October 2013 – Delhi Food Walks

Posted on October 29, 2013 October 29, 2013

Jamia Bazaar

An Afternoon in Jamia Bazaar

– Shreya Chowdhury

Jamia Bazaar 3 was organised by CEQUIN at India Islamic Cultural Centre on 26th-27th October 2013 with the agenda of improving the socio-economic conditons of the marginalised women of Jamia Nagar.

Sara Pilot and Laura Prabhu founded CEQUIN, Centre for Equity and Inclusion in 2008, an NGO which works for the welfare of women and children. They train these women in various skills to become economically self sufficient. Jamia Bazaar gives them a platform to showcase their skills and talents which, in turn, gives them economic benefit. Sara Pilot feels that, unlike Purani Dilli which has a culture of its own and people are familiar with it, Jamia does not. Hence, Jamia Bazaar is a way of familiarising people with the flavour and elements of Jamia. This event is created with sustainability in mind and is not just a one-time show. 2013 is the third year of the Jamia Bazaar. It has seen a growth curve in terms of the number of people attending it and the number of people participating in it. The Jamia Bazaar also gives these women a space to come out of the dingy lanes and interact with people from different walks of life which has instilled them with confidence.

The two-day mela displayed items of various artwork, diyas, salwar suits, accessories and a wide assortment of food. Jamia Bazaar was conceived with the idea to meet the wants of those who come with their families to spend a pleasant weekend ,shopping and sampling the array of delicacies. The food was, however, not the highlight of the event though there was a good range of choice from the valleys of Kashmir to the deserts of Rajasthan to Park Street’s Flurys. Though the Biryani was light and flavoursome, the taste was average.

The Shammi Kabab was the highlight of the meal. It melted in the mouth and was a total hit. Their original shop, Shabnam Shammi Kabab, is located at Batla House. The paranthas accompanying these kababs were soft and delicious. The seekh kabab was aromatic and well-seasoned, though a little hard. The shawarama was also quite a delight with good flavours. The Kashmiri stall was popular amongst the buyers, with their Gostaba, Rista and their famous drink, kahwa. ‘Apno Rajasthan’ also gave us a variety of dishes ranging from kachori to dal pakoda to mawa kachori. The meal ended with a delightful fudge cake from Flurys. The only sentence to describe it would be, ‘heaven on a plate’.

Colourful kashmiri shawls, glittery accessories, good food and Qawali playing in the background created a nice ambience. The event had a very cosy and family-like environment, which can be attributed to the people who made it possible. Overall, it was an afternoon well spent. We will be looking forward to Jamia Bazaar next year!

Photos by Foodie Photographer:Kali Walia

Anubhav Sapra

Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 28, 2013 April 26, 2015

Mia Bella

By Tanya Kapoor

It was a perfect Thursday evening and we had an occasion to celebrate as well!! It was my friend’s birthday and we girls planned to party it out at Hauz Khas Village. We chose Mia Bella- a gastro pub as our destination.

If location is one of the key aspects of a famous restaurant then Mia bella has definitely nailed it. Mia Bella , situated on the top floors of the building opening up to a beautiful terrace overlooking the lake , Mia Bella perhaps has the best view of the lake among all restaurants at Hauz Khas Village. Location here is definitely the winner!

The contemporary interiors are adorned with wall clocks, mirrors, pieces of art such as the classic cupid. The color palette includes balmy hues of yellow, valley green and wooden brown. The menu includes Middle-Eastern, European and African fare. A large chunk of the dishes are devoted to the Braai cuisine, more commonly known as the South African version of barbecue.

Coming to the food,we ordered for Chicken Peri Peri, Mint Mutton shanks and mezze platter.

With a tangy texture, Chicken Peri Peri was well-cooked and balanced by the delicious accompaniments – a fresh, juicy leaf salad with lettuce, rocket leaves, basil, mint and a vinegar dressing; soft, creamy mashed potatoes with butter and seasoning and garlic bread. The chicken was soaked perfectly in its sauce and gave little reason to think about anything except our next bite.

The second dish, Mint Mutton shanks, was an even match and was served with perfectly fried potato wedges and garlic bread. The meat was tender and a level of ease in its texture. The portions were sizeable and filling.

Beautifully presented, the mezze platter was a treat for our eyes, not so much for our taste buds. The quantity did not justify the price here.

The portion sizes are huge! Truly for people who are hungry and need a good, filling meal. But it was superb in taste too.You just need to place your order and your order will be served smoking hot on your table. You get variety of ice teas fresh lime sodas and other aerated beverages. So, while I was happy that we have restaurants with such brilliant views , I would call it safe to visit Mia Bella , enjoy a sunset evening , sipping cocktails , beers or other drink of your choice and enjoy the delectable south African cuisine.

Take a bite, close your eyes, eat slow, feel the flavors – is the mantra to be followed in Mia bella .

Overall, Mia Bella is recommended to those certain times when you want to enjoy a brilliant view and sip a quite drink along with good company.

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 27, 2013 April 26, 2015

Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel

By Anubhav Sapra

The other day, I was invited for a meeting at India Habitat Centre to plan an event to be held sometime next week. The meeting got delayed by an hour because no one including the person who called the meeting was on time.Taking the opportunity, I decided to explore the good eateries and food of Khanna Market. I asked auto rickshaw driver to drop me at any place where I can have my brunch. He had a great foodie instinct and straightaway dropped me at Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel, famous for South Indian Food.

The address is Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel, Shop No.7,Khanna Market,Lodhi Road and phone numbers are 24611726,24617702,9312220478,9811301534.The restaurant is owned by C.Kumar and C.Raju. Chidambaram who started the restaurant is no more. It was opened up in 1930 to provide food to officers in British Government who were from South India.In 1950 they had moved to this new place in Khanna market.

We ordered 3 in 1 rava dosa(Rs.90) and a plate of dahi vada. It was served on a plate covered with banana leaves.The three portions of the dosa had three different fillings-paneer masala,potatoe masala and crushed coconut. The 3 in 1 rava dosa was crispy and well stuffed.Sambhar and coconut chutney was awesome.It was truly delectable.They first serve hot spicy rasam which one can sip to wait for the ordered food.We also ordered for dahi vada which was equally good.

The nice ambience, wide range of food and friendly staff make Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel Restaurant a place worth visiting!

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 27, 2013 April 26, 2015

Tikkas and Curries

‘Tikkas and Curries’ is a multi cuisine eating and a takeaway joint. Located in Guru Nanak market, one can easily spot it by their signature bright and sunny yellow arched canopy. It is not known to many that this amazing eatery is run by former Oberoi chef, Sandeep Kakkar who believes that food is the celebration of life and the real success gained as a chef is when people appreciate the food with complacency and smiles on their faces.

They offer a plethora of delectable, lip smacking dishes ranging from Kebabs, Mutton and Chicken Curries, Tikkas, Biryani served with special mint chutney, veg and non-veg Thali, Chinese, Soya roganjosh, prawns, fish, Paneer and Chicken Rara and Indian desserts like Kesri Kheer and Phirni. Though it’s been 2 ½ years since this joint opened up, they already have their branches at Greater Kailash and Saket going great guns. It’s a small joint with an attached kitchen whereby you can see through the chefs always at work and preparing the much relished dishes emanating an aroma that’s surely to charge up your taste buds, sending you into a trance.

Their speciality is Chicken, Paneer, Soya rara which is prepared with the main ingredient mashed in pure Desi Ghee and Chicken Mutter Bharta, very unique and original in taste and style. Other specialities including the Mushroom Kakori Malai made from button mushrooms and cheese, savory Chicken Afghani prepared in cashew nut paste, Punjabi Malai tikkas, soft and succulent which melt in your mouth at once and Dahi Methi Gosht are certainly going to leave you craving for more.

Staff is amicable and the service is very quick. They provide free home delivery service along with banquet facilities and also specialize in outdoor catering.

The price range is almost Rs 500 for two people.

The timings are from 12 noon till 3:30 pm and in the evening from 7pm to 11pm.

By Foodie Correspondent:Ritika Bali

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 21, 2013 October 21, 2013

Wokamama

Bloggers Meet at Wokamama

By Sanskriti Nagar

What could have been better than sharing the best of Asian cuisine over an informative lunch session with bloggers from around the town? On the 11^th of October, Wokamama, undoubtedly Gurgaon’s best Pan-Asian restaurant held a Blogger’s meet in which they served us with their best dishes in the most beautiful way.

Not only the food, the ambience too is perfect, especially for a quiet Sunday brunch or a dinner with friends. In a crowded market street, Wokamama is a breath of fresh air. As soon as you enter, it teleports you directly from a busy DLF Phase III market street to the posh dining outs of Hauz Khas Village. I disagreed strongly from my other blogger friends who considered the interiors to be dimly lit. For me, Wokamama has achieved to maintain a perfect balance between its outdoors and indoors, with the outdoors being in bold oranges, nicely lit sections in night whereas indoors have gone a tone down, the walls done in tints of orange and the ambience a perfect play of oranges and browns. The staff was decent and welcoming, active at all times. We were fortunate to have owners of Wokamama, Mr Sameer Puri and Mr, M.P. Singh with us at the table who took every opportunity to provide us with the best services and explained us the ingredients, origin and process of the dishes being served which made my mouth water each time, even on the non-vegetarian dishes which I couldn’t delight being a vegetarian by choice.

I started with tasting a few Beverages. The Jasmine tea went well with the wet weather and my favorite Classic Mojito complimented me all throughout the lunch. The soups were good enough too; especially Tom Kha soup whose aroma instantly filled the room and the taste of coconut milk which was previously never accepted by my taste buds went well this time.

For Starters we were served with Chili Pepper Corn on Crispy Spinach, which exactly matched its name, it was chilli, was crispy, had corn but a little more pepper for my taste would have done magic. Next was Sushi, with wasabi, soya and ginger, was as good as any sushi I’ve ever tried but the next dish became my favourite, so much that I’ve told my mom to try it at home someday too. Vegetable Tempura (served with pineapple chilli sauce and tempura sauce) is a dish that goes through famous Japanese style air infused batter fried preparation and is according to me the best way to eat veggies, with crispy outside and softened veggies inside.The Main Course started with grilled Cottage Cheese in Banana Leaf (done in Indonesian Style) with delicate flavors and lots of spice.

Guilin Egg Plant The second dish swept me off my feet; Eggplant had never tasted this delicious ever. Eggplant in Guilin Chilly had nice tangy flavors and nice crisp vegetables.

The third dish, Vegetable Green curry Noodles were something I was reluctant to try but on insistence when I tried them, they turned out to be a perfect combination of noodles with curry.

The dessert which was much awaited by me included two preparations, Coconut Rolls (served with pickled raisin and Cinnamon) and Mocca Rage. I call them preparations because they were prepared with thoughtful servings. Coconut Rolls were very delicious but they went up a bit higher on my scale with the pickled raisin and cinnamon whereas the stealer in Mocca Rage was the coffee ice-cream which complimented the Mocca cake very well.

Overall, the meal had freshly done vegetables steaming with flavours and delicious personalized changes added to each dish. The greens were pretty all throughout the meal.

What I liked most about the whole event was how well Mr. M.P. Singh explained us about each dish, its preparation and ingredients. Also, to see how well they involve themselves in each sector of the restaurant and the tons of knowledge they have about food.

Mr. M.P. Singh and Mr. Sameer Puri are owners of Ranch Cuisine Concepts, the pioneer firm in outdoor banqueting and the very first in this field. Along with Wokamama, they are proud owners of famous names such as Lotus Pond (NFC), Bamboo Shoots (Noida, Sec 18), Trance (Noida, Sec 63) and various other projects.

Price for two– Rs. 1600 (Quantity served is good enough)

Personal Recommendation– Eggplant in Guilin Chili and Tempura. Don’t hesitate to try the variety of sauces they serve, very creative in flavors.

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 18, 2013 April 26, 2015

Pebble Street

15 years of amazing taste @Pebble Street

-Ayushi Teotia

Set amidst the surroundings of a typical open Delhi market complex, which has now, in various areas been replaced by the contemporary “Mall era”, lies the Pebble Street. Located in a rather posh locality of New Friends Colony, the restaurant attracts various sects of people, and has become to be known as the local watering hole. It is a restaurant which seems to appeal to everyone for its location as well as reputation. The entrance gives the place a very young look, much like a sports bar, but once inside, one gets the hang of how the place is actually a favorite of all. The concept of the restaurant is actually defined by its name, and the idea seems quite unique and interesting, with porch lights hanging in the center, dim lights making the place look like an old British style pub, coupled with comfortable seating, divided in three different sections and a good collection of classic music.

It is one of those outlets that have stood the test of time – it has been there since 1998 – and evolved as an excellent casual dining option. In fact, the restaurant is now completing 15 years on 11th October, and the same is relevant with the pamphlets hanging on the ceiling boasting of the extravagant services provided by the restaurant consistently. The menu, which imitated a typical European inspired theme, encompasses the best of Italian, Tex-Mex, Lebanese, European, Thai and Indian cuisines, giving a lot of options to choose from the selection of starters as well as mains.

A person favorite would be the Lasagna Palermo, which is a ravishing combination of minced chicken with home made sheet pasta, giving it a big thumbs up, especially for red sauce pasta lovers. Apart from the exquisite Italian food, that this place is known for, the Classic all time diner favorite Pebble Burger, is something to die for. A delicious blend of Bacon and chicken served with French fries, Cole slaw and onion rings, is a definite stellar. Other than these, the thin crust pizzas, Enchiladas, Fish sticks, and Burritos are a constant favorite. The portion served is large enough for two to share a dish, making the place not too heavy on pocket. The drinks are the most popular part, and provide a range of good mock tails as well, at affordable pricing.

Coming to my favorite part, i.e. the Desserts, were exceptionally good. The Blueberry Crème Pie, is the best cheesecake like sweet eats I’ve tasted in a very long time, making me wish for the toothsome dish to never finish! However, the best part of enjoying a meal in Pebble Street was being appreciated as a crowd for a constant support to the restaurant which has helped it to achieve glorifying fifteen years of existence, and hopefully many more to come, with a dessert combining the likes of a chocolate brownie, caramel and ice cream. The presentation of not just food, but the ambience is splendid. However, the service seemed a bit slow, which could certainly be improved. An F1 Race, A Soccer Match or a Crickety fever is the best time to be here if you like a packed house of revelers. Apart from the daily routine, when you want to pamper your taste buds and enjoy a nice evening out with friends, family or colleagues, you know the place to be.

Price (for two): Rs 1200-1500

Overall Rating: 9/10

Nearest Metro: Kalkaji Metro Station

Location: 8, Community Center, New Friends Colony, New Delhi

Contact number: 011 2684 4380

Photographs by Foodie Photographer : Vidur Mayor.

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 10, 2013 April 26, 2015

Delhicious Kitchen

By Tanya Kapoor

A small yet eye catching little restaurant, you will find Delhicious Kitchen tucked between CCD and MOD in the bustling Lajpat nagar market, and I suggest the next time you walk past, do step in, it will be totally worth it.

The restaurant looks bright and funky with lamps and little lights above you and interiors done in black and green. For seating, there are bright little stools placed near the wall and the floor is done up in wood, this makes delicious kitchen a cool place to hangout with friends.

This restaurant is a one of its kind in the locality . For a small café like this; Delhicious Kitchen has a vast menu that offers North Indian, European, Mexican, Lebanese and American dishes, and each cuisine has a wide range of dishes as well. So many cuisines, all under one roof, what else does a foodie want?!

I ordered the Chicken Shawarma, hummus with pita bread and virgin mojito. Because the menu has around 150 dishes, I will need quite a few visits to taste if not all, but at least one fourth of them. Coming to the food I ordered – the hummus was flavourful but missed a little bit tahini, if a little more tahini could be added this would be the best hummus in delhi. As for the shwarma – a roll made of pita bread, having sour cream, lettuce and chicken with some veggies is a must try for everyone! The virgin mojito was perfect with right amount of sugar content and is one of the best virgin mojito’s I have had in delhi.

I was quite happy with the flavours, especially at a reasonable price (they offer the cold drinks at MRP, that’s adorably fair!). I do wish the portions were a little bigger though but then its okay, I got a chance to try more dishes.

The food served here will leave your taste buds asking for more, without a big hole in your pocket. Don’t judge a restaurant by its size! That is what I would say about Delhicious kitchen.

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 8, 2013 April 26, 2015

Nagpal Chole Bhature

8th October,2013

Nagpal Chole Bhature

IMAG2894

“… Yaar tune yahan ke chole-bhature nahi khaye? Sharam kar!

And with this, my friend greets me into the haven of all the ‘PG people’ in and around Amar colony. This was one place where the undying-Punjabi-love-for-choley bhature was conspicuous. Be it a south Indian girl standing at the counter and ordering two extra plates to take for her PG mates after having one whole herself, or be it my bong friend who did the awesome job of bringing me here, Nagpal chole fits all tastes and preferences very well.

Coming back to the pla IMAG2892 ce from where all the mesmerisation started, Nagpal choley was found in 1990 in the same Amar colony area where it is operational till now. In contrast to the current scenario, it was started with just one main dish which was the (evergreen) choley bhature. Looking back to those times this enticing plate consisting of a big bowl of choley with 2 huge bhaturas was merely priced at Rs. 8.

And this is where one of the in-charges there, Ramesh, says that ever since the time he has joined as a worker here, all he has been observing is the sheer increase in the customers as well the prices. With 2 years away from completing its 25^th year of existence, Nagpal choley has been catering to the tastes of a huge chunk of people situated in Amar colony by serving them with a wide variety of the fried Punjabi flavour. Their dishes range from special Nagpal choley bhature, poori choley, rajma-rice, shahi paneer-rice, samosa with chutney and steaming kachoris.

Undoubtedly, Nagpal choley has emerged as the most sought after food point in Amar colony due to their reasonable prices in terms of the quantity and quality they offer. The most famous choley bhature is priced at Rs. 55 for a full plate, Rs. 40 for a half plate and so on for every dish they offer. In all the ratings accordingly will be as follows:

TASTE 9/10

AMBIENCE 7/10

VALUE FOR MONEY 8/10

So the next time you’re around amar colony and wish to savour the dramatic-Punjabi- flavours, Nagpal choley surely possesses all the ‘must-haves’ to jerk your taste buds and brighten up your mood or day!

Cheers! Happy eating!

By Navani Satija,Foodie Correspondent,Delhi Food Walks

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 7, 2013 April 26, 2015

Changezi Chicken

SHAHI DASTARKHWAN

By Kashish Badar

Famous for its Mughlai and Tandoori dishes, CHICKEN CHANGEZI is a non vegetarian’s arcadia. Located on Netaji Subhash Marg, this small restaurant serves outstanding food. Though they don’t have much for vegetarians, but for the non veggies, this is shangri la!

I had heard a lot about the place, and the week before, I decided to visit the place for dinner. It is a small air conditioned restaurant which was established around 12 years back according to the owner, Mr. Mohd. Salman.

As the name of the restaurant suggests, the menu is chicken centric, with only a few other options, but that does not make it any less enticing. We began with the Afghani Chicken which is chicken marinated in curd and other spices and then roasted. It is then put in gravy of cream and butter. This Afghani chicken is had with onions and coriander chutney. The chicken pieces were succulent and soft. They were properly marinated and the flavours had touched the core of the piece. I would give a 10/10 to this dish because of the tender and juicy chicken it had. The gravy was equally tasty and smooth. We had also ordered Butter Chicken which arrived soon with the rumali roti. The proportion of tomatoes, cream and spices was perfect in the dish, but the rumali roti was not such a hit. It was not very hot when served and it became rubbery and stretchy soon. The butter chicken can be given 8/10.

And the showstopper of the evening was of course the most special dish of the restaurant; the Changezi Chicken. This is a great getaway from the usual chicken dishes. The grilled chicken pieces in the curry are first marinated in lime juice and spices and then grilled. They are later served in gravy. Initially one might find it a little sour, but gradually your taste buds will love it. It’s garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves and served hot with khamiri roti or plain naan. The dish has a little crunch in it and tanginess. It’s aptly spiced and served. The dish can easily score 8.5/10.

For the dessert we had zafrani kheer. It is basically the normal kheer to which zafran (saffron) is added. This adds further flavour, colour and fragrance to the sweet dish. It was served cold and tasted incredible. After all the spice, the little sugar made a perfect ending to the perfect dinner.

The service is really impressive in the eatery. Despite the renovation that is on in the place, the staff ensures proper check on the customer’s requirement and comfort.

For all those looking out for inexpensive and delicious non vegetarian food this weekend, do try out the place. Even a full plate of butter chicken will not cost more than 500 bucks. The place is great for family meals or an outing with friends. It’s comfortable (not luxurious) and gives you the feel of having good food in the heart of Delhi. After the feast, you can take a walk to the famous Jama Masjid to digest the scrumptious meal.

A meal for two would only cost around 400- 500 bucks. My personal recommendation would be the Afghani Chicken and certainly the Chicken Changezi!

The place is a must try for every non- vegetarian foodie!

You can contact Mr. Mohd. Salman for any further queries.

Mr. Mohd. Salman- 9312251239.

Address (Chicken Changezi)- 3614, Main Road, Darya Ganj.

Photo Credit- Piyush Nagpal

7th October,2013

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com

Posted on October 4, 2013 September 30, 2013

MOCHA

October 4,2013

MOCHA

-by Shailaja Das

If you’re looking for a place where you can enjoy a cuppa in an ambience that is neithertoo loudnor too subdued,Mocha inCivil Lines is a good option. Location wise, it’s as perfect as it could possibly be; it’sright next to the Civil Lines metro station.

It has a beautiful hedge entrance that goes well with the lushgreeneryof North Delhi.The interiors have been designed to give achilled out look to the place.You may even sit outdoors if you wish to. Mocha caters to people of all age groups : on one corner you may see a group of boisterous youngsters, and onthe other an elderly couple peacefully drinking coffee and enjoying their afternoon snacks. The facility of free WiFi occassionally attracts a solitary student in need of a pleasant change of environment.

The menu here is decently priced. A must try dish, according to the management, is the OMG Burger which they claim is “the greatest burger ever made by man”. No alcohol is served, and neither is smoking permitted. However, they do offer hookahin a variety of flavours. There are special cabins, completely separated from the main restaurant, for those who wish toindulge in hookah. This is a plus point for Mocha since nowadays most restaurants with a hookah licence do not offer this facility and it becomes a nuisance for those do not wish to be in the vicinity of any kind of smoke.

Address and Contact:

13, Alipur Road,The Exchange Store Building,Civil Lines,Delhi – 110054

011- 23945596

Nearest metro station:

Civil Lines (yellow line)

Anubhav Sapra

http://www.delhifoodwalks.com