A Luscious Lucknow Experience: Architectural Marvels, Misguided Chikankadi and the Divine Galouti Kebab
I spent an afternoon in Lucknow in December 2025, enjoying the rusty old town charm of this city and indulging in its history and cuisine. From exciting Vande Bharat to the grandiloquent Bara Imambara to the exquisite Galouti Kebab, Lucknow was a delight for the eyes, the nose and the tummy.
TRAVEL
DEEPUNGSU PANDIT
11/7/20267 min read
Our trip to Lucknow started with a lung-bursting run across the platform to catch the Vande Bharat Express. For the people with a sense of humour imaging us racing with one of India’s fastest trains, I would like to point out that it was, for once, waiting patiently on the tracks of Varanasi Railway Station’s Platform No. 1.
Fresh from indulging in a little bit of spirituality in Varanasi, where I found some answers and many more questions, I was ready to enjoy some less serious matters, some non-existential issues, in Lucknow. I was also looking forward to igniting my taste buds in a city known across the world for its cuisine.
Unfortunately, time was in short supply, as we only had a couple of hours on our hands before the next phase of our journey. When you have to count every minute of the day, it makes the experience even more exciting.
Thanks to the lighting-fast Vande Bharat Express, our Lucknow diary had a pulsating start. No sooner had we put our luggage in the designated areas and taken our seats, the train left Varanasi behind and picked up pace.
A speedy trip to Lucknow
Outside the window, fog-drenched houses and trees sped past in a hurry, their urgency gathering pace with every passing minute. Is the Vande Bharat the fastest train I have been on? Most probably not, that accolade might belong to the Howrah Chennai Coromandal Express that taught me quite a few valuable lessons in life.
But Indian Railways’ new crown jewel certainly has the element to keep you satisfied. It is clean, it is well maintained and the chance to monitor the speed being displayed on two screens at either ends of the compartment also gives it an exciting edge.
Most importantly, it made our journey from Varanasi to Lucknow quite enjoyable. The food was decent, the toilets were clean and we reached our destination in time. Isn’t that all one can ask from a train?
Bara Imambara and Bhul Bhulaiya
Once in the City of the Nawabs, we hired a special railway cab to move our luggage from one platform to the other, where our retiring room was booked. The Indian Railways' retiring rooms are a great option if you are on a short trip – the room was extremely spacious, clean and with all the basic amenities.
But we did not have time to appreciate the interiors! After freshening up, we hired an autorickshaw that took us to Bara Imambara, which was our first sightseeing destination in Lucknow. We also wanted to visit the Chota Imambara and the Ambedkar Memorial Park, but, as we would soon find out, all that was too much to be cramped in a single afternoon.
The Bara Imambara is an architectural marvel, a work of art that has stood the test of time, yet appears to reside in a bygone era. We bought our tickets, walked around, clicked pictures of the Asafi Mosque, and then stood in line to experience the infamous Bhul Bhulaiya of Awadh. The trick, however, is to book a guide as you cannot – and must not – enter the Maze without an experienced head to show you the way.
We lost valuable time and daylight in search for an able guide and just when it appeared that we would have to give the place a miss, lady luck gave us a little break and we grabbed it with both hands. This was a fantastic experience, although a little eerie for little Messi.
There is so much more to see at Bara Imambara, but we only had time to visit the Shahi Baoli, the historic well located within the premises. After thanking our guide and clearing our dues, we realised that it was too late for further sightseeing and my wife put her plans into place.
Chikankadi did me dirty!
And so, my better half spent the next hour shopping to her fill and I prepared to tow the bags. However, if the start to the evening was disappointing, it was about to make an 180 degree turn, like Manchester United scoring twice in the final three minutes of the 1999 Champions League final to win 2-1.
Nothing could prepare me for what I was about to experience next.
The Best Thing about Lucknow - Galouti Kebab!
Sumita had fleetingly mentioned that she would check out “Chicken Curry Materials” in Lucknow, which the non-veg lover in me had assumed was Masala/ingredients for preparing Chicken Curry. I assumed these were spices native to this city that would bring new flavour and taste to our traditional chicken curry. I also assumed that it would be a matter of minutes, because how long does it take to buy masala for chicken curry?
So, imagine my surprise when my wife took us to a cloth shop instead. When I gave her a blank look, she explained to me that “Chicken Curry” was actually Chikankari, a traditional hand-embroidery style that has its roots in Lucknow!
Behind every confused husband is a wife sporting a satisfying smile.
All that shopping had made everyone hungry, so we proceeded towards Aminabad to taste the world-famous Lucknow cuisine. We made it straight to Tunday Kababi, where we would have an experience of a lifetime.
For a while, we stood watching expert hands prepare the world famous Galouti Kebab, the melt-in-your-mouth delicacy that reportedly turns everyone into a fan. The entire world appeared to have assembled at this famous eatery to get a taste, which is why we had to literally scramble for a booth.
When, finally, a table was vacated and subsequently secured, we had to protect it with our lives from prying eyes. It would not be wrong to state that a table at Tunday Kababi felt like the most prized possession in the city!
The order was crisp – Galouti Kebab, Paratha, and Biriyani. As we were pondering on the quantity of Kebabs to order, the very helpful waiter assured us that he would repeat our orders if we so required.
What unfolded after the first plate of Kebab finally arrived at the table will be near impossible to describe, but I am compelled to try in order to honour this spectacular dish. From the first whiff of the divine aroma, we knew we were in for a treat.
Our noses alerted our bellies, which purred in collective delight. Even before we begun, we were certain that one plate of Galouti Kebab would not suffice. When broken, the kebab is soft inside and slightly crunchy outside and the aroma is exceptional. It is a meatlover’s paradise and a huge loss for vegetarians across the world.
Once in your mouth, the kebab literally melts into your tongue, dispersing into a rich flavour of perfectly cooked mutton and leaving you craving for more. I know one person who never tasted mutton in her life, but was smitten by Galouti Kebab and I completely understand why.
We ordered two more plates. Whether eaten with the soft parathas or simply popped into the mouth, this is more than just a Mughal dish, it is an assortment of the diversity of our land, of hundred years of Mughal tradition, and a tribute to the foodie culture.
I could visit Lucknow again simply to taste the Galouti Kebab.
By the time the last morsel of biriyani had left the plate, our tummies were not just full, but also content. In many ways, this is exactly how I would like to remember Lucknow. Even though the trip was short, it gave us several memories to fondly remember this great City by.
From the grandiloquent Bara Imambara to the mysterious Bhul Bhulaiya, from the picturesque Asafi Mosque glittering in the winter evening to the eerie Shahi Baoli, the few hours spent in Lucknow was a delight. But it was at Aminabad, sitting with a plate of Galouti Kebab at Tunday Kebabi that I found my heaven in this part of my country.
There is no greater peace in the world than a content belly. I shall see you again Galouti Kebab, and you too, Lucknow.