Delhi Street Food at Buzz, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai till 30th Sep

Imagine squeezing your way through the crowded lanes in Chandni Chowk or Jama Masjid in Delhi- the aromas of freshly made samosa, the kebabs, hot paranthas wafting in the air and then there are the vendors selling nimbu pani, shikanji , thick creamy lassi or even the kulfi in a matka to those who stop for something to give em the energy to go further..  Infact during my recent trip to Delhi I did visit Chandni Chowk and we had a blast... [Have written about them here and here]

All this and more is what we got at the Delhi Street Food festival at Buzz in The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway.. The only difference is you get to taste all the yumminess of street food in a beautiful ambiance with good cutlery and of course cooked in a hygienic surrounding [But then, I do agree that the charm of eating along the street side is something else].. With Navratri around the corner, Delhi and the food is something I always think about [ the food at Ramleela event on the last day is just mind blowing]

So, as part of this festival, the spread at Buzz was outstanding. They had flown down a Chef from their property up North and the food was absolutely amazing. I also got to meet their in house Chef Meril who explained how the whole thing came about. We got to try Rahul ka anda, Gupta ke Burger, Bishan swaroop chaat[fruit chaat] and so much more that beautiful evening. 

The evening opened with the two divine drinks- 

Angoor Sherbet & Malai Lassi- Loved the Angoor drink, it was grapes with subtle blend of spices [ mint, jeera, black salt]. The Lassi was thick and perfect.

Chat counter 

Samosa Chaat - the filling was so different from what we usually get, loved it

Palak Kachori with Subzi- this was my favourite- loved the kachori 

Bishan swaroop chaat (fruit chaat) - this was humble papaya with boondi and chaat masala on top 

Aloo tikki - served with a spoonful of channa masala the tikki was soft , crisp and hot.

Golgappe (served with variety of flavored water)

Potato Bajji - the familiar bhaji was served hot , which makes it that much more enjoyable.

Live stations

Kadi Chawal - loved it, was the perfect comfort food.. 

Gupta Burger counter - a different version of vada paav, the bun was crisp and the patty nice and soft.

Rahul Anda counter- this was basically toast with egg on top 

Appetizers from onsite Live stations

Paranthe counter - Mooli, Aloo , onions - oh this took me back to the Paranthe wali galli and these were sinfully yumm with a dollop of curd. 

Amritsari kulcha with chole - it had masala in filling and generous spread of ajwain on top

Chole Bhature- the Bhature was just so soft, i couldn't resist having a few bites with the gravies..

Mains

Roti and Plain rice are available with the gravies- 

Bharwan Tinda Masala, Chui mui kofta & Dal Sultani   [there were two kinds of biryanis and few sides for the Non vegetarians]

Dessert counter

Rabdi Falooda / Jalebi / Teel wali Kulfi / Phirni

There was barely any space, we were all comatose with the bites I had greedily had over the course of the evening. But managed to make some space to try the desserts.Loved the kulfi and falooda. The jalebi was tad too sweet for me.

This Buffet Dinner is priced at Rs. 1200 plus taxes [works out to about Rs1470 per pax] . If you have wine/alcohol, the rates will differ. This festival is on till the 30th, so if you have fond memories of Delhi Street food or have been craving any of these, do a reservation and head over there right away.. It is well worth the drive.. 

Address: 309 Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), Sholinganallur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600119

Phone: 044 6680 2500

URL: https://gateway.tajhotels.com/en-in/it-expressway-chennai/

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. 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