Restaurant review: Dude Food
Trudging to cyber cub is a chore for anyone who does not live in Gurgaon, but given the surprise outlets that pop up every now and then, making the long trek might be worth your while. While Holy Smoke does not look impressive at first glance and is almost like a warehouse space with minimal decor and some interesting wall decals, the food elevates its status.
As the name suggests, most of the fare here is barbeque-style and has gone through a custom-built cast iron smoker, so it carries a hint, or more of smokiness. We began our meal with soft buttery bread rolls served with their in-house chilli and bacon jams. Inventive, with strong flavours, it was a fantastic way to start the meal. We moved onto the chicken wings which were slathered with marinade. The mark of a good chicken wing is its spice quotient and at Holy Smoke, it left the edges of our mouths on fire but did not consume the palate. Highly recommended if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. The smoked mushroom soup we ordered was average though and could have been skipped.
The sliders menu is fantastic if you like small pops of flavour. You can choose from a vast selection and they come in platters of three, six, or nine. We opted for the smallest platter but got a range of meats and flavours in their version of the Sloppy Joe, served with diced meat and singing with flavour; the chau su slider which had melt-in-the-mouth pork belly seasoned with habanero and rocket; and three little piggies where pork was the guilty pleasure all the way, with pork belly, pulled pork, bacon grilled pineapple & hot sauce to finish off. We also ordered the Jamaican prawn on skewers which was a huge disappointment as the prawns were rubbery and overcooked and the flavours muted. Clearly this is one place where it pays to stick with the meat.
There are a range of steaks and some excellent sides to choose from as well. The pork ribs are generous and well seasoned but my guess is, they use a similar rub to marinate it and several other dishes, so if you want to avoid all your orders tasting the same, check with your server about the flavours you will find on each dish.
The service is excellent (our server Sarah was prompt and gracious without being intrusive). My biggest disappointment with Holy Smoke was the lack of desserts. While they have an all-day breakfast menu which includes pancakes and waffles, those don't really qualify as dessert. Vegetarians can give Holy Smoke a miss but if you love your meat, this Texas-BBQ style space gets a big thumbs up.
BT More recommends:
Chicken wings
Sliders
Meal for two:
Rs 1800 plus taxes (alcohol extra)
Reservations:
+918826997422
