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.
Scotch 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.
The 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
