Who could imagine that an accidental meeting with an army man in a train journey could become a turning point in Ankul Agarwal’s life and become an inspiration behind a theme restaurant. This is what exactly happened when owner of the Restaurant 38 Barracks, Ankur met a stranger, in this case an army colonel, on a train journey to Shimla. During the course of the journey, Ankur learnt many facets of an army man’s life and this how the idea of 38 Barracks was germinated. Ankur was so moved by the colonel’s story that he wanted to give a tribute to army men, 38 Barracks, as a restaurant based on the lives of army men is Ankur’s realization of that tribute.

38 Barracks truly reflects the spirit of an Army Man’s life in its every corner, in fact special corners like Locker Room, Drawing Room, Balcony have been marked in the restaurant, nooks and corners, walls and shelves are adorned with mementoes and memorable of army battalions. From medals, to old telephone, monochrome photographs and guns and rifles, every single aspect of the décor speaks loudly about the theme. Unlike other thematic restaurants where a few elements reflect the theme, 38 Barracks have gone all the way in maintaining the essence of the theme. And not just the décor, but also their menu is carefully curated with items that have been popular with major battalions of the world.

I was recently invited by Vickrham from Foodmaniacs..Born to Eat (do check out their blog for all food and lifestyle updates), for an exclusive bloggers table introducing new items in the food menu, which are designed by Michelin Recommended Chef Gautam Chaudhary.

Gautam himself took us through the culinary journey of developing those dishes and the inspiration behind. Now coming to food, it was as awesome as the entire place.

Amuse Bouche: It was a watermelon based pallet cleanser, which was cooled through a bowl filled with liquid nitrogen, one of those things that come under molecular gastronomy. Along with watermelon, there was feta cheese, lettuce leaves and balsamic vinegar balls, which looked like caviar. It was perfect to its name, amusing and tasteful. The cold fumes coming from the bowl of nitrogen was making it look really interesting and worth capturing on the camera. Check out my video on Instagram, and do show some love by following me 🙂

48^th Battalion (Mocktail): It was also a watermelon-based mocktail, with some apple juice; sprite, green chilies and sour mix thrown in. It indeed was a very refreshing drink and I liked it.

Paneer Tikka Barrels: This was one of the most amazing Paneer Tikka’s that I have eaten in recent times. The shape of the Paneer Tikka was like a barrel and It was stuffed with dry fruits. I loved this part, because normally paneer tikka’s are only coated with the masala on the top but after one bite, they sometimes taste bland, but this barrel with its surprise filling inside is a sure shot winner in this category.

Gosht Ke Galauti: These were really mouth melting; the meat was so tender and delectable. These kebabs were served with Ulta Tawa Paranthas and Green Mint Chutney.

Chicken Duet Tikka: Two different versions of chicken tikka, which are glazed in clay oven, are a heavenly delight for tikka lovers. This should be a definite try on your list, highly recommended.

Malaysian Military Chicken Satay: These are Malaysian marinade chicken satays served with peanut chutney. Mild in taste, these make a perfect choice if you want something super tasty and yet less spicy. Just go for it.

Soya Rahra: This will be a delight for soya lovers and vegetarians in general. A very well marinated soya chaap with a thick soya keema gravy, awesomely spiced, made this dish a wonderful one indeed. I personally liked it a lot.

Clash of Clans: A super awesome combo of two entirely different versions of fish. One part has the very English Fish N Chips while the other has Ajwaini Mahi Tikka but both of them equally awesome. Though the Ajwaini Tikka was little spicy, but the solution is to dig one bit of Ajwaini Tikka followed by the very crisp bite of Fish N Chips.. yumm is the word..

Big Barrack Chicken Burger: This was a father of all burgers, huge in size, delightful to look at and awesome to taste. Loaded with chicken and veggies, with sauces dripping, this messy affair is something you will remember for a long time. Must try.

Chicken Sweet Corn Soup: A bowl of chicken sweet corn soup= happy me. This soup has been an all time favourite for me, and I wasn’t disappointed having it here at 38 Barracks as well.

Corn Tarts: A new addition in the menu, they should surely make it to your must try list, as they were really nice. The filling was good; the tarts were baked to perfection as well.

Chocolate Walnut Brownie: Chocolate is the other name of heaven for me, and by now if you follow my posts you would know that. One I am a big chocolate fan and second I am baker myself and hence very critical about bakery items and desserts. But this brownie was just right, perfectly done, gooey and fudgy, loaded with walnuts and topped with some vanilla ice-cream, and my mouth waters while writing this, so you know what I mean, it was delicious.

Baked Rasgulla Pie: A very innovative creation by chef Gautam, this was a true fusion dessert and I am sure it will be loved by one and all.. ok ok..exceptions are always there.. but by and large people will love it, at least I did and I recommend too.

This place also has an amazing range of Hukka flavors and will be a paradise for hukka lovers. They have flavours, which are very unique, and no other place in India has them so far, for example there was a Rice Pudding Flavored Hukka, which was really different and didn’t hurt the throat at all.

38 Barracks should definitely be your next food over stop and I am sure you will love it.