A new option for those with a taste for exotic eats has come to downtown Grand Rapids. Punjab Grill, specializing in the distinctive flavors of the Punjab region of northern India, is serving up the delicious cuisine at 40 Pearl St. NW.
Punjab Grill is a family business, with dad Gursharn Singh as executive chef and son Simran Singh as general manager. Simran says his father's passion for the food of his homeland is evident in every dish served.
"When you're passionate about a certain lifestyle or career, it comes straight from the heart," Simran Singh says. "My father specializes in the
Mughlai form of cooking, which dates from the late 1600s to the 1800s. It was prepared mainly for royalty and kings. There are lot more spices involved, and a fresher tone, so we use fresh and dried fruits, like grapes, pineapples, cashews, and pistachios. The foods are highly flavorful and hearty."
Punjab Grill makes its own
paneer cheese in-house and prepares meats on a Tandoor grill. Spices are ground as needed, then added to house-made sauces and to dough for fresh baked breads.
Singh says a couple of menu items have already become customer favorites: the Tandoori house grill featuring Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, chicken Mughlai kabob, shrimp kabob, and lamb kabob; and the Samundhari Korma featuring scallops, crab, shrimp, and fish, with grapes and pineapples in a creamy cashew sauce.
The menu features a daily lunch buffet with a selection of appetizers, entrees, soups, and desserts for $10.99.
The restaurant has applied for a liquor license and expects to serve martinis, beer, and wine in about six months.
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat. noon to 3 and 4 to 10.
Follow them on Facebook
here.
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Photos courtesy of Punjab Grill
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.