Cafe Dalal Street, Delhi

After a bit of driving around, we finally found a place that was decent and within our budget to stay at. It was in Connaught Place, outer circle [or whatever it was called] . What this meant was we were spoilt for choice when it came to eat outs or drinking holes.  After quickly freshening up, we decided to step out for some lunch. We had spotted Haldiram's on the way over and so that was on our radar. As we began walking towards Haldiram's  we crossed Dalal Street with a board outside that showed prices for certain drinks and it seemed quite low. A friend in the gang paused and said why don’t we try this place today? Her husband was stumped and said No. We actually stopped him and demanded an explanation, and well, lets just say he had none… The next minute we turned back and went into this place. A narrow flight of stairs led us to the dimly lit pub, which had décor resembling a stock exchange.. words.. company names. Prices etc. We  found a table near which was a display screen showing the prices of drinks over a period of time.

Looks like it is one of those places where the price of drinks fluctuate based on demand and that is how you are charged.  We were quite excited about the place.. Began scouting through the menu, ordered drinks- a beer, a vodka with aam panna and few other indian spices and another vodka based cocktail . The drinks were good.. As for food, we decided to do some starters here before moving  to Haldirams for more food.

We ordered the Pani puri, except this one came with paneer butter masala instead of the sweet and tangy water. It was quite good, we loved it. Another starter we ordered was the vegetable quesedillah. Both the dishes were good and filling. We did try to wrap our head around the prices and how it fluctuated but gave up after a while, especially when the bill came. It is quite a cool place, and a different one at that- in terms of ambiance and concept.

As we left, we noticed quite a few groups walking in.. Maybe Delhi too was a city that woke up late over the weekend and partied late as well.

Address:

M-89/90, M Block, Outer Circle, Connaught Place, 

New Delhi 110001

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cafedalalstreet/

five sen5es, Westin, Velachery

On the eve of Chinese New Year, Westin Chennai Velachery unveiled their newest addition, the Chinese  Restaurant on the 1st floor [across from Willows, the sports bar] Five Sen5es. The interiors are simple yet reflective of Chinese culture, there is a large installation of sorts with a dragon and Chinese words on plaques around it. The ambiance reflects the contemporary elegance and brings out undiscovered facets of Sichuan cuisine with Executive Chef Yatendra Rawat holding the reigns with a team working hard..

While we waited for the food to arrive, I chatted with Chef about his culinary journey, what it was like to work abroad versus working in India, and specifically Chennai. It was quite interesting listening to his experiences and challenges he came upon! He has worked in Macau, China, Singapore before making his way to Chennai. Hailing from Delhi, the food hub of our country [well one that I love atleast] he shared his experience of working in an Indian restaurant to a Pan asian in China. He also told us about how in China seafood is sold live, swimming in buckets of water. You get to go to the market, pick what you like and they bag it for you. Infact there are are restaurants that will bring live seafood to the table for customers to choose from, and how seafood platter sometimes has live seafood flapping about. 

I also discovered that there are "Eight Culinary Cuisines" of China - Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang cuisines.. The most common and one that Indians love is Sichuan, which is slightly spicy.. Cantonese on the other hand is fairly bland and simple.. Most dishes are gently tossed in the wok with salt, and garlic!

Chef told us they have managed to bring in authentic pots, bowls, plates to cook/serve the dishes and has kept flavours as close to the original as possible... And he was so right, the meal was divine!! 

The evening opened with different kinds of Sushi- I loved the veg one- Vegetable Futomaki [seaweed rice rolled with crunchy vegetables inside] and the wasabi, pickled ginger and soya sauce was yummy.. It was followed by a bowl of soup- Soto Ayam - a clear soup with fresh greens and wontons.. 

As for the mains, I got to try the melt in your mouth Tofu that had been cooked in Chengu sauce with the Hot Basil Thai Rice [cooked with fresh basil and thai jasmine rice which was slightly sticky].. Oh not to forget the beautiful stir fried greens [brocolli, boo choy & snow peas].. 

Time was flying by, but the conversation flowed freely and we had such a good time learning about various cuisines, the little insights that the Chef shared that we completely forgot about desserts. Three desserts made their way to the table, - Pumpkin Pudding [ smooth, creamy and heaven in a bowl], the Portuguese Egg tart with ice cream and Lava Cake[with the surprise tucked within a spoonful- the subtle lemongrass flavour]. The clear winner among desserts is the Pumpkin pudding for me!! 

By the time we were done with dinner, we knew this was a restaurant that we would be coming back to for sure. Chef also told us they were going to host a Dimsum festival in March and something else in April.. 

As we left the restaurant, oriental music continued to play in the background and the customers were buzzing in the restaurant...

For now they are open only for Dinner - 7pm to 11pm

Cost for 2 people- Rs2500 onwards [excl Alcohol]

Website Url: Westin Chennai Velachery 

Address: 

#154, Velachery Main Rd, Velachery, 

Chennai -600042

Phone: 044 6633 3777

Disclaimer: The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit :-)

Chocolate Brunch at Flying Elephant in Park Hyatt, Chennai

It was a Brunch with a difference.. Actually it was a one of a kind brunch, atleast I havent heard of one this kind.. This was not the first time I was at the Hotel or the restaurant, but this was the first time I was here for the Brunch..Park Hyatt Chennai partnered with Cocoatrait for a brunch like no other at Flying Elephant ... just for a day [last Sunday 28th Feb].. It was a meal where they showcased chocolates, whose beans have originated in exotic lands like Madagascar, Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador. Their chefs have thoughtfully integrated them into dishes like risotto, salads and many other savoury dishes taking us on an exquisite experience that is beyond the usual. The brunch finishes with the delectable desserts that are sheer works of art.

Some of the dishes we tasted were Madagascar Dark Chocolate Paneer Tikka, Colombian Chocolate Pizza and Ecuadorian Organic Lemon Grass Chocolate .. mouth watering right??!! Hah, you had to be there to savour the flavours and soak it all in... 

Am not even gonna explain the dishes, I would end up drooling and forgetting what I was writing.. So, just feast your eyes on these images and dream on... 

The three men behind the Chocolate Brunch- Chef Grzegorz Odolak [Park Hyatt], L Nitin Chordia [Cocoatrait] and Chef Vamsi Krishna Gadiraju [Park Hyatt] [Image Courtesy:Mohamed Ali]

Sushi [veg]

Mocktail, Fruit salad and Butternut squash soup- all laced with chocolate

Pizza, paneer tikka, Risotto and Polenta cakes

 Divine desserts - Brownie with Pacari chocolate, chocolate cup with mango filling, chocolate dense cake that had a layer of salt which was just WOW, Banoffee pie and Fruit tart

 Chocolate and Blueberry Macarons

 More from the dessert counter... Including Rasamalai and cake pops

We spent not one or two but a good four hours at the restaurant, talking about chocolate, listening to Nitin explain the fine details and aspects of each of these chocolates and the conversation flowed beyond the food... That is how at home we felt at Park hyatt!! Until next time, adios~!! 

Address:

PARK HYATT CHENNAI

#39 Velachery Road, Near Raj Bhavan

Chennai,  

Tel: +91 44 7177 1234

Disclaimer: The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit :-)

Food hunt in Chandni Chowk, Delhi

Wanting to do something new, something offbeat, we decided to head out and explore Old delhi - Chandni Chowk to be specific...After walking up and down the streets, amidst crazy crowds, listening to people bargain till their throats ran dry,we headed out on a small food hunt, well it was more me than others, they just tagged along sweetly..  Earlier that day on Instagram I had spotted a picture shared by a friend that looked interesting, I commented asking him where it was from and he replied Delhi. I once again commented asking for details, and all he said was "Khari Baoli". I assumed there would be a step well around here somewhere [ since Baoli meant well/step well], but there was no sign nor did anyone know of it.. 

I had no clues where this was, but when we enquired came to know it is the largest Spice Market in Asia and was just around the corner. Everywhere I turned, i spotted shops retailing spices of all kinds, there were vendors selling fresh vegetables that looked so tempting and it was an assault on our senses and a feast for the eyes as well..

Once again, few stores down, I actually showed the picture to a hawker asking if he knew where this was available. He instantly pointed to a store down the road and said Gole Hatti was the shop to go to. They were quite amused that I was on haunt based on an image from the internet that was visible on my phone. :-) Was quite amusing watching their reactions, one guy called another guy and they both chirped away animatedly telling me to head down the road. Friends had gone ahead and found the place before I got to them to announce the name of the place.. And there it was, in front of my eyes. I was excited, like I had found something I had been looking for all my life.. Such cheap thrills in life, right? Went over to the counter outside and showed the man there the picture asking if they had the dish. He once again beamed, was full of questions and said they did have it, just enough for two portions. It is mostly served during lunch, and they had nearly run out of the stuff. 

It was nothing complicated- a matka pot with basmati rice at the bottom, a spoonful of Chole, a spoonful of Palak and some fresh vegetables sliced up on top- Radish, carrots and onions. It was called "Khullad wale Cholle Chawal" or "Palak Chole Chawal".. We took our prize inside the small restaurant, found a table sat down to sample it. Simple dish but was delicious[was priced at Rs 60].. I couldn't stop smiling and my friends were quite amused... 

During the evening, through the little chit chatting here and a hello there, I came to know that Khari Market was established around the Fatehpuri Masjid [Mosque] that was built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum[one of the wives of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan]. It was intact a ‘Salty Step well’ that was constructed during the Mughal Emperor’s reign wherein this salty water well was used for bathing animals. Nobody knew where the well was or if it is still around. 

As we walked back towards the Metro Station, the hustle and bustle of the market continued, people shouting to each other, vehicles nearly crashing into each other and people elbowing their way through the crowded alleys. 

Address:

Gole Hatti

2-4, Church Mission Road, Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi