Tag: rajouri garden

Posted on

FINESSE AT L’ADRESSE

FINESSE AT L’ADRESSE

By Prakriti Bhat

Rajouri Garden is home to several restaurants, pubs and cafes. L’Adresse Kitchen and bar is the latest addition to this list. With plush upholstery and an elegant décor, it is the perfect restaurant you would want to visit for a lazy Sunday brunch or a date. The restaurant recently hosted a Bloggers Meet and it was a wonderful experience.

From the entry to the interiors, aqua blue is the main theme. I, personally, love this colour so the mood was set just right. The seating is comfortable and the restaurant gives off a very Victorian feel. Aqua blue and white drapes adorn the place and the walls have small compartments to hold candles. The chairs reminded me of those at Potbelly Rooftop Café in Shahpur Jaat. The music is energetic yet soothing and does not go beyond a certain decibel. The tables are made of unfinished wood which exudes a very raw and rustic vibe.

We began with Soups and Mocktails. The Manchow soup was served in a hefty bowl and was the perfect answer to the chill outside. Their mocktail menu hasn’t been finalized yet but you can ask the staff for one as per your choice and their availability. I went for a Blueberry Mocktail which was served with thin slices of apple floating on the surface. Another mocktail was served in a watermelon with several colourful straws. It was a visual as well as gustatory treat.

Drinks were followed by starters. The Cheese nachos were ok. Paneer Tikka Multani was a blessing to the taste buds. It was soft and well marinated. Dahi ke Kabab was a huge disappointment and the only dish I did not like. The consistency of the hung curd was not as it should be. Vietnamese Spring Rolls were very appetizing. They were perfectly crunchy and not very hard at the edges as is the case with many restaurants. Khandani Veg Platter was truly delectable with an array of starters amongst which Cheesy Mushrooms were the best. However, it’s the Goat Cheese and Grape canapés that won the best starters award for their creamy texture and a delightful citrus explosion caused by the grapes! It’s a must try for cheese lovers.

Dahi ke KebabAmong the non veg starters I tried Chilli Chicken with crispy noodles. This was one of the best Chilli Chicken I have had. The poor crispy noodles went unnoticed! The Stir Fried Prawns were not very great. I felt it lacked flavor and could have been much better. Murgh ke Parchey was a dish of chicken char grilled with cheese and cardamom. The smoky flavor was an added delight. Thai Fish Tikka was excellent with the perfect blend of spices.

PrawnsThe main course started with a Butter Chicken Woodfired pizza. For me, a true pizza is one with loads of cheese on it. And that’s precisely my complaint with the pizza here. It lacked cheese and merely tasted like butter chicken spread on a pizza base. Even though the butter chicken was palatable, I wouldn’t recommend this pizza. On the other hand, the Thai Red Curry and Steamed Rice were brilliant. Though I am not an expert on Thai food, this combo will definitely tingle your taste buds. Grilled Fish with mashed potatoes was a befitting end to the main course.

For desserts we experimented with a Fruit Pizza which was not very much to my liking. Slices of fruit and chocolate sauce were spread on the base before being baked. Chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream was the table favourite for this Bloggers’ meet. I, for one, loved their Tiramisu. The strong flavor of coffee at the bottom was pure bliss! Presentation of all the desserts was alluring and one couldn’t stop taking pictures to drool over them later.

Overall, the food was quite impressive but the prices are a bit on the higher side. In an age where restaurants with minimalistic décor and comfort food are in vogue,  L’Adresse Kitchen and Bar attempts to make a space for itself with mesmerizing interiors and a taste of the Mediterranean. It is definitely worth a try.

Address- F-84, Industrial pocket, District Canter West, Vishal Enclave, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi

Cost for two- Rs. 1200

Contact No.- 9999400061

 

Anubhav Sapra
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.
http://www.delhifoodwalks.com
Posted on

The Westside Story

The Westside Story

By Prakriti Bhat

West Delhi is no longer isolated and deprived of culinary pleasures. With a booming restaurant business of its own, Rajouri Garden is home to many cafes and fine dining outlets like. The Westside Story is the newest addition to Rajouri Garden’s happening social circle. The owners Naveen Sachdeva, Praveen Sachdeva, Amit Behl and Sagar Thareja have left no stone unturned to make sure that West Side Story is a big hit in the city. After a grand launch, the restaurant hosted a Bloggers’ Meet on 25th September, 2015.

The best part about this place is its location. It is at a walking distance from the Rajouri Garden Metro Station which makes it quite accessible. The décor was simple yet classy with swanky chandeliers and tasteful furnishings. Head Chef Amrita guided us through the menu. “The main focus is on European dishes. But then, being in Rajoiuri Garden you can’t just do a Taco and ignore ethnic dishes like a Butter Chicken or a Dal Makhani. So we have tried to maintain a balance between Indian and other cuisines”, said Amrita. The menu encompasses a wide array of cookery like Indian, Mexican, Thai, Italian, etc. You name it and they have it. It also boasts of fusion dishes like Butter Chicken Spring Roll, Thai Curry Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tikka Taco and so on.

Crunchy Cheesy BrocolliWe began our meal with mocktails. Green Eyed Monster was a refreshing blend of green apple, lemon juice and soda. Mango Spice was like any regular mango juice, but with a chatpata twist. Next came the Thai specialty Som Tam Salad. Thai food is known to touch all the four taste buds; sweet, salty, sour and bitter and it did just that. Chicken Caesar Salad had one of the finest grilled chicken shreds I have ever had but the leaves weren’t very crunchy. Also the dressing disappointed me. Crispy Corn is the perfect dish to whet your appetite though it was quite similar to what one gets at Barbeque Nation. Thai Curry Chicken Tikka was a delicious fusion of Indo-Thai flavours. Crunchy Cheesy Broccoli was bliss. Never before has Broccoli tasted so good. Crispy outside, cheesy inside; what more can one ask for?

Dahi Ke KebabChinese Button Mushrooms were a delight; saucy, crunchy and flavorsome. However, the covering was a bit too hard. Harvest Vegetable Quesadilla was okayish or as one of the bloggers commented, “Too much of Popeye in it!” since it was brimming with spinach. The Vegetable Tilla Kebab was a dish of vegetable skewers which I found quite interesting. Karare Dahi ke Kabab was a big letdown. I am a lover of this dish but here the hung curd tasted sourer than is usually expected. The consistency was good but I have definitely had better. North Indians have always preferred a ‘Punjinese’ version of Chinese cuisine. That is to say, a heavily spiced and oily Punjabi version of Chinese food that one finds in every nook and corner of the city. The Butter Chicken Spring Roll took innovation to another level altogether. Here, the spring rolls are made with a desi chicken filling and served in a tiny glass with the Butter Chicken gravy. They also serve extra gravy, in case you want to dig in. Fantastic concept.

For the main course we began with Mushroom Rarah Pizza, again a coming together of two completely different cuisines. The topping was quite masaledar but the base was a little chewy which should not be the case with thin crust pizzas. Burmese Curry with white rice (since they don’t have Jasmine Rice) is a good option if you want to go for a Thai affair. The coconut oil gave it a very distinctive flavor.

Roganjosh is traditionally associated with the kashmiri mutton dish; simply because it relies heavily on oil and spices (mainly Kashmiri Mirch). But Roganjosh is not just restricted to mutton and can be extended to ingredients like Paneer or Bottle gourd. However, the Paneer Roganjosh here wasn’t spicy and infact a bit sweet, which is the complete opposite of a Roganjosh. Chicken Lababdar is a dish that will leave you asking for more. The spices, the succulent chicken; they are just perfect. To complement all these delicacies go for Garlic Naan. The Achari Naan has nothing achaari about it while the Lachha Parantha was not very soft. For desserts we tried Vanilla and Litchi Ice creams which, yet again were beautifully served.

The presentation was flawless and made every dish visually appealing. I believe that every dining experience should satiate your five senses. West Side Story ensured that. The aroma, taste, texture and presentation were top notch while the music did not go beyond a certain level. It was definitely a wholesome meal.

Address- C-7, Vishal Enclave, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi

Contact No.- 01133106167

Cost for two- Rs. 1400

Anubhav Sapra
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.
http://www.delhifoodwalks.com
Posted on

Lights Camera Action

Lights Camera Action

By Anubhav Sapra

In Khari Baoli, Pakodimal doodhwala used to sell excellent burfiwali lassi, which had a piece of burfi mixed in the yoghurt. His Mathura style lassi tastes similar in which the sweetness doesn’t come from added sugar but from the burfi. After he passed away a few years ago, I could not come across a better burfiwali lassi elsewhere in Delhi.

The other day, I went to Lights Camera Action (LCA), a new restaurant situated at B.K. Dutt Market in Rajouri Garden. I was extremely delighted to have been served the creamy, saffron colored, Mathura style burfiwali lassi. Although named Benarsi lassi sphere, it was flavored with the right amounts of kesar (saffron) and pista (pistachio) that simply burst in to the mouth tantalizing the senses and reminding me of UP. The lassi sphere which is served complimentary, reminded me of Pakodimal burfiwali’s lassi.

IMG_20150530_141911As the restaurant’s theme is Bollywood, the next complimentary dish that arrived on our tripod table was flavored popcorn (an intrinsic part of the movie watching experience). On the recommendation of Mr. Varun Puri, who is the proud owner of this restaurant, my food journey started with Rajnikant’s Early Morning Tea – a piping hot and spicy rasam. The presentation of the dish was quite engaging. The chai was served in a local dhaba style tea kettle with four glasses containing different ingredients – curry leaves as a substitute to tea leaves and coconut powder as a substitute to milk powder. The crushed curry leaves were added to the glass with coconut powder which formed oil on the sides. I enjoyed the preparation to the core.

The names of the dishes at LCA are quirky and interesting. Some of them are – “Main to tere pyaaz mein deewana ho gaya” (fried onion rings dusted with south Indian spices),“Bruceliii ki Broccoliii” (Broccoli marinated in Indian spices and cooked on charcoal), and some street delicacies – “sadak chaap momos” to  combo meals – “Dhoodh ka dhoodh paani ka paneer” (A paneer dish with dal, breads and salad).

IMG_20150530_143209These days street food with a slight modern twist is becoming quite popular amongst restaurants and some of the food writers have explained this as the ‘café-isation’ of street food. At LCA, papdi dhokla chaat is served with a twist, named Hollywood Nitrogen Papdi Dhokla Chaat, it is a real treat to the eyes, as the presentation and serving is done right in front of the guests.  Chef Arnav Puri makes the chaat by explaining every step patiently. The yoghurt and dhokla is frozen at -176 degrees using liquid nitrogen. The frozen crumbs of yoghurt is mixed with papdi, tamarind chutney, palak ka patta (spinach leaves), chopped boiled potato cubes then garnished with pomegranate seeds. At the top of it all, the frozen dhokla is crushed and mixed well in to the chaat. It was delightful to watch Chef Arnav in action!

IMG_20150530_153614The other dishes worth trying are – “Chammak Challo” which was an orange leafy salad with zesty dressings,“Pyaar tune Quesadillas” which is tortilla bread stuffed with cheese and sautéed vegetables in Kohlapuri spices and “Jhakaas Maska Pav bhaji” which is bhaji fondue with butter toasted pav.

The food journey which started with a molecular lassi sphere ended with a Social Media Coffee shake served in a ceramic glass with the logos of Facebook and Whatsapp imprinted on it.

Address – J2/6B, 3rd Floor, BK Dutt Market, Rajouri Garden (walking distance from Rajouri Garden Metro Station)

Cost for two : Rs 1500

Anubhav Sapra
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.
http://www.delhifoodwalks.com
Posted on

Channni Pishori Chicken

May 17, 2014

Channi Pishori Chicken

By Anubhav Sapra

 Continuing its endeavor of exploring the unexplored parts of Delhi’s streets, Delhi Food Walks (DFW)recently conducted a food walk in Vikaspuri, its third food walk in West Delhi after Tilak Nagar and Rajouri Garden. Most of the inhabitants of West Delhi are refugees who left Pakistan to settle down in India. The food, the names of the dishes and the cuisine are greatly influenced by this fact.

Of all the places that we visited in Vikaspuri during the food walk, my favorite was the famous Outer Ring Road wale Sardarji’s Channi Pishori Chicken. The place is owned by Daljeet Singh(cell 9810326023) and the address is Shop no. 29, J-Block, DDA Market, Vikaspuri. Daljeet, whose ancestors migrated from Peshawar in Pakistan, took over the shop in 2004 from his ailing father-in-law Channi and moved it to the DDA market from Outer Ring Road.

20140504_194901My foodie friend Kunal who is a resident of Vikaspuri recommended that I try their Tandoori Chicken. We ordered a plate with Roomali Roti. Served with nicely cut onion rings and green chutney, this was the best tandoori chicken I have ever had. The chicken was juicy and soft. I was intrigued to know what went into making this delectable dish –the preparation starts in the afternoon with the marination of the chicken with yogurt and spices; the chicken is then roasted to perfection and finally, the roasted chicken is garnished with mayonnaise, cream and spices. At Rs. 300 per plate, this dish is a must try’! The shop is open in the evening 5pm to 11pm.

Channi Pishori Chicken has given me a reason to plan another food walk in West Delhi to explore the unexplored.

 

 

Anubhav Sapra
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.
http://www.delhifoodwalks.com