Majlisi kebab at Azrak Restaurant in Lucknow. | Priyali Prakash
In the heart of Lucknow city lies Tulsi Theatre. Defunct, it no longer plays Hindi movies, but it does still lend its name to the adjacent street, which bustles every day with some of the most famous Awadhi and Mughlai restaurants in the city.
While the restaurants begin operation around noon and are open till late night, the Tulsi Theatre food lane visibly springs to life once the sun sets. The aroma of kebabs, tandoori chicken and a host of other dishes fills the air, as waiters shout order after order for a seemingly unending stream of customers. These restaurants are no places for fine dining: the setting is comfortable but mostly crowded, and often, customers have to hover at the elbows of seated diners, waiting for them to finish their food and vacate the table.