Thai and Spanish at Aman -Delhi's best kept secret till now!

Visit the Aman, Delhi for the Thai and Spanish cuisine restt and it will be the closest you would get to what their authentic food is supposed to taste like

So what is there secret sauce?

As we were deliberating on it, excited about having discovered an authentic thai resst in Delhi at last, we were paid a surprice visit by friends who had just had a similar experience at the spanish restt.

We asked her this question and her reply was thats it is definitely the ingredients - "the vegetables in the thai preparation taste as if you are having winter vegetables - the pakchoy is crisp and fresh and some of the vegetable put are otherwise only seen in Thailand! - i couldnt agree with her more. She also tried the Spanish restt and had a similar experience having the Tapas!

We salute the Aman for serving two fabulous cuisines and still being discreet!

Punjab grill - jiggs kalra new restt

Jiggs Kalra much awaited Punjabi cuisine (i.e. Punjab spanning across the two borders) finally opened this weekend.

And yes, Mr Kalra hasnt disappointed - we just tried the two litmus test dishes of a punjabi restt - the kaali daal and tandoori chicken - and would rate it almost at par with bukhara! and the great part is that he has not been afraid to experiment with a liberal menu (salmon tikka an example)

the daal was supposed to be cooked overnight and the amazing mix of flavors reflected that and the tandoori was well marinated

the restt also has an open dining area and will provide a great ambience in winters.

We rounded up with a great phirni!

Is DLF Place, Saket - the new food paradise?

DLF Place, Saket certainly has an ace up its sleeve to compete with the big brother Select City Walk and MGF Mall - its the number of eateries in the mall.

One look at the food plaza at DLF Place and you will realize the difference. Haldiram is the big draw but they also have atleast a dozen more eateries that run capacity throughout the week.

In addition there are a dozen odd standalone restaurants -some new entrants as well. Here is our review of some of them:

New World Mainland China: Excellent ambience (similar to Chinese restt in Grand Hyatt Mumbai -that may take the prize for best chinese restt in India). However we were disappointed with the food. It seems New world Mainlan China = Mainland china recipe + extra aginomoto + extra vinegar.....do let us know if you had a different experience

Hard Rock CAfe: Our 3rd unsuccessful attempt to get a table in the place in the last one week. We got an opportunity to see the place - amazing ambience, there is energy/buzz all around the restt that makes you forget you were tired. It is the decor, the dj and the 'i wear best brand' dilliwalas that create the buzz. Hope to try the food soon!

CAfe Oz: REminiscent of small cafes in the west. An ideal place to go and chill for breakfast (starts at 11:00 am) or snack. Selection of Sandwiches, salads, deserts were tempting and tasted just fine...a must visit too

Well so it DLF Place Saket- the new food paradise? - wait a few more weeks for the verdict!

Tamarind bhindi!

Ever heard of this? It is my all time favourite south Indian dish. Its made with tamarind and tomato with lots of good flavoring. This is my litmus test for a good south Indian restaurant. For many years it was only Dakshin that made it well.

But last evening I discovered a hidden treasure in Delhi!.. its called "Kaustubh"!

Situated behind Select City Walk in Saket in a small corner, you are sure to miss it in the glamor of the mall. We had appams, urlai roast and tamarind okra with malabar paratha... heavenly experience. The other must try is the Adai they serve with gur and makhan (forget calories at home for sure!!!)

A must visit for people who value good flavor in food!

Also as a special mention for our first follower.. they do serve good dahi idli :o)

I am buzzing!

I tried the most amazing cocktail yesterday, its called Ghari Cocktail... Its a blend of ginger and vodka.. Truely amazing.. Just what I wanted after a long day.

Do try it at Ai!

Thank God its Tuesday!

Ai's best kept secret is the 7 course vegetarion set menu they serve only on Tuesdays - Each item on the menu has a distinct exotic flavor (example - greent tea flavored soup) - gets you wondering how that mix of flavor was arrived at and a clear alternative to the chinese and thai flavors we are used to.

The best part:

1. even if you dont like a particular course (quite likely in a new cuisine) you have six more chances of discovering/realizing a new flavor you can rave about
   
2. explore japanese cuisine other than the popular sushi, sahismi, tempura, etc.
   
3. The desert platter - signature olive molten cake plus a surprise

So next time wondering on how to kick-start the weekly eating-out schedule on a Tuesday (assuming Mondays are for detox for the previous week).....

Contest for chocolate lovers!

Hey All,

If you are a chocolate lover .. then tell us which is the best dark chocolate in the world???

Hint: It has alteast 90% cocoa content, cocoa pods from Ghana and its not from Cadburys

The winner gets a chocolate bar shipped to their address !

Common.. lets get the right answer!

Help for best modern chinese food eatery in town

The owners of Ginger Moon (Khan Market) popular for 'old style' chinese (basically euphimism for delhi style chinese - chili ckicken, vegetable in hot garlic sauce, haka noodles, etc.) have taken a bold step in opening a 'new style' chinese restt in Select City Walk - 'Joy Luck Moon' - havent had such good chinese food for a long time - dishes like - rice wrap sprinrolls, veg salad (basically a variant of som tam), even the old loyal hot& sour soup, etc. have a refreshing new flavor.....

so if you all want to support the new style chinese movement in Delhi...you know where to visit

For those looking for a good midway between old style and new style chinese - chili seasons at Defence colony market is a good bet too!

Sunday evening coffee.. my way!

What do you want on a lazy Sunday evening? Soothing piano music... coffee, chocolate waffle and ambiance that disconnects you from the world!

There is a place like this in Delhi, its at the Emporio Mall (Vasant Kunj). The coffee shop at the ground floor serves one of the best freshly brewed coffee, sandwiches, amazing chocolate waffles/ crepes and to top it all there is live soft piano playing.

This is definitely where I like to be and just relax...

Rama ki Dukan

The med department says its going to rain tomorrow. Well, if it does do goto "Rama Ki Dukan" in CP opposite Odeon cinema behind the masjid.. It serves the best "meat tari chawal".. I have not had this in a long while.. its totally sinful.

Just close your eyes and enjoy the food!!

The first course!

Well, my friend asks which place will I write about today! Hmm, its a difficult choice on a day when we have to watch the IPL semi finals. What should the first course be?
Let me start with some multi grain bread toasted from Angels in my Kitchen with butter and hot tea.... truely heavenly.
To move on from here and survive the evening, I would probably stop at Choko la for a nice shot of chocolate and pizza.. Trust me if you have not tried the Chocolate drink at Choko la .. you are missing something. It serves chocolate shake with 75% cocoa .... no milk... its pure unadulterated chocolate... served with a small melting pizza slice is an absolute first course on a day it has drizzled with light breeze and semi finals to follow.

This was my pick for the day... wait to know more!