BAKAR – The Cafe
By Prakriti Bhat
Bakar. One word that encompasses many emotions. On word that can be used in different situations. In a Kashmiri household, it changes to “bakhar” when someone wants to say, “You guys have so much capacity for talking nonsense.” That’s what Bakar stands for. The universal right to talk utter nonsense and not be judged for it. GTB Nagar is an area full of cafes frequently thronged by students who are forever looking for a spot to chat and have good food. Bakar- The Café stands true to its name giving you a homely environment where you can just plonk down and bakar around with your friends over some fine food.
The owners Anubhav Sapra, Swati Singh and Rahul Bhardwaj have made every effort to give the café a homely vibe. Moda Stools, small cane and wooden tables, funky wall art and beautiful lanterns beautify the place. It isn’t as big as the other cafes in its vicinity but that’s where its beauty lies. Bakar is a ‘chhota packet bada dhamaka’! Don’t judge the place by its area. The menu consists of several varieties of Momos, Maggi, Shakes and egg dishes. It also has a few breakfast options like Pancakes and Crepes and soon they plan to introduce a full-fledged breakfast menu.
The co-owner, Mr. Anubhav Sapra is himself an avid foodie and has curated a menu keeping in mind the college crowd which prefers meals that are easy on the pocket. The Alfredo Maggi is good but adding a few veggies could make it even better. Butter Chicken Maggi was undoubtedly my favourite dish here. Butter Chicken and Maggi are two dishes that you can seldom go wrong with. And when such dishes come together there is bound to be a culinary explosion in your mouth. Thankfully, the pieces of chicken were quite abundant, thereby, not making you feel cheated. The typical aroma and flavor of Butter Chicken ensnares your senses making you ask for more. The bowls in which they are served are adorable!
Bakar serves a wide array of momos. Amongst the vegetarian ones, my favourites were the Spinach Momos and Potato Momos. The Spinach momos are extremely delicious and surprise you with their novelty. The Aloo Momos were a clear winner in this category. This is perhaps the first café in Delhi that serves Aloo Momos. Smooth and delectable, the filling takes you by surprise and tastes best when paired with mayonnaise instead of the traditional spicy chutney. Mushroom Momos were again something I hadn’t heard of before. Finely chopped mushrooms are used as the filling and believe me, it is something you do not wanna miss!
Let’s admit it; Paneer Momos is for days when your mood lies between veg and non veg. And the chef at Bakar does it really well with tiny dices of savory Paneer filled in the momos. The Veg Momos is a classic and you can never go wrong with it. The Chicken and Mutton Momos were extremely well made but the latter took the trophy home. I am a chicken lover but those juicy pieces of mutton stuffed in the dumplings tasted way better than its chicken counterpart. My only complaint is that the covering of most of the momos was a bit dry and hard.
To wash it all down, try their cold coffee with strawberry ice cream. It is the weirdest combo I’ve ever heard of. I utterly dislike strawberry ice cream and when this was brought to me I cringed from within and had half a mind to send it back. But the Cadbury Gems and colourful sprinklers prodded me to gather courage and take a sip. After that there was no stopping me. The coffee prevented the strawberry from taking the front seat and created the perfect blend of flavours. At the end, you are rewarded with a fortune of gems!
Kudos to Chef Kapil who brings a plethora of flavors to your plate and palate. Bakar also employs a differently abled staff which brings your order to your table. A jovial man, his laughter is infectious and is sure to make you smile even on a bad day. It is heartening to see that humanity still exists.
Cost for two- Rs. 350 (approx)
Address- G-24, Vijay Nagar
Contact No.- 9811359806
