Bunta Bar, Cannaught Place, Delhi

A group of friends recently planned a get together at the newly opened bunta bar in CP. It’s located on Jan path and the parking is easily available unlike the other restaurants in cp.

Bunta and nimbu lemon really rings a bell for our generation whose staple beverage was this drink when we were growing up and being true to that a lot of interesting cocktails were served in the same bunta bottles. Kala khatta and aam Panna mixed with some heady booze were my favorite.

In starters, I loved the delicate balance of spice and sweetness of jaggery chicken wings and the beetroot balls. Amazing flavors.

The mutton curry took my heart away in the mains. The flavors were hearty, tangy and bang on. The mutton was juicy and perfectly cooked. It came with a Tawa paratha, the kind your mom would have cooked for you. Do try it with there delectable daal makhni. Lovely.

Ended my meal with a very rich parsi kulfi topped with pomegranate seeds. A beautiful looking and great tasting dish.

The place is nicely decorated and very open. A good place for a formal together or a weekend getaway. A must try.

Biryani & Co., Delhi

A couple of weeks back I was headed to a Saturday afternoon meeting. As usual being a foodie I was asked to pick up some food and I came across biryani Co right on the ring road. Very conveniently located with a few tables for dine in

I was delighted to see that the flavors were based on Andhra delicacies and as I have spent a lot of of time In Hyderabad it brought back a lot of memories

I picked up a chicken 65 to satiate my meat cravings. It was a little gravied unlike the original recipe and I guess they toned down the spice factor to suit the cosmopolitan taste buds but it packed a lot of punch and flavor.

The veg biryani was neatly packed and the veggies were fresh and the rice fragrant though It could have used some more of those beautifullly flavored ingredients. The accompanying Raita was amazing and the Mirchi Saalan was tangy and spicy.

The highlight of the meal was double ka meetha. The feeling is Un explainable. The soft melt in the mouth bread dessert was heaven on earth.

The qubani ka meetha, an apricot dessert, were like tiny bombs which will explode in your mouth with the packed flavors they have.

A must try place for all biryani lovers. Very close to South campus and dhaula Kuan. You can’t miss it.

 

Haveli Dharampura, Old Delhi

After being out of action of for quite some time coz of a broken arm, it feels really good to get back to writing and you ll find this line in some of the following reviews as well.

I have been visiting the lanes of old Delhi for ages now for my love of food. Several times I have braved really harsh conditions to get to the object (food) of desire – jampacked roads, every form and species of living being since evolution and what not. But still it always keep calling back.

Things were a bit different this time. After having heard a lot of noise about a beautiful haveli being restored in enigmatic world of Old Delhi, me and a few friends decided to give it a shot.

Easily approachable by metro, this place was almost as beautiful as described and as seen in the pictures. A very efficient and polite staff quickly seated us and we ordered a few mocktails.

I tried a banarasi paan which was very delicately balanced and paan being a strong flavor, was still not overpowering the drink.

I carried it with me to explore the haveli a bit which also have some beautiful rooms and a rooftop with great view of historic laal qila and jaama masjid.

In starters, I loved there palak patta chaat, very crispy and tangy. A must try.

And for main the mutton rogan josh and the daal are for die for. Very flavorful and prepared with a lot of care. The spice factor has been kept low deliberately probably to cater to the international clients which you can always ask to increase if you are a spice lover.

Also, do try there kheer trio which as the name suggest comes in three seasonal flavors.

A great place with very warm hospitality and is a must visit for old world food lovers.

I missed out on the pictures cause my trusted phone died upon me. May be I ll add them in my next visit.

Unplugged Courtyard, Cannaught Place, Delhi

After being out of action of for quite some time coz of a broken arm, it feels really good to get back to writing and you ll find this line in some of the following reviews as well. (And I ll be combining 3 reviews into 1)

Review 1

So you are on a look out for a nice place to hang out and as usual your friends have asked you to suggest a place because you are a foodie and you want to play totally safe because the pressure is always huge, what do you do ? You take everyone to Unplugged Courtyard. ☺

10 people , totally decked up , descended on this beautiful property, which was my first visit and I was amazed to see this oasis in the middle of this concrete city. A beautifully landscaped courtyard with all the original greenery preserved and more added on to it and sprawling rooftops with mist coming through overhead sprayers. Heavenly right ?

It doesn’t stop here, on the recommendation of the server (a very well trained one), we ordered a lot of food and now I have forgotten the most of it (mostly because of all the booze and time lapse) but all I remember is GANNA CHICKEN and the heavenly DAAL makhni.

Perfectly minced chicken, delicately flavored, wrapped around a juicy sugarcane stick which releases that sweet flavor as you sink your teeth into this awesome creation (hats off to the chef) And the Daal had a very unique earthy smoky flavor combined with a rich tecxture.

The DJ was awesome and the girls made him switch to Bollywood after a lot of persuasion ( which I guess most of the places do switch to Punjabi and Bollywood)

And we came out totally sloshed and had to drop off a few friends to there homes as they were you know ……………..

Review 2

The launch of the summer menu, me all happy about it, and end up at this place with a few friends.

Some really cool drinks welcomed us – Orange and Celery Margarita and a peach & ginger mocktail. Beautifully balanced and amazingly refreshing.

What impressed me a lot was a Orange Chicken Salad. Very tender, juicy, grilled, chicken chunks marinated in orange juice served alongwith orange slices, peels, fresh lettuce. It was just perfect.

And a beautiful looking, greek salad pizza, which was a first for me. Light tangy sauce, fresh lettuce, olives and a delicious feta on a soft pizza base, just made my day.

I ended my meal with a Blueberry cheese cake in a Jar, bursting with the flavor of berries, pillowy cream and the crumble was something to just die for.

Review 3

And the saga continues with the monsoon setting onto our lovely city of Delhi. Got a wind that they have launched a Monsoon menu, and I went there alone for a late lunch.

Intrigued by seeing a Sake infused Thai chicken, which served with a sesame dressing, the three different flavors packed in juicy diced chicken made me go totally gaga over this dish.

And a banana chicken, which I really wanted to experiment with, was served with a side of banana chips really tickled by taste buds with its chilly sauce which was a little sweet as well.

Being alone has its downside as you can only order a limited number of dishes but then the upside is that they are totally yours.

UC is gonna remain my favourite for a long time to come for both quick bites and fun togethers for its passion & depth for food and the warm service and ofcourse the lovely ambience.

JunkYard, Saket, Delhi

After being out of action of for quite some time coz of a broken arm, it feel really good to get back to writing and you ll find this line in some of the following reviews as well.

Recently I visited the newly opened outlet of Junkyard café at Saket which had a very familiar feel like the other restaurants of the brand so I was pretty much at home.

Located just behind select city walk, this outlet is easy to spot on the corner right across KFC.

As usual, I left the ordering to the server for both my drinks and food after telling him my food preferences.

I was highly impressed by the energy going around and the food which came quickly in front of me. A very well made palak patta chaat, with bursting flavors of all the regular chaat ingredients, the tamerind, the curd, the mint and a crispy spinach leaf.

A beautiful Chicken Cilantro, basically chicken in peanut sauce, perfectly cooked, juicy and a great balance of flavors there.

The bhatti chicken and mutton seekh kebabs disappointed me a bit because of lack of flavors on the inside. May be I was expecting too much as the first dishes raised the bar high but all said and done, Junkyard has really upped its game as far as food goes.

The booze needs to be worked upon a bit though the hookahs were great. Another place to chill and hangout for the south delhi revelers for both personal and professional get togethers.

Locale, Saket,Delhi

Recently a friend asked me to meet up at a newly opened café in Saket district market (ya the same one which houses the iconic Anupam PVR) and I very happily agreed to join him as I haven’t visited that place in ages which was a regularly haunted by us in our college days.

The place is easy to spot on the left of the PVR cinema complex just above Bikaner.

The place is huge, spread over two floors with a very airy and light feel to it unlike the other cafes which follow a closed, dark décor approach.

A very friendly staff ensured that I was seated immediately and I was greeted by a cool mocktail, a wild herb guava, perfectly balanced and refreshing to the core specially in this summer heat.

Went on to try one of their signature drinks, CHAK DE PHATTE, and true to its name it ll really kick your *****. I was told that it is made by adding 7 type of alochols in it. DO I NEED TO SAY ANYTHING MORE J

One thing which was really new for me was a MOJITO FRUIT SALAD, beautiful, colorful, fresh cut fruits served in a glass topped with just the right flavors and lime. It looked amazing and tasted awesome.
and then the food started flowing in, a chilled, fresh CEASER SALAD and delectable MUSHROOM & CORN cigars.

I really loved the KASTURI CHICKEN TIKKA, very flavoursome, juicy and soft. A MUST TRY.

A beautiful looking PEPPERONI PIZZA, which was loaded with cheese and topped with perfectly cooked pepperoni. A MUST TRY AGAIN

The place getting its lineage from North India, the owners coming from that region, the meal ended with a very delectable daal makhni and dum ki biryani which are my goto food when I want to satiate myself and I must say that they cracked the code of these two.
The place brought back a lot of school and college time memories and am sure it ll do the same for a lot of other patrons.

Do try this amazing place out and experience the warmth first hand.Do check out the cool wall decals and graffiti.

Oh My God, Cannaught Place, Delhi

The very first thought when you enter OMG is actually OH MY GOD ! the place is beautifully designed from ground up and is definitely very different from other lounges in the vicinity. Located conveniently in the inner circle, the place is easy to find and you ll see the heavenly structures both inside and outside.

The place serves some really awesome cocktails. The signature cocktails come with a heady mix of alcohol. The signature drink comes with a variety of alcohol options and is served with a sugar ball which you have to break with a hammer and mix it up. I tried the once with whiskey. They call it TANGERINE.

For starters, we had PEACH & JALAPENO POT STICKERS, basically dimsums served with a spicy tangy dip. MUSHROOM GALAUTIS though flavor ful could have been a little softer.
Also tried beautifully served, PHYLLO SPRING ROLLS which needs to be experimented more with as the sesame oil made them a bit bitter.

The one dish which I loved was the CHICKEN SEEKH KEBABS – just the right amount of spices, bursting with flavors and very juicy. A MUST TRY.

For the mains, I must say that the DAAL MAKHNI served was one of the best I have ever had – the lentils cooked to perfection and a very rich, earthy flavor to it. DO TRY IT.

With the kind of sincere and helpful staff who were catering to all our questions and needs, I am sure that with time they ll only better themselves as it takes time for any new establishment to settle down. I sure do hope to visit them again.

Informal, Cannaught Place, Delhi

I am a huge fan of Imperfecto in HKV and that pulled me in to try their outlet at CP called INFORMAL.

As the name suggests, the place has a very easy going air to it and its huge with levels and levels of comfortable sitting and layers of open air areas. Its tucked away on a not so busy Tolstoy lane, just behind Janpath (you can very easily walk upto this place if you get down at the Janpath metro station), keeping it away from the crowded interiors of CP.

The place has the same DNA as its cousins and is beautifully decorated. Not just in the ambience, the food also has the same gene pool as the owners are chefs are pretty much the same. (I even spotted my favorite manager, Karan, from the HKV outlet in CP)

Had a customized Sangria which was balanced perfectly with wine and fruits. A BEETROOT QUINOA salad, served chilled, the broken Quinoa, fresh veggies and raw beetroot packed some really nice flavor.

A very delectable DAAL MAKHNI with a smoky earthy flavor loaded with richness and served with crisp breads is a MUST TRY.

And if you like fusion food, SPAGHETTI with DAAL MAKHNI will really surprise you. ☺

A lot of other dishes in the menu to try out from and this place is as quirky as it can get. You ll see a lot of interesting things around and you ll discover that most of them are not just showpieces. They are actually functional pieces of decorative artifacts.

In short, an amazing, relaxing place for an after office drink or a dinner date or a lunch with colleagues.

P.S. Do try out the barber shots if you have the courage to handle them

 

Made in Punjab, CyberHub, Gurgaon

 

The culture of Punjab is synonymous to large heartedness and a larger than life attitude for everything they do. MIP is NO exception. Sitting amongst the several bars, lounges and restaurants at the buzzy Cyber Hub, Gurgaon this huge restaurant truly reflects the culture of Punjab.

Greeted with a warm smile at the entrance and quickly escorted to an available table, we were seated quickly. You can instantly feel the genuine warmth in the gestures of well trained staff as if you are there personal guests.

Trying to rummage through a very interesting, huge and heavy Bar and Food menu where I felt like ordering almost every drink and dish, I surrendered myself in the hands of our server and asked him to recommend the signature drinks and dishes of the restaurant.

What came next in front of us was a wooden box, JAADOO KA BAKSA, filled with six shots of LIIT and smoke coming from underneath, it was a cool way to present the shots. The shots were of course great.

Another drink I tried was a NASHEELI CHAI, vodka, tea, orange juice, cinnamon, served in a kettle with typical chai wala glass, it just hits the right spot.

By this time we were craving for our food to arrive, and we got a couple of Chaats, POPEYE PAAJI KI FAVORITE CHAAT & WHEN MR BHALLA MET PAPADI (interesting names, isn’t it ) Basically deep fried, crispy, spinach and a Bhalla Papdi chaat respectively topped with curd, mint, tamarind, chutneys, pomegranate seeds. They both retained the right flavors which you would expect from a chaat and were super delicious.

For my next round of drinks, I ordered myself, my standard whiskey sour, which they called a JAT RISKY AFTER WHISKY ( Cliched.. LOL) perfectly made, super chilled, well balanced and I am sure it had something different from other whiskey sours. May be the alcohol was playing games with my mind by now ☺

Next on my plate was, PANEER BARREL TILLA – huge rolls of paneer, mildy spiced, soft, creamy textured and having a centre of raisins giving it a sweetness, it will be a pleasant change for the vegetarians from regular paneer tikkas.

DAHI KEBAB, big round balls of crispy from outside, filled super soft sweet delicate hung curd which ooze out the moment you try to break them, these kebabs are a MUST TRY.

SARSON MACHCHI or Mustard Fish was the next thing, served on a mini charcoal grill, the fish was beautifully flavored though I just felt that it was a little dry in the centre, just a bit overcooked.

Two dishes took my heart away that night, LOL TIKKI and RANN PITA POCKETS.

Slow cooked Leg Of Lamb or LOL, shredded, spiced and gravied and then battered and deep fried …. One bite and you ll be amazed by the skills of the chef to pull off such a flavorful dish so simply.

And I am not going to write anything about the RANN PITA POCKETS. All I can tell is that they are slow cooked for 12 hours … Please visit them and try this beauty out and I am sure you wont be disappointed.

I have heard that the mains are equally good which I am gonna try out in my next visit which is gonna happen super soon.

I am so glad that with this new menu, MIP has not gone overboard with the latest trend of fusion & molecular & deconstructed / reconstructed & what not gastronomy. They have really stuck to the basics of serving good, delicious, fresh food with the right flavors which comes to your table with a lot of love, warmth and smiles in the true Punjabi style.

Peninsular – Bring the coast to Delhi

Statement 1 : I love it when someone knows what they are serving you, they tell you what they are serving you and you get exactly what they promised to give to you.

Statement 2 : I love to experiment with coastal / South Indian food (of course apart from dosas and idlys and vadas)

If the above two statements are true for you too then Peninsular Kitchen is exactly the place for you.

Located in Ambience mall, this place picks up its décor and design inspirations from all along the coast of India which matches with the cuisine.

On the recommendation of the very well trained and helpful staff, I ordered my drink first as it was scorching outside. In fact we ordered two – Ambitini and Khattalicious – two very summerish drink made of raw mango & vodka and tamarind & rum respectively. Beautifully balanced though the Ambitini was a little on the sweeter side for my pallete.

And then some starters –

Madur Vada – warm vadas with a strong flavor of peanuts and herbs tasted great with some chutneys (though make sure you have them while they are warm else they ll harden up)

Hyderabadi Khatti Machhli – Soft, juicy pieces of tangy fish. Perfectly flavored with some curd, herbs & tamarind. A MUST TRY

And Ghonghura Chicken Fry – loved it for its heat & flavors coming from ghonghura herb and spices which were perfectly infused in those heavenly chunks of chicken .

Almost full with those delicious starters, I just gorged upon a lovely Mutton Stew cooked delicately in coconut milk & perfectly flavored with some flaky, crispy, crumbly Malabar Paratha and I was in food heaven.

Do try this out and you wont have to travel the entire coastal region as you ll get every piece of it under this one roof, at least the food 🙂