Zamozza—World Kitchen & Bar

Zamozza

Décor: In simple words, I would like to call this place a modern noir eatery joint. As I walked into the narrow entrance, I was quite amazed with the ceiling décor; the entire stretch had countless bulbs flocked together and lit, illuminating the whole space, and triggering thoughts of contemporary gastronomy setups. The interior had muted tones of lemon yellow blended with complimenting hues of dull grays. The floor had striped monochrome patterns on a shiny backdrop that went very well with the pristine white Victorian chairs and black tables. I have always liked eating on black tables; it somehow brings out the colour of the food in vibrant ways.

Zamozza

Food: Zamozza flaunts a mixed-bag menu comprising of world cuisine because today’s well travelled patron is not restricted to conventional choices in his/her preference of cuisines or experience. Their menu has some classic favourites and exotic dishes that are big on aroma, flavour and spices; be it Turkish, Thai, Italian, Swiss, Mexican, Indian or more, I tried quite a few and I would love to recommend this place to all food lovers in the city!

Zamozza

I started with a couple of refreshing mocktails, but my favourites were the Malabar Cooler (a bracing concoction of coconut water, mint leaves and lime), and the Purple Haze (a cold and revitalizing drink comprising of pineapple, lime, virgin blue Curacao and grenadine). For starters, I loved their prawns in sweet chili sauce; it was cooked beautifully and had the right amount of crisp and moist essences. The Thai crispy vegetables were also very mouth-watering.

Zamozza

Moving on to the main course, I enjoyed eating the wild mushroom risotto, grain mustard marinated Snape Pollo chicken breast with Balsamic veggies and Tuscan style potatoes, and Khao Suey. This particular dish, Khao Suey, absolutely stole my heart; cooked in coconut milk curry and served with a platter of fried onions, sautéed garlic, chopped mint leaves and crushed peanuts, this was certainly my favourite! I savoured this delicious curry along with spring onions and noodles.

Zamozza

Finally, arrived the desserts; a small serving of tiramisu, some crispy waffles with dollops of ice-cream and freshly made, warm apple toffees. The last one was a first for me; with a tough caramel coating on the outside, as you bite into it, you will be taken by surprise with the presence of a soft, fresh and sweet cube of apple. I had it with vanilla ice-cream. So all you foodies out there, make your next plan to Zamozza at 52, Janpath, New Delhi.

Some chocolates for Easter?

L’opera Easter Collection

This year, L’Opéra brings you auburn delicacies for your Easter-time enjoyment. During this festivity, celebrating the resurrection of Christ, you can enjoy one of the world’s most beloved ingredients—chocolate in three different flavours, laid on a lovingly platter in adorable shapes and sizes. In line with the traditions surrounding Easter, chocolates have been prepared as chickens, hens and eggs. Gifting eggs is a very old tradition that symbolises, in line with the resurrection, a rebirth and represents renaissance and revival. For this reason, a suitable Easter celebration is in order. Chocolate lovers will have plenty to celebrate, with white, milk and dark chocolate options available.  Also, L’Opéra’s Chef Amit Sinha has made a special effort to create a delectable chocolate and pear tart, bringing together the sweetness of the fruit with  smooth, velvety taste of chocolate.

L’opera Easter Collection

“Well-sourced chocolate is one of my favourite things,” says Laurent Samandari, co-founder and Managing Director of L’Opéra.   “Having aesthetically pleasing shapes just makes the whole experience much more special. Such an important celebration merits a fitting premium, fine product and L’Opéra does it best,” he admits.

The Townhouse Café: Food Review

Town House Cafe

Décor: Restaurateur Priyank Sukhija with Akshay Anand bring forth the latest uber-chic restaurant in town—The Townhouse Café. Standing at the heart of Connaught Place with much poise, this restaurant flaunts luxurious décor. Vintage inspiration runs through the place and makes the entire atmosphere very classy. The bar is one of the largest in New Delhi and the fun part is that—you can hop on to the bar and don the hat of a mixologist; yes, you are allowed to make your own cocktails.

Town House Cafe

Reflecting aesthetics of Gothic architecture, this restaurant looks old school but very plush. Décor elements like moldings, carvings, cast iron and rich velvet have been inculcated to cast a royal appeal. The eatery is spread across an expansive space; one whole stretch has black leather couches kept neatly; while, another section has been turned into small compartments with oxblood red velvet walls and dim lamps hanging above lazily, painting the dining table copper-ish. The furniture used are rusted or withered, which strikingly contrasts some very polished stuff to radiate an imperfect sense of style; perhaps things which are too perfect, might not be beautiful anymore. I certainly find beauty in perfect imperfections.

Town House Cafe

The lounging area is so comforting; Chesterfield’s leather and some animal prints are thrown in to create a contemporary style statement; soft textured wood-work has contoured the whole length of the flooring to give it a royal feel. The ceiling is tall and arched with mirrors placed in strategic locations to magnify certain décor elements.

Town House Cafe

Food: This restaurant brings to you a joyful ride of culinary atlas! Name a place, and they will serve you the specials. The lounge and café opens for you a whole new world of some scrumptious platter. The menu offers you to choose from best of authentic oriental delicacies, continental selection, nutritive salads, soups, spicy Indian, Italian pizzas, pastas and more. The bar flaunts some of the world’s finest spirits. The wine boasts of some thoughtfully put together names, along with an excellent range of whiskey selection.

Town House Cafe

I started with the mouth-watering cheese croquettes, it was crispy and well-fried, and it broke into molten lava of cheese; pure deliciousness! Also, this was served with cocktail sauce. I also ordered a portion of ajwaini fish tikka—it was served with mint sauce and onion rings. However, my favorite remains the mutton galouti kebab; mouth-melting baby kebabs served on mini Malabar parantha. For main course, I tried their grilled fish steak with lemon caper olive; it was served with house mash and lemon on caper sauce—an absolute gastronomical delight! I must say hats off to chef for this one.

Town House Cafe

I would recommend this place to people who love dining with panache. This place has a rustic yet opulent sense of eccentricity and is sure to create buzz amongst food lovers. You can find them at N Block, Outer Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Shraman, The Ashok: Recreating classical Rajasthani Cuisine

Shraman

Ambience: Located in the heart of Delhi’s lush green stretch, Shraman stands coyly in a quaint corner at the majestic Ashok hotel. A rustic staircase with subtle notes of royalty, contoured by gentle pots of plants hanging merrily, escorted us to the restaurant. There was something very ‘vintage’ about this place. Wooden furniture embossed with intricate silver work were laid aesthetically; turquoise blue table cloths became backdrop to white cutlery and a grand art piece flaunting a gorgeous peacock , carved in meenakari work stood splendidly on one of the walls. Old-world charm juxtaposed with essences of Rajasthani culture made the whole setup beautifully intriguing.

Shraman

Food: This restaurant serves only vegetarian food, breaking the taboo of Rajasthani food mostly being related to laal maas, etc. Being a pure non-vegetarian, I was initially a little stuck up about the idea; but to my surprise, their varied options on the menu turned out to be pleasantly delightful. I started with khas aur paan ka sherbet—a divinely delicious mocktail made of beetle leaves; it was absolutely refreshing and a must-try! Usually, I don’t take more than 5 minutes to decide on ordering my food; but here, I was left spoilt for choice with so many mouthwatering names floating in front of my eyes. However, after much speculation, I ordered some starters—dahi ke sholey (cakes of fresh curd blended with crushed black pepper and chili flakes) and Shraman chappan bhog (an assortment of vegetarian kebabs). Dahi ke sholey was soft, slightly grainy in texture and downright delectable. The later one had a range of appealing kebabs made of cottage cheese, potatoes, chilies and more; my favourite was the bharwa aloo, which was stuffed potato cubes infused with cottage cheese crumbles, cooked in typical Rajasthani spices.

Shraman

For the main course, I ordered the stereotypical dal bati churma; it is literally synonymous to Rajasthani cuisine. You cannot miss to have this whilst dining at a Rajasthani eatery. This traditional nomad’s meal was brought to me moulded in warm, desi ghee. The dal was rich in flavour and the bati was soft in the center and stiff at the coating; thus, it was very well cooked. I relished upon this one. This was followed by methi malai mutter—a beautiful vegetarian dish that comprises of fenugreek leaves and peas cooked in thick, rich and creamy malai (cream). This was consumed with mutter parantha. By the end of the meal, I think, my whole pre-conceived notion on vegetarian food had majorly altered. I would recommend this place to everyone (including non-vegetarian folks)—if you want to savor upon classical, vegetarian Rajasthani food in an elegant fine dining setup then this is the place to be.

Shraman

My lunch concluded with lip-smacking desserts. I had to myself a plate filled with shahi tukda and a bowl of phirni. The bread slices in the shahi tukda were crunchy and well-toasted and the rabri was fresh, thick and super creamy. The smell of elaichi (cardamom) and occasional fragments of broken pistachios brought forth an ecstatic feeling. The phirni on the other hand was nothing extraordinary. Overall, I had a great experience lunching here.

Chef’s recommendation: With its many cultural influences, this place offers a varied selection of cuisines to satisfy your palate. Signature dishes like Saundhi Paneer Tikka, Shraman 56 Bhog, Paneer Lazeez, Dal Shraman, Gatta Curry, Jodh Puri Mirchi Paneer, Vegetable Lohla Puri, Sabzi Balluchi and Shraman Punch will leave you craving for more.

Find them at: The Ashok, 50 B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Call them at: 011 24672384, 011 24123593

The Ancient Barbeque (aka TAB)—serving delicacies in a loving platter

The Ancient Barbeque

Situated at the heart of Noida, The Ancient Barbeque aka TAB, serves a delectable assortment of American, Mediterranean, oriental and Desi cuisine. And let me tell you one thing—if you like the idea of buffet, this is your go-to option!

The Ancient Barbeque

Ambience: As we entered the restaurant on a rather balmy Sunday afternoon, I was much taken by surprise to see the bustling crowd. Birthdays were being celebrated at one corner; groups of women laughed together, while sipping onto their mocktails, youngsters savored upon a rich assortment of kebabs and skewers, and colleagues sat together extending friendships beyond workplace, dipping their fingers in rich curries with much joy.

The Ancient Barbeque

Décor: The décor was a beautiful mélange of rustic and contemporary notes. The area was huge; it could probably house 100 people at one go. The tables were neatly placed in a linear order. Charcoal fired grills were mounted on each table for the starters. And one of the walls flaunted a huge map that looked ancient and worn-out – going perfectly well with the embodiment of the restaurant.

The Ancient Barbeque

Food: The food was undoubtedly mouth-watering. The buffet menu was varied and brought forth a blend of Indian and international cuisines. Although, the menu is fixed, they keep bringing in daily specials to keep you interested! I relished upon the live-grill serves that also come with an assortment of sauces to suit different palettes. The murg tikka surkhlal, tawa macchi, paneer tikka Jalandari and subj malai kurkuri were notably delicious. However, I would like to make a special mention here—the mutton burrah they served is by far the best I ever had; it was soft, succulent and down-right delicious.

The Ancient Barbeque

Now, they had a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian salads and soups; but, like I said, I literally relished upon the starters way too much. So, I decided to move directly towards the main course section. Over there, I can promise, you will be spoilt for choice, which in turn leaves one hungry and confused. After much scrutiny and eyes rolling, I finally decided to try Hyderabadi chicken biriyani, mutton kundan kaliyan and paneer rara multani; they were truly magical. Lastly, my day was made after I tried the beetroot ka halwa—it was warm, slightly moist, dark red in colour with a sticky texture and it melted in my mouth, lovingly.

The Ancient Barbeque

Verdict: I absolutely loved the food; but most importantly, the warmth and hospitality of the staff made my dining experience an interactive one. The service was prompt and they never really stop getting those starters!

Address: H- 27/1A, Sector – 63, Noida

Meal for two: Rs.1000 approx.

Dine the ‘Nawabi’ way at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon

Nizam-e-Nazakat

With festivities and celebrations being at its peak, MoMo Café at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon brings forth Awadhi food festival in a lovingly platter. The festival offers some of the most regal delicacies that will take you to a gastronomical journey back in time.

Paneer delicacy

Upholding the quintessential spirit of royal flavours and culinary legacy of Awadhi delicacies, this food fiesta commenced on October 4 and will end on October 15. From a variety of kebabs to Mughlai curries, I suggest, you must indulge in the pleasures of Awadhi cuisine.

Chef Amit Dash

Executive Chef, Amit Dash and his well-trained army has recreated the royal cuisine’s true flavours using magical mélange of spices. The slow fire cooking with all its harmonies will treat your palette majestically. Chef Dash has mastered the art of Nawabi food over years, he says, “Awadhi cuisine is delicately prepared with rich spices added in precise measurements in a slow cooking process that delivers authentic royal flavours.”

Non-vegetarian delicacy

The menu spread comprises of an elaborate array of Awadhi delicacies, like, Nalli Nihari, Murgh Awadhi Khorma, Mahi Anarkali, Lalla Gosht, Murgh bagdadi, Dum ki Macchi Murgh Dum Biryani, Raan-e-Awadh, Keema kaleji and more. Also, vegetarians can binge on Paneer Nasheman tikka, Dahi ke Kebab, Zamikand ki Shammi, Nadru ki shammi, Thickey matter ke kebab, Paneer Nasheman, Palak potli curry, Badal jam, Paneer kundan khaliya, Dal Peshawari and more.

Thande Gulab ki kheer

Special recipe of ‘Thande Gulab ki Kheer’ by Chef Amit Dash:

Serving Size: Four

Ingredients: Rose petal (80 grams), milk (200 grams), sugar (80 grams), rose water (40 grams), sweet attar (100 grams) and pista (100 grams).

Preparation Method:

• Reduce milk to a thick consistency

• Add fine shredded rose petal, sugar, rose water and sweet attar

• Cook the mixture for 10 minutes on slow flame

• Garnish with pista, rose petal and serve chilled

Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon

Where: MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon, Sushant Lok – 1

Date: 4th – 15th October, 2014

Time: 6.30 PM to 11.30 PM

Price: Food buffet @ INR 1550 plus taxes per person

Unlimited IMFL Alcohol @ INR 850 plus taxes per person

For reservations, please call: +91 124 488 8245

Barrels – Where food, art and music reside peacefully in chaos.

Barrels

Barrels came into being out of sheer passion of five friends, who have no background in the gastronomy industry. I love it when people turn their passion into reality and take their fair share of risk. In the end, you have to love what you do! Priyanka, Amar, Debashish, Keshav and Akshay have built this space to crystallise what they all stand for—downright foodies! A space housing interesting graffiti work, 3D sculptures, great music and a very diverse culinary platter, I’d say, you must step into Barrels for some eccentric dining experience.

Barrels

Décor- On a sunny, rather scorching Delhi afternoon, I was quite relieved to step inside Barrels—darkly lit, with hints of pop art here and there, this place is not for the mellow lot. What caught my attention the most was the unusual 3D art installations—a half body of a naked woman purging out of a wall, overlooking a dinner table with a Mercedes logo engraved between her breasts and to top it all, she sported handcuffs too! Kinky, eh? Well the idea, owners actually want to convey is—women’s liberation.

Barrels

The place brought forth splashes of neon palette placed in a chaotic manner on all the walls. For me, chaos means energy; so I quite like to be surrounded by pop-coloured messy walls. Not to forget the random messages, written here and there on the walls; for instance—‘Chase a dream not a girl’, ‘Corruption?’ etc… The interesting part was the smoking area; completely hand painted in a very edgy way by one of the owners, Priyanka Sharma, this place was all about hilarious one liners, hanging ashtrays, and streaks of shocking pinks, oranges and greens. Lastly, the washroom took me by total surprise. As I walked in, a gorgeous man, confined in a huge poster (almost half the size of my body) stared right back at me. And the man was Richard Gere. Need I say more ladies? *Sigh* that was quite heart-melting.

Chicken Malai Tikka

Food- I tried a couple of dishes; what really lingered on my mind till late evening were, the achari chicken, cigar rolls (stuffed with corn and cheese), cheesy potato balls, and the super delicious tandoori Pomfret. A special mention has to be given to the Pomfret as it was served with a very quirky dip—mayonnaise blended in mustard. Being a Bengali, I love mustard (kashundi– as we call it). Main course comprised of chicken biriyani and raita—it was nothing extraordinary. However, the desert had a twist to it—vanilla ice cream was served with dollops of chocolate sauce and a hot gulab jamun. I loved the way they bended genres.

Tandori Mushroom

The menu is very diverse and cuisines range from Asian, American, and European to African. The owners have hand picked their army of chefs from different corners of North India and they are doing a pretty good job.

Menu at Barrels

Alcohol- They are pretty well-stocked with the beverages bit. As the name of the restaurant suggests, beer options are galore. However, I never really developed a taste for beer, so I laid my hands on a couple of cocktails. Interestingly, few of the cocktails are named after the owners; for instance, my first drink was called ‘Akki Mashed Up’ named after, Akshay Ohri (one of the five owners). In fact, this drink was quite nice; it comprised of vodka, tequila, rum, gin, ginger-ale, grenadine and lemon. I also tried, ‘Cashew’s Nut’ that had dark rum, tequila, absinthe, triple sec and tonic water mixed in an interesting way. This was a very very strong drink. And since I am a big fan of absinthe, I give this cocktail a full ten on ten.

The music corner at Barrels

Special pointer– This restaurant gives budding musicians/bands a platform to showcase their talents. I love the concept of advocating fresh talent. Also, they have a huge bank of music videos starting from classics to rock, retro to EDM and more. The best part is, on a Sunday afternoon, I was quite happy listening to Pink Floyd and watching their live concert videos on one corner.

A meal for two should cost about INR 1800/ (Inclusive of two drinks)

Address: Barrels, 1st Floor, Building No 5, Basant Lok Community Centre, PVR Complex, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi | Phone: 011-41075881