Crazyholic Entertainment celebrates its first anniversary

On the occasion of completing a year, Crazyholic Entertainment organised a success party in a grand way. The event was full of glitz and glamour. Many celebrities and known faces like director Shreya Gupta,  Sabhyasachi of Bigg Boss 11 fame, singer Brijesh Shandilaya with treeho and casting director Babbu Shah were spotted in the event enjoying the gala time.

Shreya Gupta said, “It has been a great ride so far as we did a lot of events and now we look forward to do events based on social awareness as well”

Aactor Nidhi Nautiyal of daily soap Firangi Bahu fame was the main attraction of the party.

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Easy on the pocket and quick in its services

Genuine Broaster Chicken, Vijay Nagar

Any restaurant in a university campus area needs to be easy on the pocket and quick in its services. A newly-launched eatery, Genuine Broaster Chicken, is not only cheap and quick but also great in taste when it comes to chicken dishes. The small restaurant, which can accommodate just 20 people, is located in the famous Hudson Lane. A favourite American brand, Broaster Chicken has opened their first outlet in the North Campus. The décor and ambiance of the restaurant is totally inspired from any American restaurant. It has wooden windows, rustic furniture, decorative lights and the walls are full of chicken and egg paintings and posters of American singers. When it comes to dining, the place is best suited for a group of students as it offers everything of their choice, from pizza to pastas, from Burger to Chicken Wings, along with several Indian dishes like Paneer Butter Masala and Maa ki Daal. While at the restaurant one must try their famous cocktails ~ Chulbul and Bulbul ~ made of cola and fanta with a slight tangy taste. In food, one could try their crispy chicken ~ a medium-size chicken wings fried in crunchy cover, which is served along with three different dips, and Melting Chicken Pillows. Vegetarians can go for American Garden Pizza and Firangi Palak Paneer Dip ~ a creamy spinach-cheese dip ~ soft paneer chunks and grilled pita breads. In the main course one could try their Ghotala Khichdi. At the end, one must try their Chocolate Samosa with mango ice cream.

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Good ambiance and good food

The revamped menu and décor of Kinbuck 2, an eatery in Connaught Place, left Rakesh Kumar satiated

Attractive ambiance, live music, scintillating outdoor seating and well-presented food, all these are a must-have criteria for a good restaurant. Thankfully, Kinbuck 2, an eatery located in bustling Connaught Place, is blessed with all these features. Located on the first floor, Kinbuck 2 is said to be the first Roman Bistro in the Capital. Therefore, its décor and food speak a lot about the eastern European country.
 The restaurant has a vast dining space inside as well as on the rooftop. But ever since  government asked restaurants in Connaught Place not to use open space, Kinbuck 2 is left with only a single floor for dining.
 One corner of the restaurant has a well-stocked bar, while the other has a DJ playing light music. The whole restaurant is designed in brick arches. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with many attractive pictures, posters and graffiti. The seating area is quite cozy and comfortable with a mix of couches and small chairs. Overall, other than the food, the ambiance will keep one engaged and engrossed throughout their stay in restaurant. Our purpose for the visit was to check its newly revamped menu and interiors. Since interiors are done it was time for food.

 The restaurant serves not only Indian food but also a host of international cuisines including Mexican, Chinese and Lebanese. But the best part of the restaurant is their presentations. They serve food very artistically, worth every penny. The best way one could start the food trail is with their famous mocktails. It was Masala Lemonade (lemon and mint) along with several milk shakes. The mint-flavoured lemonade was refreshing, and it was quite a relief from the heat outside. The other mocktail ~ Pulpy chunks ~ had chunks of fresh watermelon and orange.
 Along with these refreshing mocktails, one could try Paneer Tikka, Chicken Cutlets, Dahi Kebabs and Soya Chaaps in starter. The cottage cheese in Paneer Tikkas was soft and well-marinated and tasted really good. Soya Chaaps were a little salty. Dahi Kebab was very soft and had a mixed taste of sweet and sour. Then came the best ~ Chicken Sizzler, served with baked potatoes, pimento rice and buttered veggies. It was served in a good portion, enough for two people. Not only the presentation, Chicken Sizzler tasted really good and won our hearts.
 In the main course, without any second thought one could go for Dal Makhani in vegetarian and Mutton Rogan-e-Josh in non-vegetarian along with the assorted breads. Dal Makhani, which tasted a little sour, was the best among the main course. Mutton Rogan-e-Josh had nothing good to write about.

 For dessert we were served Hot Chocolate Brownie with ice-cream. It was served on a sizzling pan along with melted chocolate, nuts and ice cream. Really it was the best way to end one’s meal.  At last the big questions, is this place worth a second visit? Yes, of course.

About the restaurant:
Address: Kinbuck2
P-10/90, 1st & 2nd Floor, Outer Circle
Connaught Place, New Delhi
Table for two: Rs 1,500 (approx.) with alcohol
Contact number: 011 33105674

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Not so uncultured

Chic interiors, innovative food and ample rooftop space are just a few things one can look forward to in Uncultured Café and Bar, writes Rakesh Kumar 

Ever since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi asked restaurants in Connaught Place not to use rooftops, restaurants with rooftops in other areas took advantage. People love dining under an open sky and mist fan. Away from Connaught Place, in Kailash Colony, Uncultured Bar and Café has started attracting many patrons, courtesy its large rooftop. Tucked in the midst of the bustling Kailash Colony market, Uncultured is a casual, chic and European-style restaurant. Even though the whole market is dotted with many shining billboards of restaurants offering various cuisines, Uncultured Café and Bar stands out among them. Located on the first floor, the restaurant has a quirky and comfortable ambiance and rooftop area. The restaurant's indoor area is kept quite simple. Inside the restaurant there's subtle lighting, a little artificial greenery and cane baskets with dried flowers on the walls. The walls are full of colourful posters and graffiti. Seating arrangements are cozy with leather indoors and cane chairs outdoors and cabanas on the roof-top. There is a separate zone for kids also. Games like ball pool, castle of blocks, video games, puzzles, rides and puzzles keep the kids entertained throughout.

 The restaurant's menu offers food from all over the globe, including American, Mediterranean, European and Indian culinary. It is filled with food ranging from Pizzas, Pastas, Kebabs, Wraps and Sliders to Street Food, Indian Classics, Continental and Oriental.

 Usually we avoid ordering salad as our first meal in any restaurant, but it was highly recommended by restaurant's manager. we chose Indo-Caesar Salad, which was quite fresh, and indeed the best way to begin. Once done with the Salad, there was a deluge of dishes on the table. Betroot ki Chaat, where beetroot was baked and dressed with several chutney and spices, was good to taste but not the best. Then it was the turn of Gol Gappa. It was served quite impressively: there were syringes filled with different chutney and test tubes carrying flavoured water. However, it was no match to the roadside Golgappa, except for hygiene and presentation. Then we were served Butter Chicken Croquets ~ balls of chicken decorated with herbs and spices. Grilled Prawns were just average. One can go for Chilli Garlic Fish instead. There are plenty of drinks options ~ one could start with Weekend Uncultured, then try Double Spicy Twist and Pan Badshah should be the last. It has a refreshing taste of Paan. 

 In the main course, one can start with Mutton Rogan Josh ~ it was the chef’s recommendation and really tasted well. For vegetarians Chilli Soya Chaap can be a good choice with Chur Chur Naan. Amritsari Makhni Chicken had lots of butter ~ if health conscious, better avoid it. Overall, the restaurant deserves a visit, at least for its large open dining area.

Table for two: Rs 1,500 (approx.) with alcohol

Address: Uncultured Cafe And Bar
HS-12, Kailash Colony Rd,
Block K, Kailash Colony, Greater Kailash,
New Delhi-110048
Contact No: 011 30806654

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'PM broke his fast to taste my vegetarian food'

If one has to prepare a list of top-notch chefs in India, it would start with none other than celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. His twitter profile describes him chef, traveller, blogger, author and food passionate among other epithets. However, as a child Kapoor had never wanted to become a chef but persue architecture. However, destiny had written something else for him and instead of any office he landed in the kitchen. From there he never looked back. In his long career, Kapoor has many things to flaunt, such as hosting the longest running cooking show, Khana Khazana (18 year), in Asia, which aired in 120 countries; and publishing around 36 books on cookery that are estimated to have sold around 10 million copies around the world. There are a lot many more laurels to come as the chef is just 52-years-old.

It was nothing but the magic of his hands, which led even Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his fast with Kapoor's vegetarian food during his UAE trip. In an event organised by LT Foods to promote Basmati rice, one of the top 10 rising chefs of the US, chef Joseph "JJ" Johnson, and chef Sanjeev Kapoor, various recipes using Basmati rice. In an interview with The Statesman, Kapoor spoke about his career and various aspects of Indian cuisine. Excerpts:

You started your career long time back, when going to office was considered the only lucrative job. Why did you choose kitchen over office?

Actually, I wanted to do something different, something bizarre, something which was not done by family or friends earlier. My family members were OK with my decision but not friends. They laughed at my decision. They said I had gone mad.

How did the journey to kitchen begin?

I'll tell you one thing. I entered the kitchen at the age of 10. My inspiration was my father. Those days, Punjabi men did not enter the kitchen. But this was not the scene at my home ~ my father used to cook a lot. Another reason for his entering the kitchen was that my mother was a vegetarian. It meant my father had to cook non-vegetarian food. At that time I used to help my father, then my love towards food developed. However, when I stepped into a commercial kitchen for the first time, I found it very different from home kitchen.

You have been in this industry for almost three decades. What changes have you noticed in all these years?

Globalisation of food has grown, eating out has increased manifold, people have started talking about healthy food and younger generation has moved towards junk food. But the good change one notices is that these days, people don't feel shy talking about their food (regional). Now, it is not like 'Ghar ki murgi dal barabar'.

If we talk about Indian food, it doesn't have a global presence like Chinese, Italian or Thai. Where do you think we are lagging?

Many places. It starts from us only. We have to talk more about and should taking pride in Indian foods. Also we need to create more conversation about the goodness of Indian food and let people know good things about our food.

What I have noticed is that many a time our good things don't get much exposed. For instance, in the southern parts (of our country), we cook our food with coconut oil. A few years back many people started complaining that coconut oil is not good for health as it enhances heart complexity. But I knew it was good. Here I want to point out that we people never fought for it. We never said it is good, and what is the benefit of using coconut oil. Now they (those who said coconut oil is not good) say it is good. It means we are dependent on their acknowledgement, while it is our food. At the same time, media should also promote Indian food. I'll give you another example: Whenever we go abroad, we do eat Indian food but we fail to include other people in it. If any of us goes to the US, one eats Indian food, but not openly ~ we feel shy. We need to come out of it.

You are not limited to supervising hotels and restaurants, but you also had to take care of flight food and railway food. What differences have you noticed in these foods in terms of cooking?

There is not much difference. It is much like home cooked food. Since we have to transport food, therefore, we need to keep their technicality in mind. For instance, when we take our tiffin, we need to see many things in it.

You cooked vegetarian food for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his UAE trip. How was the experience and what things had you to keep in mind, because the Prime Minister is very particular about his food?

No, no, it is not like that. He tasted everything we cooked. Let me tell, it was his fast, he broke it and tasted everything. He even asked, 'Is he chef Sanjeev Kapoor?' It was eaten not only by the PM, but every delegate and even the king of UAE ate vegetarian food that day. Of course, non-veg food was there for many but none of them tasted it.

Who cooks at home? Does your wife cook?

Whosoever stays at home cooks, be it my wife or me. She is also a very good cook. And I never complain about her cooking skills ~ if I do, I will stop getting good food at home!

Any suggestions for budding chefs?

Work hard, work from the heart…don't try to become a celebrity chef but try to present work, which can be celebrated. They should focus on work, not on personality.

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Foodies' Capital

Chatpati Delhi”, “Food Capital”, “People of Delhi are foodies”… These are but some fond descriptions given to the Delhi foodie, who rarely lets go of a chance to gorge on a good spread. Known for its diversity, Delhi is also the melting pot for not just people and culture but also cuisine. From roadside kiosks and dhabas to five-star hotels, from a simple daal-rotito a gourmet offering, the city has it all. A truly “food Capital”, all the states find a place here and restaurants offering authentic cuisine, be it from Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Bengal, Nagaland,Assam,Kashmir,Gujarat or Rajasthan, leave Delhiites spoilt for choice. Just take a walk through the city and one can find each street and lane filled with a history of gastronomic glory, offering the flavours of heritage, tradition and a passion for food that has been shaped over eras, across borders and in the hearts of the people.
When it comes to international food, the ubiquitous Chinese fare was always around, so were the Thai, French and Italian dishes that figured in the menus of posh restaurants and hotels. But what is interesting is that, lately, a host of international players are setting up their base in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Authentic Chinese, Mexican, Pan Asian, Russian, Ukranian, Greek, Arabian, Lebanese and South African restaurants are cropping up in the Capital, drawing its citizens, ready to explore new culinary delights.

Multi-cuisine to single
Being the Capital city of India, Delhi gets noticed worldwide very easily; therefore, many international players, who intend to start their business in India, prefer Delhi as their first choice. It is like a gateway to India - whosoever visits India comes to Delhi first.“Delhi is the first place, where most of the tourists from all over the world land,” said Vikas Pall, vice president of BB Hospitality Ventures Pvt. Ltd. “During their stay, they look for international cuisine. I think this is one of the reasons we can find many standalone international cuisine restaurants are thriving in Delhi.”
Just a decade back, most of the restaurants in Delhi were offering only selected Indian cuisines with a dominance of North Indian food. However, down the years, the taste of Delhi has witnessed a drastic change. If recent trends are to be believed, now people are more open for international taste. Therefore, it is nothing to be amazed at that international chains such as McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Wimpy and TGIF have a good strong presence all over Delhi.
“Earlier the restaurant owners used to play safe by offering multi-cuisine menu in one restaurant. Moreover,there were very few restaurants in Delhi (only in five-star hotels), that catered to international tastes. But now, you can see there are a large number of standalone restaurants thriving in Delhi,” said Vineet Wadhwa, owner of Fio Cookhouse and Bar, Nehru Place, and Fio Country Kitchen and Bar, Saket. Both outlets are two-cuisine restaurants, offering Indian and Italian food. “When I started this restaurant four years ago, I was warned by my friends against offering only two cuisines but I thought I should try it,” said Wadwa,who has not regretted the decision.

Restaurants all over
This is not the case just with Fio House.One can find many such restaurants in Delhi, which are offering just one international food to its patrons. Take a look at some of the popular outlets: Neo Rong in Radisson Blu just offers Thai food; in Hauz Khas Village, Imperfecto dishes out authentic Mediterranean food; for popular Chinese food Taipan of Oberoi or Empress of China is a good option;for European fare step into Orient Express, Taj, or Brix at Grand Hyatt; and for Lebanese food, there are many restaurants like Kabir'z FnB, The Tummy Section and Shawarma Point.
While these are big names, what is more heartening is the increasing number of restaurants bringing a gastronomic variety. “Earlier many of the restaurants were situated in five-star hotels only. But now many standalone restaurants are coming forward,” informed Wadwa. Moreover, it is not that Delhi is only housing restaurants belonging to popular global cuisines. One can now see many lesser-known foods, which are flourishing as well in the Capital. For instance, Bline in Chankyapuri offers Russian food. Located in the posh Anand Niketan (Chanakyapuri), Bline is a tiny place with just four tables, each being a four-seater. An open counter to the kitchen lets you catch wafts of what’s cooking and a wall mounted television set is usually turned on to a Russian channel. All in all, this is one of those places where one can expect to get authentic Russian food.
Bayt al Arab at Lajpat Nagar, is well known to Indian and Arabs as it offers authentic Arabian dishes. Similarly, It is Greek To Me in Safdarjung has become a foodie hub for those who like Greek food. Hi Lanka for Sri Lankan food, Kayalan -Truly Malaysian offers Malasian food in Saket. Recently, Barcelos, a South Africabased casual dining restaurant chain opened its first outlet at Khan Market in Delhi to provide authentic Portuguese cuisine.
“Delhi is the place where one can find taste from all corners of the world,” said Rohit Malhotra, Indian GM Operations Barcelo. “Here people are ready to experiment with taste. And yes, the economy of India is growing very fast. Therefore, nothing could be a better place then Delhi to start our first chain.”
If we dig into Delhi’ culinary history two decades back,one would find that Delhi was the country's first city to have a Spanish and a Thai restaurant with expat chefs - Esmeralda (1986) and Thai Pavilion (1992), respectively, at The Oberoi but these turned out to be flashes in the pan. Its love for the unfamiliar and the authentic, this time round, is here to stay and get more intense as more restaurants open to cater to this new-found love.

Well traveled

Saumitra Chaturvedi, the food and beverages manager of Raddisson Blue Ghaziabad, who manages three restaurants - Avatar: The World Kitchen, Kama: An Epicurean Culinary Journey,and Lust:The Cocktail Bar - cites another reason for the surging of international restaurants in Delhi. He opined that now Indians are traveling extensively abroad and are very familiar with the global taste. “Now a good number of Indians go abroad for vacation. During their stay abroad, they happen to taste many dishes. Thus, after returning home, they look for the same taste in India too,” Saumitra suggested.
Echoing the same, Akshat Mallick, chef of Taj Palace, informed, “Of course Indians have traveled all over the world. Now you can’t fool them by twisting tastes, bringing Indian flavour in international cuisine.”
The other reason for the growing popularity of international cuisine is Internet - now people learn about the dishes online and ask the chef to cook the same. “In Blue Ginger, which is famous for Vietnamese cuisines, I saw many people asking about the local dishes of Vietnam,which sometime we don’t have in our menu. Then after consulting with the chef we prepare those dishes for them,” said Akshat Mallick.
Apart from this, Indian chefs are very popular all over the world. They go to different restaurants across the world, learn the basic of international dishes and serve Indian consumers. “Now the time has come when Indian foodies want to experiment with the tastes.Therefore,many chefs bring popular international cuisines to India,” said Vineet Wadwa, who is himself a chef.

Expats and MNC
culture The growing numbers of expats in Delhi has also led many restaurants to include international dishes in their menu.In Delhi, one can spot people from all nationalities roaming around the markets. A lot of them are from the various missions or embassies here but then a fair number are tourists visiting the country.
But then, these foreigners are willing to shell out more for authentic, good quality food. One reason is that the cost of living is very low for an expat, who commands an overseas salary in the company he is working in. The same is true of those employed in a multi-national company (MNC). Ever since, MNCs have flourished in the NCR, people from all over the world started flooding to India, making this their second home. Food joints catering to their tastes were but a natural outcome.

Developing new taste

Anand Parkash Tiwari, a young retailer and resident of Rajouri Garden, is not a foodie, but likes tasting new dishes. He prefers international cuisine, something different from the regular Indian and Chinese dishes. “I don’t like eating the same Indian food daily.I think we should try every dish in the world. I want to try all the dishes around the world,” opined Tiwari.
However, Gaurav Yadav, who is not as choosy as Anand, is more health conscious. He finds international cuisines to be more healthy. “Punjabi food is very oily and it has adverse effect on health. Whereas,if we look at international cuisine,many are healthy,” said Yadav.
Sharing this opinion, the chef from Taj, Mallick, informed that earlier most of the eating joints had a conventional choice of food, which is either Punjabi, Mughlai or Chinese.“But these youngsters are more health conscious. This led to the development of several eateries serving Turkish, Mexican and Italian food only. Some restaurants are even changing their menu to authentic speciality cuisine,” informed the chef. Most players believe that the trend has emerged due to the change in taste of Delhiites that has been brought about in no small measure by the globe-trotting tendencies. “We tried to Indianise most dishes thinking that it would suit the taste of the customers, but we were wrong,” asserted a chef in a popular restaurant. “We have seen that the demand for authentic food is high hereand so we are changing the menu.”

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Schengen Deli, Malcha Marg

When I first got to hear this name, I thought the place must have some connection with Europe or European visa facility. However, I was halfway there. The place really has European connections, but food-wise. Schengen Deli, Bistro, is a new eatery in the hub of expats, Malcha Marg, Chankyapuri and it offers the authentic European cuisine. With a decor of white and pale green with yellow windows and doors, the eatery delivers a calm and comfortable feel. The lively Latino music, colourful plates, walls decorated with scenes from different Schengen countries add to the beauty of the place.

In terms of food, the restaurant offers European fare, with an in-house deli, bakery and bar. This eatery makes an ideal setting for a quick pick-meup breakfast on busy mornings, a tranquil Sunday brunch, or even a buzzing watering hole for after-hours. We started with Hearty Chicken Soup, then ordered Schengen Ceasar Salad and Chicken Skewers. The Chicken Skewers were delicious and so was the salad. In the main course we tried their thin crust pizza and chicken grilled, which was a delight. There was no space left for dessert, so we skipped it.

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Quote Bar, Connaught Place

Tucked in the busy lanes of Regal Square complex, Quote Bar is just a six- month-old bar and lounge, still trying to carve a niche among its patrons. It's located right above Café Coffee Day outlet, with which the restaurant shares a common entrance, which tends to create a confusion for customers. Moreover, there is just a small "Q" sign at the entrance and a small sign on the first floor and one at the rooftop.The moment one reaches the entrance, the staff will escort the diner to the restaurant.

The bar is spread across two floors with aesthetic architecture. The moment one enters the premises,there is a giant colourful beer mug design on the wall with various funny and serious quotes. While the lower floor has seating arrangements, the upper level is a bar with high seating, couches and a DJ area in a corner. The music is at a bearable decibel level, allowing conversations to take place.

Coming to food, Quote Bar offers Indian and Continental. In starter, we tried Dahi Kebab, Tandoori Paneer  marinated with spices and crusted with papad  in vegetarian, and in non-vegetarian we tasted Crispy Chicken with basil and chilly.Tandoori Paneer was good,but I found nothing new in Dahi ke Kebab. Next on our plate was Smoked Chicken Pizza - with olives, oven dried tomato and rocket. The pizza was a thin crust and good to eat.In the main course,we tried Quote Bar special, which includes popular Indian cuisine from all regions. We were served Punjabi Chicken Tikka Masala served with Lacha Parantha and Kadhai vegetable and Chicken Chettinad with Lemon Rice and Vegetable Porial and Malabar Parantha, which was the winner. „

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The Great Kabab Factory, Park Plaza Gurgaon

Come winter and many restaurants in the Capital upgrade their menu to offer their patrons winter-specific dishes. Among them is Park Plaza Gurgaon's restaurant, The Great Kabab Factory, which has come up with an exotic gastronomic experience, Amritsar to Lahore, covering a variety of cuisines. As the name suggests, chef Vakil has made sincere attempts to take the guests on a culinary journey from Amritsar to Lahore, by offering the best delicacies found in these two regions. Since the festival will be on till 21 December, the whole ambience is filled with Punjabi and Lahori colours ~ from waiter to chef ~ and a glimpse of the region is visible in every corner of the restaurant.

 Our culinary journey began with Galauti Kababs and then Bhatti da Kukad ~ a speciality of Punjab, which was charred to perfection, the well basted skin giving way to moist chicken. The evergreen Machhi Amritsari was also good but I preferred Murgh Seene de Pasande. There was plenty for vegetarians too, including Punjabi Choley di Tikki, Paneer Lahori Tikka and Bhatinde di Fruit Chaat, along with the other vegetarian dishes. And yes, how could one miss the evergreen drink, Chachh (buttermilk), which goes well with every dish. We ended our meal with Moong Dal Halwa, Jalebi de naal Rabri and Anjeer di Phirni.

Rakesh Kumar

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Jungle Jamboree, Gurgaon

There is no dearth of high-end restaurants-cum-bars in Gurgaon. However, among them there are very few that cater to family, including kids. To overcome this, Jungle Jamboree has come up with the largest theme-based restaurant in Delhi, designed to keep kids happy with a special menu and a kids zone. Located in Gurgaon's Gold Souk Mall, the restaurant is divided into five themes ~ jungle, aqua, hunting lodge, kids zone and sky garden.

Coming to the food, the restaurant offers a buffet or a seven-course meal on table. Their menu has a mix of popular European, Indian and Oriental dishes. The first course was a delectable platter of bite-sized starters ranging from spicy Papri chaat to crispy Caesar salad paired with Aam panna. The second course started with piping hot soup and a plateful of papads and fries ~ a refreshing and light course. An array of popular dishes were waiting in the third course ~ falafels, sushi, fish teriyaki to popular French crepes. The fourth course proved to be heavier as they served kababs, ranging from melt in the mouth galouti kababs on ulta paratha to North India's favourite Amritsari fish kababs or Dahi ke kababs. The fifth course comprised French crepes, pizza or the much-loved pasta and the sixth course was a true Indian fare with a traditional Hyderabadi biryani, spicy rara gosht and malai kofta and paneer makhani for the vegetarians. The seventh one ended on a sweet note with paan flavoured ice-cream.                       

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Re-Café, Ambiance Mall

After the food, the other fascinating part of restaurants is their ambiance. They keep their décor attractive enough to lure their patrons: This is exactly what Re Café, a newly opened restaurant in Ambiance Mall, Vasant Kunj, did. The interiors are quite funky ~ small chairs, wall hangings, lights and even table mats, they have used everything very cleverly, not to miss the many fun games for children. For college students they provide tabs loaded with music, which they can be availed at any time.  Coming to the menu, it has a wide array of different dishes from around the globe. If one wants to try some snacks then there's Bhelpuri Aur Papad Cone in vegetarian, in non-vegetarian Reworked Wings could be good option and for fish lovers Crispy Rawa Sardines can a perfect option. There are many options in main course: If one is a lover of non-veg then try butter chicken platter or masala chicken platter, Nimbu Mirchi Meat and their specialty Nihari. Don’t want to eat Indian? Try some thin crust pizza or Regal Burgers or Egg Burgers. For those looking to grab a quick bite amid a shopping extravagaza, they have customised Maggie, the fiery Mumbiya sandwich or the innovative Three Jolly Sliders. The dessert section is an array of delicacies sure to keep one coming back for more. 

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Kylin Skybar, Ambience Mall

Candle light dinner has become the norm. But, what if these candles are joined by the moon to shed some extra light? The result would be pure joy. I felt exactly that while dining at the Kylin Skybar, a new entrant in Vasant Kunj. The ambiance was perfect. With dim lights and slow music, the whole dining area was open with lush green, that's too on the roof top. The moon too didn't seem too far. 

Situated on third floor of the Ambience Mall, the restaurant caters to only South Asian food, including Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai. For lovers of chicken, Sliced Chicken with Black Bean, Wok Fried Diced Chicken with Smoked Chillies can be a good option. Yes, don't forget to try Drunken Chicken, it will be cooked up at your table itself and you'll love not only the taste but also the way chef will prepare it for you. They call it their USP. Not satiated yet? Then go for Dimsums ~ they offer Curry Dimsum Vegetables, Spicy Shanghai Chicken Dimsum and Seiw Mai Chicken Dimsum. If opting for lamb, Tepanyaki Lamb Cumin and Coriander could be a good option and last but not least vegetable Hakka Noodles for those fond of noodles. Coming to dessert, spring rolls are served it with an ice cream ~ Fried Icecream Springroll ~ surprised?  

Meal for two: Rs 2,200

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The Hiatus, Qutub Hotel

There are very few restaurants in the city that allow their patrons to look into their cooking area. But The Hiatus, a new restaurant of Qutub Hotel not only provide a chance to take a peek into their kitchen but also have a small seating arrangement inside the kitchen, for those who want to enjoy the delicious flavours first hand. This is what the restaurant claims to be their best part. Located in South Delhi's chic hotel, the restaurant has a subtle architecture and a scintillating menu.

The restaurant has a huge space, divided into three parts: a good indoor seating arrangement; outdoor, they have alfresco, which is greened with giant bonsai trees; and a separate space just for a single family. Their vibrant ambience impressed us and as for food, well, we were expecting the same feel here too. The restaurant has mastered in serving world cuisine. The first thing we were offered was bread with three types of butter. I liked it. For starters there was a mezze platter, served with falafel, which tasted very good. Then came Thai rolls served with sweet chilli sauce. For the main course we did vegetables with garlic butter, soy and Thai curry red with steamed rice. Trust me, the food was delicious with perfect combination of veggies, spices and herbs. The colour, texture, everything was just perfect. A visit to the place is recommended.

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Moonshine Café, HauzKhas Village

 

When I asked what was the USP (unique selling point) of the restaurant, Mooshine Café and Bar in Hauz Khas Village, the owner didn’t take time to mention that the place was divided into three section so that it could have three types of music. Situated on the second floor, the restaurant Moonshine is a new entrant in Hauz Khas, which already has hundreds of such restaurants. Talking about the ambience, the restaurant is blessed with one of the biggest spaces on a single floor in Hauz Khas village, the interiors here were like any other bar with dimly lit, laser stars and hearts on the walls. But the other pleasing point is their live band, where one can see people matching their steps.
Food comprises every variety, be it Chinese, Continental or Indian. However, we ordered Chicken Tangdri, Brushchetta,  Panko Crusted Dahi Kebabs, Lamb Quesadillas and Stuffed Tandoori Mushroom. While all the dishes taste good, it could have been better. In the main course, they served some of their signature dishes like Moonshine Burgers, Moonshine Keema Pao, Mushroom Risotto, Fish Steak along with a range of heavenly delightful Pizza’s and Pasta’s. Besides Pizza, most of the dishes we had to skip because of not having any appetite. A nice place to have drinks and listen to good music.
            

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Satvik Food

 When I first heard about a “satvik” restaurant, I immediately “googled” it as I was unfamiliar with this word. When I got to know that it meant food with no onions or garlic, primarily meant for hardcore vegetarians. Curious to know how the food would taste without these essential ingredients (onions and garlic) I landed at Shraman.
 Located in Hotel Ashok, the restaurant is a fine dining offering the vegetarian delights of Rajasthani and Gujarati cuisines along with other north Indian dishes. Talking about the décor, it is not that impressive but is definitely authentic and likeable. The other major wow part is the price, which is cheap. I mean it, one can’t find any fine-dine restaurant in a 4-Star / or 5-Star Hotel and expect to pay less than Rs 1,000.
Moving to food, for starters one could relish a blend of north Indian as well as Rajasthani food. We started with  Dahi ka Samosa ~ samosa with hung curd stuffing ~ a unique, delicious take on the samosa, Jodhpuri Mirchi ka Pakora ~ a Jodhpuri specialty, which is must try for those who enjoy the their meal all spiced up! The Dhokla aur Khandvi ki Chaat and at last their best offering in starters, the Paan Patta Chaat.
For main course, we ordered Paneer Long Latta, Gatta Curry, Dal Bati Churma, Dal Shraman ~ all classic Rajasthani fare. Needless to say, the Dal Bati Churma was the best option on the menu. It was too delicious, too hard to share. And we finished with the widely popular Ghewar Malai Mishri ~ a traditional Rajasthani dessert with an almost unbearable sweetness. 

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Bikers meal

Elevated super bikes, a World map made of nuts and bolts, banisters propped up with chains, guitars made of heavy metal and brand new bikes on display ~ the description may lead one to think of some garage or bike accessories shop. No, it is neither, but a new restaurant, which bears the look of a garage.
Located in the popular Basant Lok Priya PVR complex in Vasant Vihar, the newbie, Café Torque, stands out with its quirky and ambient décor. And just a couple of glances are enough to shout out its affinity towards bikes and food. An inviting place for Delhi's bikers.  Curated by chef Arun Chanda of Mint Hospitality Consultants, the menu too is a full of biker jargon, with strong European and American accents. Its variety of food could excite both a monk and a glutton, and everyone in between.  The restaurant has even named dishes using biking terminology, like Mango People Party (fresh mango puree blended with yoghurt and mango ice cream), Jerk Powered Chicken Wings and Twisted Lamb Kebabs. For vegetarians there is 2-Stroke Mezze (Greek sambousek with spinach and feta and falafel served with hummus, tzakziki, muhammara, toasted pita triangles and home-made pickles).
Join them to celebrate two marvels of human existence ~ hard biking and meal. 
Meal for two: Rs 2,000  --Rakesh Kumar

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Italiano from Down Under

Yummy pizzas, affordable rates and a range of choice are enough to make Eagle Boys a perfect destination for a pizza lover, finds rakesh kumar

Having tasted a variety of pizzas from an equal number of outlets, big and small, one was enticed by the chance to explore a new taste at Eagle Boys ~ an Australian brand. Having opened in Delhi last year, the brand claims to own the largest number of Pizza joints in Australia. This fact has also whetted my excitement as well as curiosity to check out the outlet in Connaught Place. What surprised me most was its menu. Going by their name ~ Eagle Boys ~ I expected a hardcore Australian pizzas on offer. On the contrary, most dishes were Indian, such as chicken keema, kadahi chicken, tandoori chicken, delux lamb, and veg tandoori varieties among others.
“Since we have to cater to the Indian customer, therefore, we need to Indianise the menu. so that it looks familiar to every customer,” explained the manager of the outlet.
I was all set to put the offerings to test and requested for a starter Money Bags and Cheese Garlic Bread. The Money Bags was bags of flour pastry filled with vegetables and deep fried to form an interesting dish that can be found only at Eagle Boys. The Cheese Garlic Bread was soft but heavy for a single person. Now it was time for the main course. So we went for their best offering ~ Chicken Mexicana pizza and Tandoori chicken pizza in non-vegetarian. The Chicken Mexicana was made up with jalapenos, capsicum, tomatoes, onion, baby corn and red chillies. Tandoori chicken had the perfect crust with the chicken topping releasing the flavours of a classic tandoori delight and marinating the succulence of chicken.

Now it was the turn to try some dessert as well. You would surprised to know that in dessert too they offer a pizza. The sweet variant of pizza, termed as sweetza, comes in two flavours. We settled for a triple chocolate loaded with white and dark choco chips and garnished with a decent helping of chocolate sauce. The pizza was not warm enough, which made the bread chewy and the chocolate lost its taste. “This sweet pizza is very popular among kids. It works both as a pizza and a dessert, and that makes them happy,” said the manager.

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Be social

Ask anyone about getting social and the person would start off about Internet or social networking websites. Thanks to Internet, people now turn to this tool for everything ~ information, mailing, entertainment and much more. Thus, social get togethers have now moved from coffee house to online world. However, this sort of social gathering did not excite Mumbai-based entrepreneur, Riyaaz Amlani, who has trendy eateries such as Mocha, Smoke House Grill. Therefore, he came up with a new social space, a "cafe bar for the youth" that he unveiled last week in the Capital's Hauz Khas Village. "The only thing they have to do is to become a member by shelling out Rs 5,000 per month. And yes the entire money will be refunded as meal or drink vouchers," said Amlani, the brain behind the concept. The place split over two floors of an old building that gives a wonderful view of the Hauz Khas lake behind. At first look The Social leaves one wondering whether or not the place has been done up ~ the design of the building is that of an under construction place. 

In terms of food, the menu contains soups, salads, all-day breakfast, sizzlers, biryani, a Chinese box, burgers, hot-dogs, hot and cold beverages and dessert ~ all at subsidized prices. We sampled the BBQ chicken sandwich served with crisp fries on the side. If it is anything to go by, we'll be leaving our dabbas at home.

Social, Hauz Khas Village 

Phone:

+91 7838652814

Address:

Hauz Khas Social Hauz Khas Village, Delhi NCR, India address

9A & 12, Hauz Khas Village, New Delh

 

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No barrier

With more restaurants opening up their cooking areas, diners are encouraged to watch their meals getting fixed. Rakesh kumar delves into how and why open kitchens are getting popular

Gone are the days when kitchens were relegated to a corner of the restaurant and considered a place to be hidden away from their customers. However, with different trends of lifestyle ushering in, the wall between the kitchen and the diners has dissolved, leading to the concept of open kitchen, which is the latest trend in restaurants. 
 "Although the concept of open kitchens is recent in India it is fast catching up. Open kitchens are replacing traditional dining spaces at homes and are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants across the country," said Nilesh Dey, executive Sous Chef of the Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi.  
In an open kitchen restaurant food is prepared in plain sight, either behind a counter or right in the middle of the dining area. However, the million-dollar question is how and what led the open kitchen to become a culture that is catching on so fast. Whether it is the daily dose of fast food horror stories that led modern customer to want transparency, open kitchens are here to stay. No space
In the past, restaurant customers would prefer food to appear from behind closed doors, with no indication whatsoever about how it has been made. Moreover, open kitchens were once part of mostly small urban establishments that didn't have the space to support a "back of the house". Now, one can find them in a five-star restaurant too. 
 "These days consumers have become more conscious about their food," asserted another chef. "They want to know how this is being cooked, who is cooking it. They want to see the freshness and quality of your ingredients, the health and safety steps you're taking. They're consuming this food. They want a comfort level."
 The concept was once limited to fast food chains like Domino's Pizza, KFC, TGI Friday and Subway. In these restaurants customers could see the tossing of dough and making of pizzas, all of which gave them a fresh feeling. Most of these chains have opened with a smaller and more centrally located kitchen, which incidentally has proven to be more energy efficient. The restaurant franchise with the most locations worldwide, Subway has always assembled their sandwiches in full view of the customer, and even their bread ovens are completely visible to anyone in front of the counter. 
Food safety
With food allergies on the rise, one hears every other day news related to food and food poisoning. Moreover, with concern about allergies, people would much rather see their food being prepared. 
Live entertainment

Among the variety of reasons that open kitchen restaurants are so popular, the major of course being health, cooking shows with celebrity chefs are gaining popularity. Customers appreciate the effort of a well-prepared dish and they really look forward to the opportunity to see the chef working in person. An open kitchen restaurant supplies that opportunity. 
Ask the chef
These days, after placing the order, one won't have to merely wait for your order. One can also ask the chef for a recipe, reward him with a thumbs-up or even ask him to hurry up. "Very often customers love standing and watching the food being made. Another advantage is that you will always know what's cooking with the fragrance surrounding the cafe," said one of the chefs of five star hotels. 

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Taste from street

Why hunt around in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, when one can enjoy the cities' street cuisine at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ghaziabad, advises rakesh kumar

Stepping into the lounge of Radisson Blu Hotel, Ghaziabad, is bound to leave a visitor a little nonplussed these days as one is greeted by a railway signboard in Hindi that reads: "Ghaziabad Junction". As one follows the signages, one will land up in a place where four train coaches flanked by rehri, thela (push-carts) and street food stalls will welcome you. Welcome to the ongoing Street Food Festival, where one can sample an assorted range of lip-smacking desi flavours from the streets of India. “What could be a better gift than this on this festive season?" the hotel chef emphasised. "Since street food is the backbone of the country, every individual in this country has a liking for it.”  The restaurant, wearing the look of a railway station, is all set to take a visitor through a very unique culinary journey of specialties belonging to different regions of India. From the Aloo Tikki Chaat, Dahi Bhalle, Chilla and Kachodi from the

Capital or Paav-Bhaaji and Paani-Puri from Mumbai's Chowpati, Momos and Jhalmuri from the streets of  Eastern India to Idiappam, Paniaran and Saboodana Vada from the southern part, the hotel has tried to capture the spirit of Indian street food. To add to the look of roadside eateries, the food is cooked and prepared inside the train bogies or on the thela and rehri. And yes, there is a wine shop too, with the legend Theka Videshi Sharab ka.
“We have seen so many hotels doing it earlier, but they failed to give a look of roadside eateries. We have not only taken all-time favourite street foods from across the nation, but also tried to give an experience of roadside eateries in an ethnic style,” said Mohit Khana, executive chef of the hotel.

 At the restaurant, one could start one's culinary journey from Chennai Express Idiappam or Paniram then move to the Mumbai Central for Wada Pav followed by Eastern Railway bogies offering Jalmuri and the last stoppage will be Delhi, where one could taste Chaat. In dessert one can find Jalebi or Maal Pua. One section is dedicated to kids, where one could find Maggie, Chuski and other delicacies.
 “Every two days, we change our menu. For instance, today we are offering Momos at the Kolkatta counter, after two days you will find some change,” added Khana.  Even though it is street food but the hotel has tried not to compromise with hygiene and actual flavour of the original dishes. It is a culinary journey that takes a guest from one part of the country to another one in no time and that too under one roof.

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