Beyond Roti and Sabji: A Taste of Khyber in Shri Anandpur Sahib

 There are days when eating out is not really about hunger. It is about stepping away from the routine, sitting across the table from someone you love, ordering something you don't normally cook at home and simply enjoying the experience.

For me and my wife, it was one of those days again.

Thankfully, eating-out options in Shri Anandpur Sahib have improved considerably over the past two or three years. The town may be primarily known for its religious and historical significance, but visitors today have more choices when it comes to food as well.

One of the places that has caught our attention is Khyber Hotel and Restaurant.

And on this particular visit, we decided to go beyond the usual restaurant fare.

Shri Anandpur Sahib — More Than Just a Destination

For those who are not from around this part of Punjab, Shri Anandpur Sahib is located roughly 80 kilometres from Chandigarh and lies on the route towards Una, Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj and several other destinations in the Himalayan region.

That makes it an interesting place for travellers coming from Chandigarh, Delhi and other parts of northern India.

If you are travelling towards the hills, Shri Anandpur Sahib can make for a worthwhile stopover before you begin the climb towards the mountains.

Of course, if you are already late and desperately trying to reach your destination before dark, you may not want to stop for long!

But if you have some time in hand, this is a place worth experiencing.

For Sikhs, Shri Anandpur Sahib holds immense religious and historical significance. For others too, the town offers an opportunity to experience a very different side of Punjab — one that combines history, spirituality, architecture and the surrounding landscape.

And after spending some time exploring the town, there is always the question:

Where do we eat?

That brings me back to Khyber.

The Food Philosophy: Why Order What You Already Make at Home?

I should probably make one thing clear about my food preferences.

When my wife and I go out to eat, we generally don't prefer ordering the conventional Indian restaurant staples.

Don't get me wrong — I have nothing against roti, shahi paneer, kadai paneer, butter chicken or the countless varieties of Indian curries that populate restaurant menus.

But I have a simple theory.

If I can cook it — or normally eat something similar at home — why order the same thing at a restaurant?

For me, eating out should provide at least a little bit of novelty.

I would rather try something that I don't normally prepare at home.

Maybe that is not a philosophy every foodie will agree with, but it works for me.

So when we sat down at Khyber, the obvious question was: What different can we try today?

The answer was vegetable enchiladas.

The Veg Enchilada: Cheese First, Everything Else Later

I am a die-hard fan of cheese.

So perhaps I was already biased in favour of the dish even before tasting it.

As soon as the enchiladas arrived at the table, the first thing that hit me was the fragrance.

Hot, melted cheese.

There is something about the aroma of freshly melted cheese arriving at the table that can make you forget about all dietary philosophy for a moment.

The dish looked inviting, and the first few bites did not disappoint.

Overall, I found the veg enchilada satisfying. It was different from the standard Indian dishes we would normally order at a restaurant, and that was precisely what I was looking for.

There was, however, one small issue.

My wife pointed out that the vegetables inside seemed to have a little more salt than necessary.

Interestingly, I hadn't noticed it initially.

But once she pointed it out, I went back for another bite — and yes, I could notice what she meant.

And I agree with her.

The cheese itself already brings a considerable amount of saltiness to the dish. So adding additional salt to the vegetables can make the overall combination slightly saltier than it needs to be.

It is a small thing, but sometimes small things make a difference.

Still, would I order it again?

Yes.

Overall, the veg enchiladas at Khyber were good.

And there is another reason I think they are worth trying: they are among the chef's special dishes.

So if you happen to visit Khyber hotel and, like me, you don't want to spend your restaurant visit eating the same roti-and-sabji combination you have at home, the enchiladas could be an interesting choice.

Unless, of course, you simply cannot go without your roti and sabji!

The Paneer Lollipop: Our Previous Experiment

Our visit to Khyber this time wasn't actually our first experiment with the chef's special menu.

About a fortnight earlier, we had tried another dish — the paneer lollipop.

I hope I have got the name right!

This was another dish that left a good impression.

The first thing I noticed was that the paneer filling itself had enough flavour to stand on its own.

Sometimes with dishes that have a crispy or fried outer coating, the coating ends up doing all the talking. You get an exciting first bite, but once the outer layer is gone, there isn't much left in terms of flavour.

That wasn't really the case here.

The paneer filling was well seasoned and had a pleasant balance of flavours. So even after eating through the outer layer, the good taste continued.

That, for me, is an important quality in a stuffed or layered dish.

The filling shouldn't merely be there to occupy space.

It should be part of the experience.

A Vegetarian Take on a Chicken Leg?

The paneer lollipop also reminded me of something else.

Visually and conceptually, it felt like a vegetarian interpretation of the kind of chicken leg preparation that many non-vegetarians enjoy.

Of course, paneer and chicken are completely different ingredients, so I am not suggesting they taste the same.

But the idea of taking a vegetarian ingredient and presenting it in a form associated with a chicken leg is interesting.

For someone who is vegetarian, or for a mixed couple like us where one person is vegetarian and the other isn't, dishes like these can make dining out more interesting.

My wife is vegetarian, so naturally our food choices often end up being vegetarian.

That doesn't bother me.

In fact, it has forced me to explore vegetarian dishes that I might otherwise have ignored.

And some of them have been surprisingly good.

Does Khyber Have a Good Chef?

Now, I want to be careful here.

I am not a food critic.

I don't have formal training in food tasting, restaurant reviewing or culinary arts.

I am simply someone who enjoys eating and notices what he likes and doesn't like.

But based on these two experiences, I would say that the chef at Khyber appears to know how to make food that is a little different from the routine restaurant menu.

Both the veg enchilada and paneer lollipop were chef's special dishes, and both gave us something different to talk about after the meal.

The enchilada had the wonderful cheese factor — something I personally cannot resist — while the paneer lollipop impressed me because the filling continued to carry the flavour beyond the outer coating.

The small issue of excess salt in the enchilada vegetables is worth mentioning because a food review should not simply become praise.

At the same time, one small criticism doesn't take away from my overall experience.

Why Try Something Different When Eating Out?

Perhaps the bigger point of this little food story isn't really about enchiladas or paneer.

It is about the way we approach eating out.

We often go to a restaurant and order exactly what we would order everywhere else.

Butter chicken.

Paneer tikka.

Dal makhani.

Naan.

Roti.

Shahi paneer.

There is nothing wrong with any of these dishes.

But restaurants also give us an opportunity to experiment.

Maybe the dish will be excellent.

Maybe it will be average.

Maybe we won't like it at all.

But at least we tried something new.

That, for me, is part of the fun of eating out.

And particularly when travelling, I think food should become part of the experience rather than simply something we consume because we are hungry.

If You Are Passing Through Shri Anandpur Sahib

If you are travelling from Delhi or Chandigarh towards Una, Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj or further into Himachal Pradesh, Shri Anandpur Sahib can be a convenient place to pause.

And if you happen to stop here, don't restrict yourself to seeing the town only as a pilgrimage destination.

Explore it.

Spend some time here.

Take in its history and surroundings.

And, when hunger strikes, explore some of the local eating options as well.

For us, Khyber has become one of those places where we have found a few interesting things beyond the standard restaurant menu.

On our next visit, perhaps we'll try something else from the chef's specials.

Or perhaps we'll return to the enchiladas.

After all, cheese has a way of influencing decisions!

The Final Bite

So, my verdict — not as a professional food critic but simply as a person who enjoys trying different food — is that the veg enchiladas at Khyber Hotel and Restaurant are worth trying, particularly if you are looking for something different from the usual Indian restaurant fare.

The paneer lollipop is another dish I would suggest exploring.

The enchiladas could perhaps do with slightly less salt in the vegetables, especially because the cheese already contributes saltiness.

But overall, both dishes provided us with an enjoyable dining experience.

And that is ultimately what I look for when eating out with my wife:

Good food, something different from what we eat at home, and a pleasant meal together.

Sometimes, that's enough.

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Disclaimer

This is a personal account based on my own dining experiences at Khyber Hotel and Restaurant, Shri Anandpur Sahib. I am not a professional food critic, chef or restaurant reviewer. Tastes and experiences can vary from person to person, and the quality, preparation and menu of a restaurant can change over time. My comments are intended only to share my personal experience and should not be considered an objective or definitive assessment of the restaurant or its food.

This is my view, while respecting everyone's view.