Gokulam Park Hotel - iftar dinner review

It was not the first time that I visited that restaurant . We have been there before for affordable week day lunch some years ago .This is rather a small ,modern restaurant on the first floor .

 This time we arrived 5 minutes before the sunset . The place was already noisy by the guests ,  the tinkling cutlery , the  excited but moderate way people were chatting .

We were welcomed by the staff kindly and seated at our table I had booked before .

There was not long queue  at the buffet table as most people had already served themselves when we heard the adan .

I started with some spring rolls and kebbe . The first one was quite good but I did not like the kebbe . At least it was not good idea the break the fast with it .

Two kinds of soup was offered . The traditional lentil soup  and the Chinese sounding hot and sour soup ! I chose that one  and though it did not taste to me Chinese but it was so perfectly done that I had filled my tummy  with that dish . It was some finely chopped cabbage with chicken in a  spicy  consommé . Even home made rye bread was offered and  it went very well with the soup .
 That was the best part of that dinner .

"A wide range of salads to get your fill of veggies!" was the slogan in their ads .

The salad bar was disappointing . Some  stale looking vegetables ,canned  and fresh ones .Two kinds of dressing and   some  mutabbal . 
 They promised the following main courses : " biryani, Mediterranean lamb chops, fish tagine, palak paneer, a range of pastas, green moon dal tadka and so much more!"
 I found biryani , some dal ,vegetables au gratin , only one kind of pasta ,potato lyonnaise  . There was no palak panir ,no lamb chops . I had some shish tawook which was spiced in an unusual way but it was still good .Lyonnaise potatoe was also a pleasure but the mixed  veggies au gratin were full of undercooked hard green peas . Fish in lemon sauce was good but the fish itself must have been some cheap white fish .

 The dessert   table was rather poor - some tiny brownies ,umm ali , dried and fresh fruit . Small kids were standing by and taking some of them then putting them back to the trays . I was disgusted by and nobody supervised  them . I had some umm-ali and a coffee .
 What they promised was

 "desserts like pastries, rice kheer, umm ali, payasam, a selection of fresh cut fruits and more!"

No rice kheer ,only one kind of pastry , no payasam was available .

  The atmosphere was very much annoying . The crowded restaurant was full of noisy and trouble making kids . Expat Arabs and Pakistanis .One can forgive the kids for being noisy  but some parents were even noisier than their offsprings . Nobody supervised the buffet tables  and the parents did not supervise their little kids . It was free for children under five - so there were a  lots of small kids touching with their hands whatever they managed to reach ...
At the end of the dinner feeling bored they started to climb on dangerous places , drumming with cutlery , throwing things  into the fish tank .

I arrived with kids as well . My kids are not perfect ,either but there is a limit for everything . I was shocked to see how  much some parents ignore their kids' wrong doings .

 I felt sorry that I chose the cheapest iftar offer  I found nearby.Many things were promised but not  on the buffet table .Some details were good or excellent but all in all it was not a  great gourmet dinner .