In a nutshell: YUMMRAJ’s favorite Kashmiri food takeaway now has a restaurant – Tiny restaurant, nice simple interiors, average service but outstanding food………….. . Address & other details: Matamaal Meal for 2: 500 onwards Cuisine type : vegetarian & non vegetarian Disclaimer: All restaurants / eateries reviewed by YUMMRAJ were visited by YUMMRAJ himself & he has paid for the full Bill & tips also. http://www.yummraj.com does not have … Continue reading Matamaal (203, DLF City Court, Sikandarpur, Gurgaon)
In a nutshell: A tiny beautifully done restaurant that serves good (but short of wow) Kashmiri curries & some pretty average reheated snacks / starters. For non foodies / those not much exposed to Kasmiri cuisine / non Indian Guests, the curries might b very enjoyable as it is. Address & other details: Kashmiri Kitchen Meal for 2: Rs. 500 onwards Cuisine type: vegetarian & … Continue reading Kashmiri Kitchen (Beside Metro Pillar No. 109, Near Ghitorni Metro Station, MG Road, Ghitorni, New 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 )
Best Kashmiri Food in Delhi & an unforgettable experience that must not be missed by anyone visiting Delhi specially non Indians & NRIs – a good selection of dishes from the 30+ course famed Kashmiri Wazwan & also food from other places in India, Old World Service & a unique & curious decor.
inside Chor Bizarre – A vintage car acts as a street-food buffet
The Restaurant is situated in the Ground floor of Hotel Broadway in Old Delhi. Its name ‘Chor Bizarre’ refers to “Chor Bazar’ which means ‘Thieves market’. Everything in the restaurant has a reason to be ther. All table – chair combos look different & the cutlery is different as well. The wall – furniture & other knick knacks r one of their kind. The menu card says ‘ If u like a particular piece of cutlery / item, just ask ur waiter – He might offer a price & u can go back home with just not a dinner but a piece of memory’.
the interiors of Chor Bizarre
An unforgettable sight in the Restaurant is a vintage car turned into a ‘chhat corner’ – Streedfood buffet atop a vintage car.
buffet on a vintage car – at Chor Bizarre
As I mentioned, this is a must-visit for everone visiting Delhi, specially for all non Indians & NRIs. A concept restaurant that stands out from the rest & whose uniqueness & attention to detail makes the experience unforgettable. I wud say that the person who conceptualized this is a genius & a huge applause also goes to the guys who executed this.
They also organize food walks, heritage walks etc. YUMMRAJ recommends all non Indian / NRI Guests to visit this place for food & the experience. Infact, during the whole evening, we were the only Indian diners!!!!
General view of the Dining Hall at Chor Bizarre
The detailed menu card of this place pleasantly surprised me. It listed food from all parts of India & mentioned the same as well. However the highlight of this place is Kashmiri food – This is a cuisine that not too many Restaurants serve & it is a cuisine that not too many restaurants have the caliber to make. In fact, the traditional Wazwan chefs called ‘Wazas’ rarely share their secret recipes with Restaurants.
the interesting menu card of Chor Bizarre
Wazwanis a multi-course meat heavy meal in Kashmiri cuisine, the preparation of which is considered an art and a point of pride in Kashmir. Guests are seated traditionally on the floor, in groups of four and share the meal out of a large metal plate called the tarami.
Chor Bizarre menu card has a subset of the full 30+ course dishes. They however organize a full course Wazwan for minimum of 20 Guests – all u have to do is to call them in advance &they will arrange for the same. They organize this in the traditional manner in which one has to sit on carpets on floor & share the food.
The service is Old World – The waiting staff is not necessarily a ‘Hotel Management’ Graduate but has that old world manners, knowledge, warmth, authority & relationship. That’s quite a rare experience nowadays.
Bar menu in a bottle that opens into half!!!!! at Chor Bizarre
We ordered for a Kashmiri platter ‘Tarami’ – turned out to be the best Kashmiri platter in Delhi NCR – haaq (saag), Gushtaba (hand pounded meat balls), Roganjosh, Rajma, Tabak Maaz (Kashmiri style fried lamb ribs), crispy fried lotus stem, Kashmiri kukkad (chicken) on a bed of long grained perfectly cooked rice. We also tried palak rishta & an excellent nadru (Kamal Kakri / lotus stem) yakhni. A mooli akhrot dip (radish + walnut) served with the food was superb. Finished the meal with very good phirni (dessert) & Kahwa (Kashmiri tea). Even the mouth-freshner was presented in a very interesting way.
Mooli akhrot dip – served at Chor Bizarre
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
Apologize in the beginning for not having YUMM food snaps as u see in all posts on http://www.yummraj.com. There was a ‘no photography’ policy at this restaurant. I was told by another foodie friend that this policy cud b exempted for us if I wud have said I was a food blogger. But that is precisely what I hate doing. If I tell I am a food blogger, I might get a lot of extra attention which an average diner wud not get. As mentioned in ‘about’, I believe in dining like any normal diner & passing on the feedback to u in my posts so that it is as unbiased as possible.
This Restaurant is inside Culture Gully, the food court cum shopping area of the Kingdom of Dreams. One has to buy tickets for Rs. 750 (pls check exact amount as it keeps changing) per person & can spend the same on anything from food to decoratives. If u are not able to spend the full Rs. 750, a part of the balance is returned.
The Restaurant is very beautifully done – traditional Green & white decor with outstanding intricate designs in everything from the walls to the pillars to the furniture, right up to the cutlery. The look & feel is like a Nawabi Court of the Olden days.
The center of the pillared hall is devoted to the Qawwals who sing throughout the evening. They are ‘theth’ as in as ‘rustic’ as one can get – not the polished Bollywood inspired Qawwals that we come across these days. If u dislike Qawwalis or Sufi music, u might be irritated but for a Qawwali fan like me, it was an excellent experience.
The waiters are Old School – They are knowledgeable, smile less, are not smooth talkers & the types u come across old restaurants that have been around for say 50 years.
The food has been good & we had always liked the Awadhi Dum Biryani on all occasions sans the last. Kababs are good as well.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy reading:
YUMMRAJ shifts the crown of ‘Best Biryani in Kolkata’ from Arsalan after eating for the second time at Aafreen. Arsalan is now ‘Best Mutton Biryani in Kolkata’. This shift is purely on the basis of taste – not anything else.
drooling good biryani at Aafreen
Crispy Layered laccha parathas, super tasty subtle rezala , fiery looking bhuna that is very tasty & yet not half as fiery as it looks, a grainy & robust tasting Chhap, a subtle burhani to cool all this & the showstopper – As I write, I am salivating just at the thought of the biryani, even a week after munching it……… soft, melt in the mouth rice, not dry but not very greasy as well & unbelievably tender & tasty meat.
Chicken Chhap on slow fire
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
Cuisine type: Predominantly Nonvegetarian with vegetarian options thrown in
pictorial & 'historical' table mat at Arsalan
Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:
The menu card is long. My reco to friends is that do not waste time & energy & imagination – just order Arsalan special Biryani with Mutton kosha, ishtew & chhamp as side dishes. For Kolkattans, a Mutton Burrah wud alsob a good idea. For Dilliwallas, The Burrah of Karims is a few shades better.
Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:
