pieces, too.

For the finale, we finished with the Chocolate cake, which was tasty and thankfully not cloyingly sweet, but it would have been better served at least at room temperature rather than straight from the cold shelf.

As for the final bill, it’s a good-enough budget option, especially if you are looking for a fail-safe place for a friends’ or family outing.