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BRUNCH AND MORE AT CAFE AMARETTO

Sunday mornings are for indulgence, for unwinding and for savouring. I decided to head to brunch with a friend to Café Amaretto in South Point Mall on Golf Course Road in Gurgaon to give in to my growling stomach. The name Amaretto is inspired by a liqueur by the same name hailing from Italy. It is an almond flavoured liqueur, which I am now tempted to try. 

The café is warm and cosy, perfect for a winter morning, complete with fairy lights at the entrance and large paintings on the walls. The décor is simple, mostly hues of white and beige. We ordered a round of eggs benedict to begin with. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the ham poached, and the hollandaise sauce had a hint of tanginess to it. It was accompanied with fried potato sticks. I decided to try the Amaretto’s healthy concoction to go with it and give me a healthy kick to the meal. It was a delicious mixture of fresh fruits and veggies including apple, beetroot, carrot and celery. My friend opted for the safer, more traditional option; cappuccino served with a side of crumbly biscotti. The service was swift, and efficient.

We followed up the eggs with buttermilk pancakes alongside Nutella, whipped cream and honey. The pancakes were browned, fluffy and drizzled with almond bits, pomegranate arils and powdered sugar. 

 

Amaretto’s winter collection of wholesome, hot and comforting dishes enticed us to push ourselves to try the gnocchi filled with mozzarella and basil tossed in a tomato confit broth. I can never resist a good gnocchi dish and this particular one was quite unexpectedly unusual and tasty. The tomato broth was flavourful, and the cheese and gnocchi bits balanced out the dish very well. It is a must have if you go in the winter. Overall, a lovely morning of having familiar comfort foods along with flavoursome and unique combinations.

Price for two: Rs. 2000

Location: Lower Ground Floor, South Point Mall, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon

 

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Angooor, Fine Dining- Punjabi Bagh

With a lot of cafes and eating joints in West Delhi, new entrant Angooor on Punjabi Bagh, Club road is a visual treat with beautiful decor and offers some decent food to indulge in.

   

It has three seating sections one on the inside with the bar, the other just attached to it and the last in the open making it a spacious place. The outdoor seating is dreamy and makes it an outstanding place for dining with greenery all around and white pebble flooring. In terms of hospitality, the staff is polite and attends to you well be it giving suggestions or handling complaints.

We ordered a few dishes and tried the Black olive chicken and Crispy chilly potatoes for starters. The Black Olive Chicken turned out to be our favourite as it had strong flavour of olives. The chicken was juicy and tender making it a perfect starter for every olive and chicken lover. We relished it and with every bite we wanted to eat more. Now coming to the chilly potatoes, they were crispy and had a very well-balanced flavour. For the main course we went in for AOP Penne Pasta which was made in olive oil. It had lots of sundried tomatoes and small chunks of garlic. If you are bored of eating the regular white sauce or red sauce pasta then we surely recommend this! Last but not the least, we had to end our meal on a sweet note and so we ordered Motichoor Rabri Parfait- a fusion dessert. It was more like crumbled Motichoor Ladoo with Rabri topped with a lot of dry fruits.

Black olive chicken with dip
AOP Penne Pasta
Motichoor Rabri Parfait

If you are looking out for a new place to hangout with good ambience, nice food, foot tapping music then do give Angooor a try! Continue reading Angooor, Fine Dining- Punjabi Bagh

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YUZU Sake Bar and Retaurant

‘Drink Sake Stay Soba’ says the neon red sign board as we hurriedly enter YUZU restaurant after having spent a significant portion of our evening in Delhi’s infamous traffic. YUZU is a new Japanese and Pan Asian establishment in the thriving Epicuria Mall at Nehru Place. It is a dimly lit joint brightened up by the aforementioned neon signs and pretty faux cherry blossoms which liberally drape the walls and ceiling. We made a beeline for a table next to the window.

Inspired by the words on the wall, we started rifling through the endless range of sake options and found refuge in Sake cocktails alongside a Steamed Spinach Salad and the ‘Stay Soba’ Sizzling Chicken. The #SakeBar would definitely be worth exploring further.

YUZU has introduced a new menu called – ‘Hey Sexy Fish’ complete with its own neon signage on the wall, so we decided to head towards the sexier options. We were introduced to the Pink Lady Sushi. Staying true to its name, it was decidedly pink comprising of shrimp tempura, minced crab meat and avocado. The portion sizes were large and it came with two varieties of wasabi – the normal kind and the extra strong kind. A minuscule speck of the extra strong version can instantly bring you to tears, so consume at your own risk.

We followed up our sushi with Chicken Gyoza and a Quinoa Basil Chicken Bowl. I have never been healthy enough in the past to replace rice with quinoa in a Pan Asian dish (or any dish) and probably won’t in the future as well, but it is worth a try. We were suggested an ice cream for dessert but we were far too full and cold by then to continue. We will be back to discover new favourites and tick off more Sakes’ from the list.

 

Location: Epicuria Mall, Nehru Place

Price for Two: Rs. 1600

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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Imperial Spice, Connaught Place

Connaught Place has a rare privilege of having it all – locational, political and cultural advantages. These advantages lend themselves well to the circular market being a hot spot for attracting food and people from across the city, country and world. Imperial Spice is a fun new entrant to this historic market with its eclectic menu, warm lighting and obliging staff.

We started our meal with an amuse bouche – a tiny Masala Papad cone, which served its purpose of appetising us for the meal ahead. This was followed up by their signature starter – Black Stone Chaat – a platter of tangy and delicious preparations including Palak Patta Chaat, Chukandari Chenna Bhalla and Aaloo Chana.

Next came the Imperial Gin Chicken and the Twice Cooked Duck Spring Rolls. Being a proponent of duck and spring rolls separately, I had never had them together. They were juicy with a sweet tinge on the inside. The dish went well with the chicken which was spicy and soft.

Our mains included Spaghetti Alfredo with Grilled Chicken and Broccoli and the Pan Seared Norwegian Salmon Served with Pepperonata And Olive Caper Buerre Blanc. The Norwegian salmon was pink and buttery, complemented well by the veggies.

One of the more fascinating dishes on the menu was the Lehsun ki Kheer. It takes a fair amount of courage to try something so out of the ordinary as garlic in a sweet preparation. But it somehow worked. With a sprinkling of dry fruits, it would be perfect. Other such different pairings of sweet treats in the menu would be worth giving a shot in the future.

 

Cost for Two: Rs. 2,200 (without alcohol)

Location: M Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi

 

 

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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Sushi Fest at R.E.D

The food scene in Delhi has finally come of age. Ten years ago, I could not have imagined being spoilt for choice of sushi places around me. Today, at every ten feet, you can experience a different region’s flavour and fervour. The newest entrant to tap into the sushi market is R.E.D (Rare Eastern Dinning) by Radisson Blu. While the restaurant has been around for a while, its sushi menu is a fresh addition valid for a limited time. The sushi recipes have been crafted by Chef Raymond Sim, from Singapore. It borrows from the traditional Nigiri cuisine combined with a distinct western influence.

An entire meal of sushi for a fish starved Delhiite like me is a rare treat. Naturally, I was smitten. The Tuna Tartar is a definite win at the offset. Once that is demolished, go for the Torched Salmon, Steaks, Green Onion Salsa and Ponju next. The ponju at R.E.D is a gelatinous cube of sauce which is a unique preparation that I have never tried before. There’s some amount of cognitive dissonance, trying a savoury jelly but it works well with the dish and sets it far apart from the usual fare.

Once you start eating sushi, it is difficult to stop. Give in to temptation and dig in next into the California@RED packed with prawn, avocado, cucumber and crab. The Prawn Tempura Uramaki is a classic that would have been the entrée, main and dessert had I been the chef. It will add a nice crunch to your sushi meal.

Take a breather with a veggie sushi, if you like. I’d recommend the Sweet Shitake and Bean Curd Roll. Top it up with the Rainbow Uramaki which combines the two best seafood in the world – fish and prawn into bite sized rainbow-y goodness. At this point, I assume you’d have had enough sushi to keep you going for a while. A dessert may be desired if not deserved. Don’t hold back. Try their spring roll cream with apple.

The highlight of my visit was when I requested for watching the chefs constructing sushi. To my surprise he actually agreed to not only let me watch but also try my hand at rolling it. Sushi making has become a new goal henceforth. Just need to scrounge up the ingredients. And watch a million YouTube videos.

I’d recommend R.E.D for a quiet night out or a date. The candle light, calm colour tones and affable staff add up beautifully to make it a great experience.

 

Location: Radisson Blu MBD, Sector 18, Noida
Price for Two: Rs. 3,000

 

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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Thingyan Festival at Burma Burma

Burma Burma first opened its doors to the world just over 4 years ago in Mumbai and then slowly made its way to my neck of the woods, Delhi (and Gurgaon). Being a strict meat eater when dining out, an all vegetarian Burmese meal did not sound wildly appealing. However, word travels fast and peer pressure got the better of me. True to its reputation, over the multiple times that I visited this place, it hasn’t let me down even once. I also never miss meat while I am here.

Both outlets that I have been to are beautifully adorned with unique and eclectic decorative pieces adding to the grandeur of the place. This June, Burma Burma is celebrating the Thingyan festival to mark the Burmese New Year. The new additions to the already well curated menu are exciting. We managed to gorge on a large assortment of dishes starting with a Pumpkin and Basil Soup, Grilled Mock Meat Salad and a Glass Noodle Salad. I especially loved the soup for its light and comforting flavours.

Would recommend for a winter day.  We followed it up with ‘Wa’ Style Potato and Crispy Corn Tossed in Tea. The corn dish was an unusual and interesting take on the crispy corn you find in barbecue chains across the city. Our main course was the Tangy Khowsuey which like many things on the menu, veered off the beaten track with dry noodles only to deliver flawlessly on taste. For dessert, we had the mild Matcha Ice-Cream. We were not bold enough that day to try the Durian Ice-Cream. Someday though, I hope to conquer that smelly fruit.

Apart from its food selection, Burma Burma also features an array of teas. Bubble teas, fruit-based teas, estate teas, you name it and they have it. They claim to have a tea ‘for every mood and occasion’ so on this occasion, I paired my food with a Yuzu Bubble Tea which was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy, tangy flavours on my plate.

It is heartening to note that we are finally broadening our palates to savour cuisines from around the world, including that of our neighbours. One of these days, I might succumb to the temptation to catch the next flight out to Myanmar and follow the flavour trail I’ve been introduced to in the past few months.

 

Location: Cyber Hub, Gurgaon
Meal for Two: Rs. 1800

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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Sushis and Dimsums Galore

As the mercury soared in May, and Delhi turned into its annual furnace fest, I found refuge in the light and fresh flavours at YouMee. The restaurant has recently opened in M Block Market at GK-II and offers delicious Japanese and Pan Asian food.

Manga lovers, rejoice. Your prayers have been answered. The restaurant walls are covered with Manga inspired art, geared around food ofcourse. We began the meal with obvious starter choices – sushi and dimsums. The choices of dishes within these categories at YouMee are endless, so do inspect the menu closely, or just come back again for more.

We ordered the Garden Dragon, Spicy Chicken and Prawn Tempura sushis. They were freshly prepared and tasty. The dimsum varieties we had included the Chicken and Water Chestnut Dumpling, Prawn Hargow, Edamame Truffle Oil and Spicy Asparagus with Thai Flavoured Herbs. This was one of my rare trysts with vegetarian dumplings and they surpassed my expectations. I washed my food down with the signature orange and kaffir lime mocktail – Asian Swirl.

By the second half of our meal, the restaurant was abuzz with people enjoying their Saturday afternoon amidst the colourful environs, wafts of barbecued or seared seafood and familiar childhood graphics, far away from the sun. We decided to give the Robata a go. Robatayaki or Robata is a Japanese version of barbecue where small meat portions are slow-grilled to perfection over hot charcoal. The Ebi Maki or Bacon Wrapped Prawns was the perfect choice for us. It came on skewers with a side of Miso soup and sticky rice which complemented the juicy meat beautifully. If nothing else, then you must try this singular dish at YouMee. I wish I had room to score some Ramen Bowls, but alas. I did however have space reserved for dessert, as we all do, and we gulfed down the Matcha Cheesecake and Banana Fritter Sundae, before we called it a day.

GK-II has acquired yet another classic which I am certain will be there in the times to come to offer you and your friends comfort food on many an uncomfortable summer day.

 

Location: M Block Market, GK-II, New Delhi
Meal for Two: Rs. 2,000

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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Pan Asian at its Best

The sleepy vicinity of Ansal Plaza has seen a dramatic overhaul over the last few years. My childhood was filled with innumerable unwilling shopping visits to this erstwhile godforsaken mall so it’s a welcome change to treat myself to some well-deserved delicious food several years later.

Walking into Triple 8 gives a distinct feeling of entering a theatre. The soft reds of the walls and the dim greys of the shadows sit comfortably on the eyes and offset the vibrancy of the flavours on the plate.

Our first course was a 5 Spiced Goat Brain Tempura with Spicy Mayonnaise. I have always been squeamish about offal and avoid it at all costs but I believe I am a convert. The crunch on the outside was expected but the cloud like consistency on the inside was a game changer. I knew I was in for a wonderful evening. We were then graced with two pork dishes which had both been braised and cooked for 6 hours – the Chilean Pork Spare Ribs Krapow with Red Chillies and Basil and the Pork Belly Yaki-Tori with a Spiced Miso Glaze. They were well balanced, crispy skinned and yum.

The attention to detail at Triple 8 is striking. The meat is meticulously chosen, often locally sourced, (along with spices) to promote sustainable farming while never compromising on quality. One of the dimsum dishes for example is made with Himalayan morels instead of truffles and I recommend you to try it over any of its meat brethren. The Head Chef, Vivek Rana who hails from the likes of Indian Accent in New York and Oberoi, not only loves his produce but also has a keen eye for interiors. The walls are adorned with monochromatic images of the restaurant’s food, the kind that leave you salivating even while you’re eating it. The bar which will hopefully soon have alcohol flowing from it is a thing of beauty.

Meanwhile, the food continued to amaze. Chicken Winglets Skewered with Pineapple had the right amount of barbecued Pineapple on the stick. I ofcourse, fall squarely in the pro-Pineapple bucket – in pizzas, chickens and life in general.

One can’t not eat sushi when in a restaurant like this, and so we did – a Sashimi and Nigiri Platter. It looked like a fish garden, if there ever were to be one. This was followed by Lamb Shank Malaca with Fried Mantao Bun. The bun was a tinge sweet and so exquisitely soft that it left us wanting more even in our inflated-bellied state. We ended the meal with a heady combination of Night Market Custard Bun and a Sticky Pudding Caramelized Banana.

Pan Asian food has always been home for me but it is rare to find a place with as much care and love for its food as Triple 8. To say that I had a good evening would be a disservice. I live for evenings like this and am already planning excuses to go back.

 

Location: 1st Floor, Ansal Plaza, New Delhi
Meal for Two: Rs. 3,000

Anjora cannot resist a good prawn preparation, finds home in Chinese food anywhere in the world but will eat almost anything if it looks appealing. She is a Potter head and has recently discovered pottery as a hobby (excuse the pun).
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LONDONERS

LONDONERS

By Prakriti Bhat

London is a melting pot of cultures and a mélange of different lifestyles. People of various ethnicities coexist in perfect harmony. Londoners Bistro and Pub in GK-1 is an embodiment of the cultural conglomeration that London is. While the name may make us think that the place serves purely British food, it also conjures up a blend of cuisines that is quite popular in London.

The brainchild of Paritosh Mittal, an engineer by profession, Londoners has a great ambience with vibrant décor and classy upholstery. Blue seems to be the dominant hue in the colour palette. They also have an outdoor seating arrangement, ideal for Delhi’s winters. The menu consists of traditional British dishes as well as those inspired by other cuisines. The basic idea is to represent London, not as isolated with other cultures but in sync with them. This is the reason behind the fusion dishes in the menu.

The Bloggers Meet began with a Ploughman’s Platter. Traditionally, it is a non vegetarian meal but in keeping with the Indian sensibilities, they also provide a vegetarian version with grilled Paneer dices. Workers in London would pack whatever leftovers they had from dinner and take it to work. Therefore, unlike the well organized Indian lunchboxes , theirs would be a muddle of bread, chicken, ham, cheese, etc. The platter served here included bread, butter, cheese, olives, dried apricots, Brown Onion Sauce slices of apple and cucumber along with boiled eggs or Paneer cubes as per the variant chosen among Veg or Non Veg.

Ploughman's PlatterScotch eggs, a British delicacy, is made with hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat and bread crumbs which is baked or deep fried. Here, the eggs are wrapped in Keema giving it an Indian touch. The Irish Spring Rolls were filled with corn and cheese but served along with a sweet and spicy sauce. They were crispy but not very cheesy which was disappointing. The very concept of a Spring Roll and the sauce is Oriental, again reminiscent of the cultural influences in London. The Tikka Masala Platter was a complete meal with Tandoori Rotis, Daal Makhani, Paneer Tikka Masala, Papad, Green Chutney and onions.  One platter should suffice two people.

The Paneer Makhani Pie, for me, was the star of our meal. Firstly, Pies are sweet but this one was savory. Secondly, while Pies are believed to have been originated as a Roman dessert, this one was a full-on desi rendition, replete with a Shahi Paneer filling. This marvelous invention came with fries and salad. The fries lacked salt and a dip along with it could have done wonders. The Paneer Makhani Pasta brought together Indian and Italian in a dish that packed a punch with authentic Indian flavours. While one may complain about the complete abandon of its Italian roots, I don’t mind it even a bit since it is supposed to be an Indianised version of Pasta.

IMG_20160521_091048The Clay Pot Pie had a flaky crust on top, like the one that’s usually found in French pastry. The Pie tasted like Au Gratin, only more liquid in consistency and lesser vegetables. The crust tastes best when dipped in the gravy. To wash it all down, try a Blueberry Cheesecake Shake or an After Eight Shake. The Blueberry Shake was perfect in its consistency and presentation (Mason Jars are a huge rage!). Other dishes to look out for are Keema Kulcha and Crispy Konjee Lamb.

Among Desserts I tried the Great Wall of Chocolate which was high on taste and the nutty texture but a bit too hard. The Sticky Toffee Pudding was ACTUALLY very sticky. The caramel lent it a nice flavour but it failed to impress with the texture. It was the Bread and Butter pudding which stole my heart with its presentation and taste. Not too sweet, the pudding comes in a cup/coffee mug topped with a scoop of ice cream. The contrast of warm and cold was a nice play on the taste buds. This one is a MUST TRY.

When you need a break from all the shopping in GK, give Londoners a try. It won’t disappoint you.

Cost for two- Rs. 1500

Address- GK-1, M Block Market (In the lane opposite to Starbucks)

Contact No.- 01133105812

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.
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Hanami Summer Menu

Hanami Summer Menu

Japan’s Hanami festival celebrates the ephemeral season of cherry blossoms. Guppy by ai, the most celebrated Japanese restaurant in Delhi, recreates the magic of the Hanami Festival (25th April to 30th May) through its dishes by introducing a special menu that captures its essence. Known for his culinary expertise, Chef Vikram spearheads the kitchen at Guppy by ai.

Away from the sweltering heat of Delhi, the food journey started with cold sweet Corn and Avocado soup, enriched with soy milk. The soup is served with salt and a slice of lemon, which adde a distinct texture to the soup. It is truly refreshing.

The menu has been thoughtfully curated with soups and salads as special vegan dishes. The 3 melon salad with Yubari, musk and watermelon looks simple yet the umeboshi plum dressing makes it truly delicious. Umeboshi are fermented pickles made from young, barely ripe ume, a sour Japanese fruit that’s a cross between an apricot and a plum.

Guppy by ai Summer Menu - Mango and Avocado Cream Cheese RollJapanese food would be incomplete without Sushi and Sashimi. For me, the highlight of the menu is the Mango and Avocado Cream Cheese Roll. Made with Alphonso mango, cream cheese, tanuki tempura fritters and kimchi, the roll is unique and flavoursome. The roll also has a similar variant with tuna. Another king size roll was the Hanami thick sushi roll combined with black and white rice with sakura dembu, tuna, salmon, crab, yellowtail and cucumber.

In the cold noodles – the 3 different variants are cold hiyashi tantanmen (home-made ramen noodles, served chilled with sesame flavoured pork broth, spicy ground pork meat and fresh vegetables), Hiyashi tanuki cha saba (chilled green tea flavoured buckwheat noodles, topped with tanuki tempura fritters, wasabi, grated radish served with a soy flavoured dashi broth. The Hiyash tanuki cha saba is the only vegetarian  option in the noodles menu. The third option is Hiyashi somen (Japanese, thin angel hair wheat noodles topped with crab sticks, prawns, seaweed, cucumber and melon, served chilled with a ginger flavoured dashi broth).

Guppy by ai Summer Menu- Mango and Liquorice with Coconut IcecreamThe Hanami cocktail menu has excellent refreshing cocktails like Sendai a mix of vodka, fresh kiwi, fresh melon and lime. Plum Blossom made with sochu, umeshu fresh plum and lime and Umetini with ingredients like sake, umeshu and gold leaf.

The food journey ended on a Mangolicious note a dessert with fresh Mango, liquorice and coconut ice-cream!

Address- 28, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi

Timings: 12 to 3.30 and 7pm to 1am

Lunch for two: Rs. 1300

Dinner for two: Rs. 1800

For Reservation – 01124690005 / 6, +919650185005

Websitehttp: guppybyai.com

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.