In a nutshell: One of the best Dahi Bhalla chaats in town & awesome aloo tikki chaat. Address & other details: Natraj YUMMRAJ’s advice – Take a metro ride to Chandni chowk. Once u r out, come to the main chandni chowk road & ask anyone. Avoid taking ur car. Meal for 2: Rs. 60 onwards Cuisine Type: Vegetarian Description: For a hardcore carnivore like me, … Continue reading Natraj Dahi Bhalle wala (Opposite Parathewali Gali, Chandni Chowk, Delhi)
In a nutshell: Good décor & ambience, well mannered staff, overpriced food, smelly old meats consistently in all dishes, non authentic taste in general, with a few exceptions. Address & other details: Tarami Meal for 2: Rs. 1800 Tarami platter, Rs. 800 onwards for 2 alacarte Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian Short Description – In case u r in a hurry: My perception of overpriced … Continue reading Tarami (30 A, 1st Floor, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi )
If u have expat guests & want to give them a taste of good Indian food that will not give them a Delhi Belly, this is the place. If u want to go out on a date & have indian food, u might consider this. If u r thinkin of meeting friends in a nice environment with some good food , this place is a good option. A family outing to a nice restaurant for celebration – once again this qualifies. However, if u r a hardcore foodie to whom tastebuds only matter & not ambience, or to whom a dori kabab on an Old Delhi roadside amidst huge flow of human traffic butt brushing u constantly is super exciting, then this Restaurant might throw up some disappointments.
Well let me try to xplain this. There r very limited ‘excellent’ Indian food Restaurants in Delhi. If u narrow down to Awadhi cuisine (Lucknowi food), then ur options r highly limited to say the Legendary Dum Pukth, Kainoosh or say Indian accent. Indian fine dining is rare & specially if u r a fan of Dum food (slow cooked over low fire – a Lucknowi tradition).
My experience at Dum affairs was very good but has been surely better at Kainoosh, IndianAccent & the big Boss – Dum Pukth. I will happily part with Rs. 6000 for 2 at Dum Pukth but having paid Rs. 2800 for 2 at Dum affairs, I feel it is a bit overpriced. Its like a 2 hrs flight vs. a 14 hrs AC 1 Rajdhani. That is the difference.
The staff is extremely courteous & have good relevant product knowledge. They were quite attentive too, to our needs.
The ambience, as I mentioned, was very good. Nothing Awadhi about it but just plain good. Music was modern day Bollywood – I did not really get the connection of that with Lucknow.
innovative dessert
The food was a mix of outstanding & average. Authenticity did not seem to be a focus & the Chef has done a good job at doing some of the fusion cuisines. However, it wud have been good if the menu card displayed which ones r fusion & which ones authentic. For some dishes, that was obvious but it wasn’t obvious for the rest.
The first page of the menu card was a shocker to me – It had a section called ‘For the health freaks’ with salads etc. That was the most inappropriate section in a Lucknowi Restaurant – ‘healthy Lucknowi food’ is nothing short of an oxymoron.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
In a nutshell: I was quite impressed with the Mexican Section at TGIF – in addition to some of my usual American favourites. Unfortunately there r not too many stand-alone Mexican Restaurants in Gurgaon who serve Great Mexican food & most of those Restaurants have very chicken heavy menu. For Lamb, pork & beef lovers, TGIF is a welcome relief. Address & other details: TGIF … Continue reading TGI Fridays (Ground Floor, MGF Mall, MG Road Gurgaon) I
We had a really good time with some good Japanese Teppanyaki that however does not qualify as ‘the best I have ever had’ – A Japanese Restaurant in Delhi that has a live Teppanyaki counter, a sushi bar & more with very warm & interactive chefs who create good food from scratch right in front of u.
A general view of the Dining Hall of Kylin Premier Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj Delhi
Situated in Ambience Mall VasantKunj, this restaurant serves Japanese & other oriental cuisines. They also have a ‘Kylin Express’in the same Mall – at the food court.
The Restaurant is very tastefully made. As u enter, u realize that the Restaurant has a dim Lighting with individual lights near tables. Amidst this dim lighting, on the right hand side is a glass box that is illuminated & hence it totally stands out –different types of visually appealing sushis displayed in it. A little further, there is the bar area & then is the restaurant area. Beyond the Restaurant area is the area that appeals to me most in a Japanese Restaurant – Teppanyaki counter (Japanese live grill).
typical teppanyaki set up @ Kylin Premier Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj Delhi
The people in the Restaurant were very warm. I indulged in a little chat with two of the Teppanyaki Chefs. They are Indians but they have worked in Japanese 5 star Restaurants with Famous Japanese Chefs. The constant interaction with the chef as he was making our Dinner right in front of us – it was very interesting & enjoyable.
fried rice in the making on teppan @ Kylin Premier Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj Delhi
For the choice of food we stuck to the Japanese section & avoided the obvious non-Japanese hits like prawn butter garlic etc. We went for two Teppanyaki dishes – one recommended by the Chef as ‘must not miss in Kylin’ – Prawn & the other of our choice – Soy Salmon. New Zealand Lamb Chops & Pork Ribs also feature in ‘Chef’s recommendation’ according to the menu card – But we cud not manage to taste those due to sheer lack of space in our stomach pouches.
Noodles being made on the teppan
As I have mentioned above, the food was very enjoyable though not the best TeppanyakiI have ever had. This however has been one of the best Teppanyaki I have had in Delhi so far.
A view of teppanyaki counter & the background from our table @ Kylin Premier Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj Delhi
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy readin:
I loved my Mezze platter here after a long list of disappointments in Delhi NCR. I wud say as good as it can get on a food court by current standards in Delhi NCR.
Mezze platter @ Mezze Grill DEL 15, Food Court, Magic Moments Mall, Kirtinagar, New Delhi
Cuisine Type:Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
We chanced upon Magic Moments Mall yesterday & were pleasantly surprised by its interiors – Huge, Glitzy, large open spaces, high ceilings & so on – much better than most Malls in Gurgaon with the exception of Ambience. The Mall hosts a Huge & spacious Reliance Retail outlet (unlike thecluttered & stuffy Ambience Mall Gurgaon one), a huge ‘More’ supermarket, loads of brands, an Ice skating bar, a big kid’s play area etc. The food court named DEL15 was a revelation to me too. I think it is worth a visit to this place even if u do not stay in this part of the city.
Inside Magic Moments Mall Kirtinagar
DEL15, the Food court, is enormous – by enormous I mean enormous. Much bigger than any food court in Gurgaon. The look & feel is new & fresh. It is a mammoth squarish hall with Food counters on 3 of the 4 walls. The furniture is smartly done, lightweight modern chairs / sofas with wooden tables. There seemd to be a planned zoning in DEL15 like in food courts in other countries e.g. Food Republic, Cityplaza,TaikooShing, Hongkong.
DEL15 – Food Court at Magic Moments Mall Kirtinagar
For buying food, money has to be paid at a common cash counter – One has to buy Coupons that can be Redeemed at shops. Quite surprisingly, the purchase of coupons is strictly against cash – no debit or credit cards accepted. Though there are some restrictions, I am sure there r ways out of this. Not taking credit card is archaic in today’s world where most office goin youngsters live on cards. I am sure that the Mall owners can find a way out of this system by talking to tax experts.
I noticed quite a few diverse cuisines at the stalls run by Karim’s, Paranthas 21, Berco’s express, KFC, Subway, Haldiram’s, Vaango etc & of course Mezze Grill.
The Guy at counter of Mezze Grill was quite knowledgeable & seemed eager to answer all my questions. Not sure if rest of the staff members are like him / how he might behave in rush hour. Must mention here that we were there at 12.00 noon & the place was quite empty.
As I was talking to him, I noticed a large number of containers on the counter with names written on each. They contained the different dips that r served with Mezz food. I asked about an unusual looking salad & before I understood what was happening, he gave me to taste the salad on a tiny plastic ‘tasting’ spoon. I was feeling a bit shy but he insisted – not expected in food court. He also told me that the Chef is an Indian who has worked in Restaurants of Dubai & learnt the ‘real’ thing.
Smart seating @ Mezze Grill DEL 15, Food Court, Magic Moments Mall, Kirtinagar, New Delhi
As we started to decide on what to have we realized that they actually have a huge Menu. We chose the Mezze grill platter as it seemed to be a little bit of lot of things – Chicken Shish Taouk, Mutton CheloKabab, Grilled Fish Kabab, Rotisserie chicken, Chicken bites – all of that served with hummus, muhammara, Tzatziki, babaganoush, rice with gravy & tabouleh salad.
Dips & salads with Mezze Platter @ Mezze Grill DEL 15, Food Court, Magic Moments Mall, Kirtinagar, New Delhi
We cud not try the usual Shawarma roll / doner kabab roll as two of us were full after eating a Mezze Grill platter. (Note – Our appetite is average)
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoyreadin:
Desi Ghee bedami pooris with super hot ‘n spicy aloo that set my tongue on fire, made the traditional way – super enjoyable till the time u start thinking calories.
facade of the shop
Address & other details: Take a rickshaw from chandni chowk metro station to Maliwada on the main Chandni chowk road (after u cross parathe wali gali if walking towards Fatehpuri masjid). Enter the lane that has a board saying ‘ Moti Bazar vyapar samiti aapka hardik swagat karta hai’. As u hit the T point, turn right & u reach this shop to ur left.
Desi Ghee bedami pooris with aloo, nagori pooris with halwa & chholey Bhature the traditional way super enjoyable till the time u start thinking calories.
This is a review of Breakfast at The All American Diner
In a nutshell:
A drop of water in the desert – that’s what this place was like, but take note, the water is surely not a mineral water like ‘Evian’ but it is pond water carried in leather bags on a camel back for maybe 2 days!!!! To top it all, its offering is not as unique as before.
The logo outside the restaurant
Address & other details:The All American Diner
Meal for 2:Rs. 500 onwards
the beautiful interiors at All American Diner
Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
The Restaurant is Better than some other similar options in Delhi (in terms of food) but surely not comparable to good American Breakfast joints in America. Infact, Restaurants in Delhi like Choko la Khan Market , L’ Opera Khan Market, Eggspectation Vasant Kunj etc which r not just American, serve better breakfast egg dishes.
interesting competition at All American Diner
The Price is Indian for sure. That’s one argument that the Restaurant might have, for serving sub-optimal taste – An American Breakfast for approx. US$4 per dish? – u don’t get that in US for sure.
The interiors r superb – Black & white tiles , lots of bright colors, a colourful jukebox, outstanding posters all over the wall – Automobile ads of the past, Marylin Monroe ads, Alcohol ads & food ads like ‘People eat People’s meat’ – refers to a brand of meat called People’s meat. Peppy retro music that played in the background was enjoyable too.
The Guy who planned out this place is a genius & I admire his/her attention to detail. However, I am surprised at how they have left out the shop management in the hands of a bunch of uninterested people.
Retro stuff inside the diner
Service is much worse than even the smallest of most roadside eateries I have visited of late – at least in Dhabas waiters smile, greet, do not usually forget to inform ur order to the kitchen & try to accomodate people in a rush hour.
bacon & eggs platter at All American Diner
You may skip the description of our experience of bad service (in italics) if u r in a hurry –
The experience here at AAD was a disaster – We reached the Restaurant at 9.15 am. As we entered, we saw loads of people waiting. The guy in Black tee shirt (all others wore White Tee shirts) & a notebook in his hand appeared before us after about 5 minutes – till then we were looking all around trying to figure out what was happening. Even in Saravana Bhawan, a security guard notes ur name as soon as u reach there. As we asked him to note our names for getting a table, he looked at us with a facial expression that clearly said ‘oh S**t, two more morons’. Leave about being excited about getting customers, he was actually pissed. The sentence that he spoke post this & the tone was even more shocking ‘ There is a waiting of 1 hour. Do u still want to wait?’. I was getting the feeling that I was in a Govt. run ration shop where every customer is looked at like a pest who has come to spoil the shopkeeper’s time.
interesting retro posters & pics all over the walls
We decided to wait & to sit on the high stools on a side. We asked the same guy to give us a menu card so that we cud order some shake / smoothie to beat our hunger (we travelled all the way from Gurgaon). ‘Sorry, we do not serve food on the high stools’. We said – ‘We r not asking for food but drinks. This is a Rs. 1000 note – now that u r assured we will not run away, pls get us the menu card.’ He reluctantly handed us two menu cards with disgust writ all over his face. We decided on 2 drinks & as we wanted to place the order. The guy walked in front of us 3 times pretending not even to see us – almost running away & consciously avoiding eye contact. Finally we had to actually hijack his attention by getting in his way to stop him to take the order. See how desperate become when someone plays around with their hunger!!!
We got the seats at around 10.00 am – that also after one waiting guy in white tee tried to tell us that our name was not listed in the waiting list & I challenged him to get back the notebook in which names were written. He came back, without the notebook & said ‘ ur seats r ready’!!!
Orders were placed at 10.00am as soon as we sat & at 10.15 the guy returned to us – ‘Sorry, I forgot to punch the order on the system. Can u pls repeat the order’!!!! I failed to understand how that is possible. We obliged & finally got the food at 10.35. I had no idea it cud be such a struggle to get a breakfast after paying for it!!!!
the bar area at All American Diner
I also noticed that while there were people waiting, there were few couples seeing pictures from a laptop, or another group just chatting & not really eating something!!! Try that in other high traffic Restaurants like Saravana Bhawan & see what happens.
The food is not bad but not great either. I guess the myth of All American diner stems from the fact that when it was launched, there were no good alternatives & this was probably the best choice in town. Its surely time to deconstruct the myth – how about this:
If the joint is so popular & has so much waiting, why not have some more Restaurants? Why not have some more space? Why have snobbish staff with disasterous body language? Where does that pride stem from? The waiting guys? …………………… Well, nothing lasts forever. If someone else opens up a similar joint in Delhi on a larger scale, this one will not take time to wither.
another view of the interiors
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
Outstanding Nihari, nalli & few other traditional Mughal food in a simple setting with warm people & fast service.
Super YUMM Nihari at Haji Sharbati Nihariwale
How to get there: Get into the lane perpendicular to Gate no. 1 of Jama Masjid. Keep walking till u reach a ‘y’ point. Take the road on the left – almost in the same direction as u were walking. U will an old gate to a Haveli on ur left. Walk into the gate & on ur left is Haji Shabrati Nihariwale.
Jama Masjid, Delhi
The smartest thing to do is to take a rickshaw from Chawri Bazar metro station & entrust him with all the above details. U shud be there in not much time.
Road perpendicular to Gate no. 1, Jama Masjid
Meal for 2:Rs. 150 onwards (see rate chart as of July 2012)
The menu card (hung on the wall) at Haji Shabrati Nihariwale
Timings: Summers – 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm (best time to go 7.00 to 8.00), Winters 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm. The shop is shut at all other times.
Cuisine Type:Nonvegetarian
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
In case eating out for u includes ‘ambience’ / ‘professional service’ as a must ,pls do not go here. If ‘eating = health food’ for u, I wud strongly advice u not to even think of going here. However, if u r a foodie & believe that there is only one life & we shud make the best out of it, u must give this a try. Ur tastebuds will thank u for taking them to Haji Sharbati. All u will maybe need to do is to increase ur dosage of cardio exercises the following week.
curry made with nalli (bone marrow)
The shop is very old & does not seem to have been renovated for years. Everything there seems to have stood the test of time. Even the signboard outside the shop had almost turned black due to the smoke of the ovens. There are elements that might look messy but no one really cares. People come, wait in queues, eat & go.
the facade of the shop – the signboard with the name has also faded / blackened out
As u stand outside the shop u see a huge Handi (metal cooking container) fixed to the oven with clay atop a platform that is almost 2.5 feet high & an elderly gentleman sitting besides it & serving the contents to eating plates. Behind him is a tandoor & a guy sitting there is constantly making tandoori rotis here.
The elderly gentleman sitting on the platform in front of the huge handi
The platform (with the tandoor) covers half the shop & the rest is the sitting area.
View of the platform from inside the shop
The furniture is as basic as it can get.
the simple seating area at Haji Sharbati Nihariwale
The guy who serves the food is just another Human being & his responses are exactly like that – unlike trained restaurant waiters who are smiling & polite even when yelled at. My smile & friendly behaviour ensured that he treated us like his personal guest & we really had a good time.
A view of the entrance from inside the shop
The food rules – This is one of the best Niharis I have had so far. The gravy beats the Karim’s one hands down. The meat at Karim’s is slightly better textured than at Haji Shabrati.
Detailed description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
