Tag: Delhi Foodie

Dakshin Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Rohini!

The word Dakshin, by default doesn’t excite me much, because I am not a big fan of South Indian Cuisine, but recently when my foodie friends decided to visit the DAKSHIN Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Rohini, I reluctantly agreed. I am so glad that I actually went, because my perception of the Dakshin food changed completely, it was so so good that I can actually now say that I relished it.

The spread was an elaborate one and offered wide variety of dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I tried quite few things and I have to admit that I loved each one of them. Some of them need a special mention, The Rawa Fish was an amazing preparation, crispy outer coating to an otherwise tender fish, it just melted in mouth. Chonka Idly, Maysore Bonda and Paneer 65 were other delightful preparations. I loved the tiny tiny crisp idly a lot. Mulagu Vada too was a delectable dish and so were Chicken 65 and Meen Pollichathu.

Then we tried the Veg Stew with Appam and it was simply delicious. Rasa Omelette was a dish that stood out for its awesome flavours. Ulli Theeyal Mutton and Mangalorian Fish Curry were relished with Malabari Paranthas and trust me they were drool worthy.

After a hearty platter of desserts, we ended our culinary trip to Dakshin, without having to go their actually and enjoyed ourselves to the core. Now I can say that I look forward to more such festivals and I am extremely open to explore more South Indian dishes.

Experiencing Culinary Delights at Auro Kitchen & Bar!

Auro Kitchen & Bar, nestled in Aurobindo Market, Hauz Khas is surely one of the coolest places you will come across. With a huge terrace to spend some cosy time, they have an equally spacious interior seating as well. Even if the weather isn’t too fantastic to sit outside, the mist fans do the job and make it up the heat and humidity. For those who wanna try their various varieties of Hookah, by default will have to sit outside and enjoy both the weather and the hookah along with some scrumptious food and drinks.

This time around as I was with a vegetarian friend, and also for a change, I too gave non-veg a skip and I don’t regret it at all, as the food was great.

To begin with we ordered, Char Grilled Potatoes, small jacket potatoes cooked with tandoori masala which was spicy and topped with creamy cheese, this surely was one delectable dish. The spiciness of tandoori masala was perfectly balanced by the cheese and it was a match made in heaven.

Next we tried Paneer 65 Sliders and they were truly amazing. Spicy paneer 65 in soft buns, this made for a delightful dish and should definitely be given a try, I am sure even the non vegetarians will love it.

The mushroom Ranikhet was another amazing preparation, mushroom paste, truffle oil, matahari ranikhet cheese and mozzarella over a flat bread, though for my liking the mushroom taste was slightly overpowering, but nevertheless the dish was unique and can surely be given a try.

Truffle Kulcha and Wild Mushroom Seekh Kebabs totally compensated for the non-veg craving, because the mushroom seekh kebabs tasted just like mutton kebabs and were very soft and tender.

For drinks, I settled for Orange Thyme, an orange based mocktail which was quite refreshing, whereas I sipped 2-3 cocktails which my friend had ordered, Passioned Secret Tea, a whiskey based cocktail with bourbon and this was really nice. Other was The Union, a vodka based cocktail with pomegranate and I liked this one too.

While gorging upon the starters and slurping away the drinks, we really werent too hungry for a main course, yet we wanted to try something from the menu. We settled for Masala Cottage Cheese and were so glad that we ordered it. Cottage Cheese chunks cooked in rich tomato gravy served with paranthas, made for an amazing dish and I really recommend it to all my vegetarian friends. You will surely love it.

Overall, Auro was a great foodie experience and I look forward to visit the place again with my friends and family.

Mangofied at Farzi Cafe!

Come summers, and Mango the king of fruits, is the only good thing about the season. Farzi cafe wanting to make the most of this summer season, launched a mango special menu and trust me, its totally worth indulging in.

To begin with, we ordered the Green Mango and Raw Papaya Salad with Peanuts and Imly Chutney, a very refreshing, sweet and sour salad, it will surely have your taste buds lingering for long.

Up next we tasted the Roasted Fish Tacos with Shredded Greens and Mango Salsa, these were the best dish I tasted that evening, and I really wish I could have eaten a little more of them. I just had one taco and how I miss them even while writing. I am definitely going back for these, and make hay while the sun still shines 🙂

Raw Mango and Mushroom Kulchas, and Ghee Podi Baby Idlys were next from the menu, and I actually liked them both, especially the kulchas. They were crisp from the outside, and the inside filling of mushrooms and mango was nice, soft and juicy.

Then we tried the Tandoori River Sole with Kachi Amby Ki Chutney and Popped Amarnath, was a delightful preparation, the tandoori fish tikka seared with mango chutney, adding the sour punch to it, gave a very unusual dynamism to the dish.

Spiced Chicken Balls was another stellar dish and is definitely a must have, they were really nice and juicy and the green mango chutney topped on it was simply amazing.

Ginger and Aam Papad Prawns, were good too, but as I am not very fond of prawns, I just had one, and found it to be decently prepared.

For mains, we tried Andhra Fish Curry with Raw Mango and Steamed Rice and it surely was a delectable preparation. The taste of raw mango enhanced the curry flavour, and it teamed well with the rice.

I also tried the Aubergines done with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Mango Masala, though the masala was nice and flavoursome, but I found the sourness a little too much to go with aubergines. A little less of mango masala could have been a better deal. Well thats as far as I am concerned, rest its always a personal choice.

We also tried a couple of dishes from the regular menu, which included Duck Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Biryani, and all these dishes were amazing. I especially loved the duck samosas.

Mango & White Chocolate Popsicle, Vanilla Pod Cheese Cake with Aam Ras, Deconstructed Rabdi , Parle G Cheese Cake and Chocolate Bomb. Coming to the mango special desserts first, the mango and white chocolate popsicle was delightful and really sweet, the vanilla pod cheese cake too was an interesting preparation, the pouring of aam ras over the cheese pod, made it look drool worthy and so was the taste. Deconstructed Rabdi, which comes along with some other Indian sweets was a nice example of molecular gastronomy, the central ball was broken, some rabdi was poured on to it and it further broke down and tasted quite nice. The parle g cheese cake was a bit disappointing, as I found it to be almost sugarless and also because of the cheese cake sandwiched between two biscuits, it was difficult to break and eat it. The chocolate bomb is great for all chocolate lovers, though its one of the most common desserts now, but its always a pleasure.

This was my first visit at Farzi, and though I liked almost everything, no special mocktails for the mango festival left me a little disappointed and I think they should have definitely come up with some options in that. For cocktails lovers, they do have decent options, but non-alcoholics will have to settle for mocktails from the regular menu only, nevertheless, I think the Mango Festival at Farzi surely calls for a visit and you must go, till mangoes and summers last..! Enjoy
Farzi Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Not Just Paranthas… Seriously.. its not just about paranthas…!!

We Indians remain Indians at heart no matter where we live or what we do, and some places just reflect this emotion perfectly. And especially when it comes to food, we end up choosing Indian cuisine over and over again even after exploring and relishing other cuisines off and on. I mean who can do without a butter chicken and paranthas, no amount of sushis, pastas, burgers and noodles take place of our very own food, and trust me Not Just Paranthas is just about that. The place is Indian all through, its so Indian, that they don’t have forks and they encourage using hands to eat food, I mean you can be your nasty self here, the same person who relishes dal chawal with hands at home, can relish tearing away paranthas with hands and dip them in curd and slurp them away!

I have been to this place long ago and was quite a regular then, as my office was very near to it, but then as I left my office and moved on, I somehow did not go to this place also since years and just recently after approx 3-4 years I went again and was so happy that they have held on to their quality of food well, its still as good as it was.

In fact the ambience is much more refined now and they also have live music performances which add more to the charm. So you will surely enjoy some retro bollywood music as you relish the food.

Now coming to food, we ordered Cheezy Chooza and NJP Special Mutton Seekh as non-veg starters and Dahi Ke Kebab and Galoti Kebab with Varki Parantha for veg starters. Must say that all four dishes were awesome. The Cheezy Chooza is for sure a dish that you must try. A beautifully done chicken tikka loaded or rather wrapped in cheese, it was delicious. Mutton Seekh was nice and tender. Dahi Ke Kebab is again a delicacy you must try here, they weren’t the usual type, in fact they were very different and really nice. Though they were slightly sweetish in taste, I liked them for their difference. The Rajma Galotis were nice too.

These starters really were very heavy and we were already feeling so full, but how can one not have a parantha when at NOT JUST PARANTHAS 🙂

So we ordered a Chur Chur Chicken Do Pyaza Parantha and Mughlai Pocket Parantha along with some Dal Makhani. Uff, the Chur Chur Chicken Parantha was mind glowingly delicious, you cannot ignore it and if you are a Punjabi, you will love it even more because its drizzled with the makhani gravy on top. Simply yummylicious.

The Pocket Parantha was very different in comparison yet equally delicious and one can try a lot of variety as per taste and choice. Actually thats with every kind of parantha, the menu is so elaborate that at times it leaves you confused. One of the easier ways is to leave yourself in the hands of their ever hospitable staff and they will guide you to the best of their dishes. Don’t forget to enjoy some Kullad Lassi and Chaach along with your paranthas, they are almost mandatory 😉

Coming to the star dish of the evening, it was the dessert, the Meetha Parantha, its heavenly, its delicious, its outstanding. You cannot cannot miss this one. Ask the staff for their special meetha parantha and they will serve you just right.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this place again and now look forward to being a regular again, and for a family like mine who craves Indian food and good music, this is just the place to be.

 

 

Not Just Paranthas Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Chai Di Party at Tea Lounge, Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Aren’t we all so used to seeing our family members gather around a specific time in the evening to have tea, and generally its like a small ritual at everyones house. Mostly its like a small get together, where tea is just an excuse, but the chit chat, the gossip and munching snacks becomes the main focus at a later stage. This is exactly what you feel when you attend the Chai Ki Party at Eros Hotel. Its home away from home like feeling. Nothing fancy about it, just a regular homely way of enjoying tea with regular snacks included in the menu. Yes of course, in each of the dishes you will find signature touches of Chef Nikhil Rastogi which are always a welcome change, but more or less the authenticity of each dish is well maintained.

We tried Bhujiya Ki Bhel served in Papad Cones, it was a spicy delight and keeping that in mind, chef made it special by keeping Gur Paras’ along with it. Aaloo Matar Samosa, which had some mawa and roasted dry fruits was awesome and the small size of the samosas made them look guilt free. Adding the chef’s touch again, these samosas had a ring of namak paras’ which were crisp and nice.

The CDP platter which included Kanda Bhajiyas, Mirch Pakodas, Paneer Pakodas and Aaloo Rolls was a perfect accompaniment to the Ghar Wali Masala Chai. Each and every item was commendable.

But the most amazing things in the entire menu were the Jalebi Ki Chaat and Bun Maska. Just imagine, Jalebi Ki Chaat, I mean kudos to the chef for thinking of such an item, yes it was a maida jalebi which wasn’t dipped in sugar syrup, but served as a crispy substitute to papdi with curd, saunth and green chutney, just like the normal chaat, and it was awesome. Really loved it.

Similarly the bun maska wasn’t regular at all, in fact it was coated with nice sugary coffee powder and served with whipped cream, maple syrup and some blue berry sauce. One bite into it, and I was transformed into another world, it was heavenly.

Though I am not a tea fan, but this Chai Di Party was thoroughly enjoyable. And also keeping the heat in mind, amazing cold serves were there which included Jamun Thanda, Adraki Sharbat, Sambharam, Coffee Batida and Jaljeera. I personally loved the Sambharam which was a Chaas with South Indian flavours, Jaljeera and Adraki Sharbat were refreshing too.

For me going to Eros, every time is an experience I can’t get over so easily and I can never stop praising the hospitality of the place. Chef Nikhil (Executive Chef), Umesh (F&B Head), Harpreet (PR Manager), Sanjeev, everyone is like a great friend and I love spending time with my family and friends here with this extended family at Eros. The festival is on till 30th of April, so make hay while the sun shines.. and enjoy!!

Made in Punjab- Truly Punjabi…!!

Made in Punjab is another fine dine, class apart restaurant by none other than Zorawar Kalra. His restaurants have a different kind of niche which is almost unmatchable and Made in Punjab also stands true to the benchmark. Fully Punjabi in terms of decor, ambience and even music which is played, this is a place for food lovers in the truest of sense. This is a place where you fully indulge in food without thinking of calories, think only taste and you will love it.

When Mr. Bhalla Met Ms. Papdi (quite an interesting name, isn’t it) and Tokri Chaat were the first two things we ordered, along with Guava Mary and Mojito for drinks.

When Mr. Bhalla Met Ms. Papdi was as inserting in taste as its name, nice and soft bhallas with kurkuri papdi and tanginess of tamarind chutney and green chutney, made it all together a nice dish. The Tokri Chaat too was good, but the tastes were almost similar because of the fact that they both belonged to the chaat family.

Next we ordered, Legacy Tandoori Champ, Meat Te Seekhan, Lol Tikki and Gabbar Prawns. The Tandoor Champ was outstanding, such tender mutton chops with excellent tandoori marination, done to perfection, this one is a must try. Lol Tikki, very different and unique, just like the name, it was a mutton cutlet made from mutton legs slow cooked for over 10 hours and it was extremely delicious. Gabbar Prawns and Seekh were good too, but nothing exceptional about them.

Chicken Chilli, Broccoli Badam and Kalmi Kebab along with Creamy Seekh Kebabs were another set of starters we ordered. The Broccoli was excellent and so was the Chilli Chicken, Kalmi Kebabs as per me had a scope of improvement, as chicken could have been more tender, it was a little hard for my liking, the winner here was the Creamy Seekh, topped with cheesy and creamy sauce these were really amazing and definitely a must try.

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Coming to main course we tried Luxury BC ( hey what are you thinking..??? Its just Luxury Butter Chicken ;)), Maa ki Daal, Lehsuni Palak Chenna, Nalli Hard Kaur and Paneer Lababdar and must say that each and everything was delicious. I specially loved the Daal, Lehsuni Palak Chenna and Nalli Hard Kaur the most. True authentic Punjabi flavours at their best!

And then one of the best things happened.. we tried the Guchchi Pulao, aka mushroom pulao which was mind blowing. Guchchi by the way is one of the most expensive kinds of mushroom and it tasted amazing.

And now coming to another delightful and sweet part, the desserts which were AMMMMAzing… really each one of them was better than the other. Goushalla Di Kulfi, Mango Rasgulla, Stuffed Gulabjamun, Nukkad Jalebi and Ras Dates Malai. All of them should definitely be tried and the ones not to be missed at any cost are the Mango Rasgulla, Nukkad Jalebi and the Chocolate Stuffed Gulab Jamun. These are truly heavenly delights.

In the end all I can say is that this is one place worth every minute and every penny you spend.. so just go for it..!
Made In Punjab Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Dilli BC- Keeps your taste buds lingering for long..!!

Very few times, we come across places where the food is so perfect, that one cant help licking the fingers off. One such place is this tiny tiny take away/delivery outlet Dilli BC tucked away in the Malviya Nagar Market, right next to Aurobindo College. Though its primarily a take away and delivery outlet, but if you are a small group of friends who don’t mind standing across a table and indulge in some great food while you converse, then they are perfect in that regards too.

So on a windy afternoon, I with a bunch of friends decided to stop by this place and grab a quick lunch, but lest we knew that it will turn out to be an extravagant indulgence in food and conversations.

Our culinary journey began by tasting one of the best dishes they have to offer, the Bhatti Chicken, followed by Anari Chicken Tikka. Both these dishes are a must try and not to be missed at all. The Bhatti Chicken, coated with a secret black masala and perfectly roasted is a delight. Its so juicy and nice that you can’t stop at just one piece. Chicken Anari Tikka on the other hand was very different, with a sense of tanginess, but extremely tasty. Loved it.

Next we tried Chicken Lehsuni Tikka and Chicken Seekh Kebab, and both of them though regular but were amazing.

Up next we tried the Stuffed Tangri Kebab and Chicken Nawabi, both them very unusual and tasteful. The Stuffed Tangri was a double treat, tandoori chicken leg with minced chicken stuffing, simply outstanding. Chicken Nawabi topped with gooey cheese was another delightful preparation, the flavours of cheese with roasted tikka tasted really nice.

We were all bunch of hardcore non-vegetarians with just one exceptional friend who was a pure vegetarian, but he proved to be the most important person in our group, we realised this once he placed his orders and we tasted the vegetarian dishes. The Vegetarian items were a level above the non-vegetarian ones, each and every thing we tasted was simply mind-blowing.

Paneer Anari Tikka, Kali Mirch Paneer Tikka, Achari Soya Chaap, Dahi Ke Sholey, pick any item and I am sure you will love it. I mean we all loved it so much so that our tasting became a full-fledged meal, where in we again ordered the entire set of vegetarian starters for ourselves and our veg friend still got the least portion 🙂

Coming to main course, Dilli BC again proved a notch above the rest. The Butter Chicken was of superlative quality, much better than the well known so called leaders of Butter Chicken in Delhi and so was the Dal Makhani, a perfect 10/10. Chicken Rara and Rogan BC (Mutton) were another flavoursome dishes to savour. Try these awesome delicacies with their assorted breads and don’t forget to order a mirchi parantha, its not to be missed.

Now let me tell you about one of the highlight dishes from our entire meal, it was the Tandoori Chicken Roll, a roll not just made of tandoori chicken but also rolled in a tandoori roti and served with a rocking smokey dip, this is definitely a must try and I am sure you will become a fan.

After having this hearty lunch at Dilli BC, I am very sure that this is gonna be on my speed dial to order food whenever I am taking a break from cooking or feeling lazy or simply craving their food. Also happened to bump into Apurv Kansal who owns the place, and must say his suggestions, his hospitality and insightful plus light hearted conversations added a lot of value to the overall experience.

What are you waiting for, pick up your phone and dial now, they serve currently from 3 outlets, GK2, Malviya Nagar and Dwarka, go ahead, have a feast!

Dilli BC Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Asia Central- Excellent Food Delivery Option

Food delivery services always come in handy on lazy weekend evenings or tired weekday nights, and recently on one such occasion I ordered food from Asia Central as I was craving for some authentic oriental food. I ordered the following dishes:

Kung Pao Chicken, a classic Sichuan dish that originated in the Sichuan province of Southern-Western part of China, is prepared with stir fried chicken tossed with peanuts, vegetables and chilli peppers. Full points to Asia Central for preparing this dish in an authentic manner, the flavours, the texture, everything was perfect.

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce was the other main course dish that I ordered and it too was done perfectly. The taste of black bean sauce was perfectly balanced, it was neither too strong nor too mild.

Chicken Hawker Noodles, a perfect combination to go with the chicken gravies, the noodles were awesome. Thankfully had loads of chicken pieces and vegetables too.

Chicken Fried Rice, were another delightful preparation. Perfectly fried rice with chunks of chicken, it served as a perfect companion with my Kung Pao Chicken.

Overall, the food was amazing, the packaging very neat and great effort was taken in packing every thing required along with the food like chopsticks, forks, sauces etc. and now I know that this is gonna be the place I will frequently order food from when craving for Chinese.


Asia Central Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Boheme Bar & Grill- Food Review

Well, this place was like a pleasant discovery for me, situated right behind the Select City Walk, somehow I never did go behind the mall and was ignorant about the fact that this street was really hustling and bustling with people and lined with quite a few places to eat and drink. Walking a little further in the street, I spotted this place and thought of giving it a try, as being a food blogger one is always curious to explore new places.

Image Courtesy-SP Singh

To begin with we ordered, Bruschetta, Chicken Tikka Frontier and Tawa Meat along with Mojito and Kit Kat Shake to drink. The Bruschetta was nice and crispy, and I loved every bit of the Chicken Tikka Frontier, though it was on the spicier side, but it was delicious. The Tawa Meat was another highlight, such tender pieces of mutton in thick tawa gravy, for me I could have eaten only this with a roomali roti and it would have become a complete meal.

Next we tried Italian Meat Balls, Peri Peri Chicken Pizza, Chicken Malai Tikka and Ala Arrabbiata Pasta. The Meat Balls were good, but still had a very peculiar taste that I could not pick and which wasn’t as per my taste buds. The Peri Peri Chicken Pizza is a must try, hand rolled pizza crust with amazing topping of peri peri chicken and veggies, it was a delightful creation to savour. The Chicken Malai Tikka was great in taste, creamy and succulent, this was another winner dish. The Pasta was perfectly done and I loved it.

For the main course we tried the Spicy Cottage Cheese Creole, which was outstanding. I have never eaten cottage cheese in such creamy yet flavourful white sauce, it was really different and awesome to taste. Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce was the other main course dish we ordered and this didn’t disappoint either. The fish was nicely done in buttery light sauce with hint of garlic.

I overall had a great foodie experience at this newly discovered place and I am very sure of visiting it pretty soon. The food is great, the ambience cosy and comfortable and what more can one ask for. Try out for yourself!
Boheme Bar & Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

A delightful gastronomic experience @Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar

Culinary journeys across places always interests me and when something turns up near to home, its even wonderful. I recently headed out to this amazing place Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar tucked away in the ever hustling bustling GK 1, M Block Market.

The place has a very vibrant appeal to it and yet is cozy and warm. The staff is extremely hospitable and completely aware of their own brand, their recommendations and knowledge impresses you.

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To begin with we ordered, Quinoa Bhel, Ratatouille Cigars, Mascarpone Chicken and A+A+A Pizza. The Quinoa Bhel was outstanding, Quinoa which has risen sharply in recent years is considered a very healthy and wheat-free alternative, which is a great resource of protein, fibre and iron. But the moment we thing of healthy things, we assume that the taste will be compromised, but this treatment of Quinoa where in for not even one moment you realise that you are eating something different, the way the Bhel taste was infused using Quinoa was remarkable. I simply loved it and for me it was one of the best dishes of the evening.

Ratatouille Cigars were good too, but may be because the Quinoa Bhel still had a lingering taste, I could not appreciate them much and went on to munch some more bhel. The A+A+A Pizza was really nice, very unusual topping of green apples, apples and pineapple, this one will surely delight your taste buds.

The Mascarpone Chicken was another highlight of the evening, I simply could not resist this wonderful dish. Loaded with cream and cheese, this was an orgasmic experience, it just melts in your mouth. Worth drooling over and over again, don’t miss it.

Moving on, we tried Wasabi Fish Cake, Chicken Sliders, Bagels and Pizza Pazza. I am not a Wasabi fan and hence did not like the fish cakes much, as I find the wasabi flavour too strong.

The Chicken Sliders were good, juicy and tender chicken cutlets in small soft buns served with potatoes, it made for a wholesome dish.

Pizza Pazza was again a delightful pizza with chicken topping, thin crust and well done. Bagels though on a sweeter side, because they had a filling of apples, were nice and unusual.

Coming to the main course, we ordered Cottage Cheese Steak and Chicken Milanese. The cottage cheese steak was just about ok, nothing too great but nothing bad either. Chicken Milanese, a spaghetti with two big chunks of chicken in a red sauce was bit spicy but delectable. I simply loved indulging in it and surely makes for an impressive main course.

Beetroot’s Halwa and An Evening in Jaipur comprised of our desserts for the evening. The beetroot halwa was good, but something that needs a taste development, might not be likeable in one go. An evening in Jaipur were basically Malpuas dipped in a sugary syrup, they were crisp and nice, but too sweet for my liking.

They have a wide and a very unusual selection of drinks and cocktails especially. Very presentable and different flavours infused together always make for a surprise. Recommended- Charcoal Martini, Paan Mojito, Bubblegum, and Tiramisu Margarita.

 

Overall I had a very pleasant experience at Gastronomica and I really look forward to a visit again. The ambience, the food, the drinks, everything was great.

Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato