NUMBER 8
By Prakriti Bhat
With new restaurants opening up almost every day, Delhi has become a gastronomic delight for all the foodies out there. The city has something to offer for every palate. Some provide affordable meals while there are places where one can just splurge and indulge themselves in an eclectic spread of cuisines. Chefs are willing to experiment with different cuisines and spices to come up with avant-garde combinations. In an upscale market like Sunder Nagar, Number 8 fits in like a glove with its aesthetic and exotic décor. Do not fall for the plain looking exterior as the interiors are gorgeous and bespeak luxury.
Spread over 3 floors, the restaurant wows you with its opulent ambience. Ornate chandeliers and rustic walls create a beautiful contrast. According to the co-owner, Mr. Shivam Bhaskar, they have also taken cues from Pinterest. The menu has some familiar and some not-so-familiar dishes, all prepared with excellence and presented with utmost finesse. Providing a sundry gourmet meal is high on their priority list. From risottos to biryanis, they have it all covered. The mystery behind the name ‘Number 8’ was solved by Mr. Shivam who attributed it to two reasons. Firstly, the address of the property itself is Number 8 which lends it the name. Secondly, 8 is considered to be an auspicious number as per Chinese tradition.
Our gourmet experience began with Vegetable money bags. These crispy fried dumplings were shaped like money bags and filled with steaming hot veggies. Olive Chicken is one of the most innovative dishes you could ever have. What comes on the platter are savory pieces of chicken grilled on toothpicks. But take one bite and you can decode the name of this dish. Each piece of chicken has an olive at its core. How they achieve this is beyond my comprehension! Sambal spiced Grilled Fish in banana leaves reminded one of the Parsi delicacy, Patra ni Machhi. It was cooked really well, exterminating the ‘seafood’ smell from the fish and served with pickled onion rings and raw mango shreds.
Amongst the main course we tried a Wild Mushroom and Red Wine Risotto which was a heavenly infusion of mascarpone cheese, mushrooms and wine. The final product retained the flavor of every ingredient used. Kesari Lamb Boti was basically well marinated chunks of lamb, cooked to perfection and served with green chutney. I found the kesari flavor inadequate. Dahi Dhaniya Murg was a chicken curry prepared with yoghurt and coriander but again I found the coriander flavor missing. This particular dish was disappointing. However, the Achari Aloo served with it went well with the curry.
The star of our meal was definitely Khatte Baingan Ki Biryani with Kamal Kakdi Raita. The Hyderabadi delicacy, Baghara Baingan (eggplants stuffed with spicy filling) was used to prepare this Biryani. Rather than serving it with the regular saalan or Raita, the chef goes on to add crispy chunks of lotus stem to yoghurt to make a raita. The Vanilla Meringue with fresh fruits was a befitting end to the meal. The impeccable presentation did not deter us from wiping off the glass clean. It was irresistible!
Number 8 is a restaurant that offers you the best of global and Indian cuisine under one roof. So if you want to pamper yourself with a stellar meal, do give this place a visit.
Address- 8, Sunder Nagar Market
Cost for two- Rs. 2000 approx
Contact No. – 01133105972
