Tastes of Delhi

A few weeks back we were in Delhi to attend a Punjabi wedding. Besides all the exotic wedding food we had the opportunity to step out and experience some of Delhi's eateries.

Chocolate Crunchie at The Pavilion, Maurya Sheraton
Delicious and sinfully chocolate loaded, this was a great treat at 1AM in one of Delhi's very upmarket and popular coffee shop. Powered with chocolate, cookies and vanilla & butterscotch ice-cream.

Power of Pranthas at Chandni Chowk
It was a Sunday morning adventure for all of us to visit this all so popular Chandni Chowk area of Delhi. Being a Sunday we were relieved of all the traffic hassles. After a few phone calls to local relatives and cousins and we decided to eat at The Power of Pranthas - Pt. Gaya Prasad Shiv Charan, a rather crowded outlet in the paranthewali galli. You could see the local rush feasting on the hot paranthas with achar, aloo ki sabji and a large glass of chaas or lassi.

We decided to ask for suggestions to start with, but were put off when he recommended the rabri paratha and decided to go safe by starting with tomato paratha, aloo and paneer and even tried the papad ka paratha.

Maybe it was all the crazy fun but I really didn't think the food was anything lip-smacking but surely something worth experiencing when you are in Delhi. The approach isn't very pleasant and might a be a bit difficult if you don't have somebody to guide you around; so get some instructions before you step off.

Nirula's at Connaught Place
Nirula's is a name which is close to every Delhiites heart. A place popular for it's pizzas I think this should be some competition to the Pizza Hut's and McDonald's around there. Impressively designed interiors with lots of red color this was a good place to have our first outing in Delhi.

It was past 12noon and so we decided to fill up our stomachs before we headed off for the farm-house Mehendi party. I treated myself to a Chicken burger which turned out to be interestingly filled with a gherkin. The popular pizza was nice too and we had a hearty meal.

 

While you are at it, don't forget to try the cold coffee, milk-shakes and ice-creams.

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What to eat at Cafe Basilico

I recently had dinner at Cafe Basilico and I thought I should recommend two dishes in particular which you must try when there.

• The Chicken Lemon Grass Soup - spicy and very tasty
  
• Moroccan Chicken - This is different because it's served with a nice gravy and rice. A good meal by itself.
  

And of course, when you are at Basilico you can't forget to leave some empty stomach for the lovely desserts. On weekend nights book them as soon as you walk in.

Strawberry & Raspberry infused Tea

How do you make your weekend mornings more interesting?

Wake up to drink a cup of tea which is not your regular office tea like tasting. Saturday morning I discovered the Naturally Spicy Berry - strawberry & raspberry fruit, herb & spice infusion tea. Very different than your regular tea. It gives a lovely pink color and a fruity taste. I didn't need to add any sugar.

Restaurant Review: Lemon Grass, Lower Parel

If you are seeking good asian food in a not so fancy place, then you can head over to Lemon Grass in Lower Parel. Actually the setting is much more informal at their Bandra outlet however in Lower Parel, the setting is bit more chic with nice interiors. I was there on a friday night and we actually had to move around 3 tables before we could get settled down completely. The last move was after we had finished with our appetizers. I think it was just bad planning by them because there was a huge group of 45 people in there.

Also due to some technical problem, their Air Conditioning system was not in Full Power Mode which made it really uncomfortable. The tables are a little small and cramped up for four people to dine comfortably without hitting each other's plates. Add to that a fifth person and you got a traffic jam on the table. They have a long bar where you could enjoy a drink before moving to the table for your dinner. I am not sure but they might be even willing to serve you dinner at the bar if it's just two of you.

Surprisingly the service is fast and smooth, they are very courteous and tend to make some good recommendations based on your preferences. The food is a good mix of thai, chinese, korean and indonesian. There is a good collection of Dim Sums and you could try the one with Asparagus and Cheese filling. The corn curd in black bean sauce was a bit salty and could have tasted better. The Garlic and chilly paneer sticks was NICE.

As a special gesture for all the trouble they had caused us moving tables again and again the manager presented two pastries (complimentary) to end the dinner on a sweet note. Appreciated and we were pleased they they were concerned.

For the five of us with 2 alcoholic drinks and no desserts we paid just 1400 bucks which I think was a steal for that kind of a place.

Conclusion: Good food and good service. But maybe it was a bad day due to the faulty air conditioning and the big group of 45 people who really rocked the place down.

Cross-posted at burrp.