The Group has created unique dining concepts to tickle the palate and pique the imagination with Angeethi, Bamboo Shoots, Tavern at the Inn, Aromas of China, Samarkhand, Hypnos, Indijoe, Bombay Post, Sahib Sindh Sultan, Firangi Paani, Vaayu and Café Masala.

The flagship restaurant, the Sahib Sind Sultan is a fabulous recreation of ye olde days when there was much romance in train journeys. This restaurant pays homage to the maiden journey by the first Indian train from Bori Bunder to Thane in 1853. Never mind if you missed this epic journey 150 years ago. All you have to do is get aboard Bangalore's finest North Indian restaurant and chug back in time.

The interiors have been meticulously designed to mirror the elaborate ways of that time. Recreating the spectacular dining cars originally designed by Pullman, due respect is paid to the pomp and circumstance of the occasion by the deep maroon design on the walls, silk table runners, lots of polished wood and etched glass partitions. On the luggage racks perch top hats, which were the rage of the era, woven baskets and leather suitcases, and to complete the picture, there are announcements heralding the departure of a train or the station that it is approaching. You can also dine at the plush rendition of a railway platform at this amazing restaurant.

The cuisine draws from the traditions of Indian royalty and interesting adaptations from colonial India. A delightful mélange of the tastes of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, the menu at Sahib Sindh Sultan also carries a great variety of Anglo Indian dishes. They reflect a delicious insight into perhaps the first fusion food in the sub-continent.

There is an extensive wine menu and cocktails, of which the margarita, mojito and caprioska are especially popular. To conclude the culinary journey, there is an exotic litchi ki tehri or a gulab jamun flambé, or perhaps a pineapple halwa.

Aromas of China

With Aromas of China, you journey into the Orient. The atmosphere is a fusion of modern elements merged with signature Chinese themes. The gold leaf finish on the ceiling recreates Oriental grandeur. Ebony veneer, tea-green, Chinese-yellow and blood-red are used sparingly, and to great effect within the restaurant.

Known for its distinct yet subtle flavours, Aroma's Peking duck served with pancake, scallions and hoisin sauce followed by duck soup are worthy of special mention. Pegged as the Chinese restaurant for the discerning gourmand, it stirs up fare from the Sichuan, Shanghai and Guangdong districts of China.

The taste theme stays on with the array of desserts on the menu: chilled Oriental mango pudding, flambéed Mandarin glass peaches and sweet bean red pancake are particularly delicious.

Angeethi

In sharp contrast to the subtle flavours of Aromas, the fare at Angeethi is robust and hearty. This restaurant takes its name from the traditional cooking stove of North India around which families would gather to ward off the winter chill. Exuding all the informality of home, it is a true urban alternative to the wayside dhaba, the much beloved stopovers on Indian highways.

Bollywood posters and favourite Hindi film songs add colour and character; while 'mashaals' (torches) and brass antiques add to the rustic feeling of the eatery. Succulent Tandoori kebabs, Punjabi, Rajasthani and Avadhi cuisine is the fare dished out in the Angeethis at Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Prawns and lobster are redolent with Indian spices, teamed with rice and wholesome daal.

If you seek a pub with great character, where you can while away solitude or make merry with a bunch of friends, Firangi Paani would be a fine choice indeed. Created along the lines of the good old-fashioned English pub, there are comfortable bar stools around the long bar and several nooks for privacy. Most people prefer to stand around large beer kegs that double up as tables. Leather upholstered chairs, lots of polished wood, English antiques and an exquisitely crafted miniature ship add to the quirkiness of the pub. 

The barman at Firangi Paani is adept at conjuring up eclectic cocktails - a variety of martinis, daiquiris and margaritas. Then there are the special Polynesian cocktails, and a wide range of beers, scotches, wines and liqueurs. As you down your favourite tipple, you can tuck into substantial pub food - Tibetan momos, Lebanese hummus, pita bread and falafel, English fish and chips, or Italian spaghetti. Firangi Paani is known for its great choice of music – rock, contemporary and retro all have their special days and time. If you happen to drop by on the dedicated karaoke night on a Sunday, you will find the customers extra gregarious as they join along in song. So raise your glass, put your arm around your friendly neighbour and relish the last notes of the weekend.

Firangi Paani is Bangalore’s version of the English pub

In addition to the 15 new restaurants that are slated to open, the BJN Group will soon launch its banquets business in Mumbai, with plans to spread to other cities. Other ancillary ventures on the anvil include outdoor catering and the ambitious BJN Culinary School of Food Production.

The BJN Group's business seems to be all about keeping people happy and smiling, eating and enjoying. And if Nichani himself laughs all the way to the bank, well, more power to him.