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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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Cafe 96 Square, A Cafe Unlike Any Other

In the recent times, Delhi has seen a boom of the casual dining outlets, better known as cafes. There are tons of these sprouting in every locality selling similar items like pizza, pasta, etc. Then one might ask, what is so different about Cafe 96 square? What sets it apart?

Cafe 96 square, located in the commercial area of Krishna Nagar in East Delhi, looks like a conventional cafe on the surface, but one look at its menu is enough to mark it off as “different”. The cafe was established four months back by relatively young entrepreneurs, Siddharth and Shivam, with the aim to offer innovative and fusion dishes. A lot of thought was put into the menu to give the customers dishes like the Ayurvedic Pasta which consists of dry herbs like thyme, basil, and rosemary and the paan flavoured drink which is made using the liquid extracted from the paan leaves, thus giving it a rich and pungent flavour, which is sure to bring back memories of Ravalgaon’s Pan Pasand toffee.
Cafe 96 Square’s signature dish has to be the Makhani Pasta. It is made from the base of dal makhani and khoya and elaichi powder are added later, to give it that distinct Indian flavour. In this, two popular cuisines, North Indian and Italian, are intertwined to give us a creamy and delicious pasta. The cafe also offers the staple North Indian and Continental dishes and variety of shakes, smoothies and other drinks. Another dish that has more of an aesthetic value is their miniature and tasty burgers called burger shots. The serving of the various dishes is substantial and is easy on the pocket as well. The cafe starts serving from 11 in the morning till 11 at night. Majority of its crowd are people from the younger generation, looking for a place to relax and enjoy some good food. It is easy to reach, the nearest metro station being Preet Vihar on the Blue Line, and easy to spot as well.

This year, Cafe 96 square is participating in the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. If you consider yourself a food enthusiast, then you cannot give these innovative dishes a miss. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- F-3/20, Krishna Nagar, New Delhi

Contact Number- +919650804858