Tailor-Made Gastronomy At The Darzi Bar...

The Darzi Bar, located in Connaught Place is one of the places in Delhi's F&B space dedicated to providing a bespoke culinary experience.

Simply put in the words of MasterChef India Season 2 Winner Shipra Khanna whose brainchild Darzi is, as clothes are custom-made for the body, the dishes plated at Darzi are custom-made for the belly.

Located up a flight of stairs with a designated neon-lit trial room at the entrance overlooking a wall full of thread bobbins, the interiors at Darzi stay true to the theme from the word go.

There are neon-lit banners across the outlet, the bar counter is bordered with an inch-tape like inscription, there are tailoring machines for lamps, and life-like tailoring scissors put up on the walls.

Coming to the nomenclature of the dishes on the menu, that too is inspired from Master Ji's dialect and tailoring terms strewn across.

On the whole, the menu has a good variety to offer across Indian, Oriental, Italian, and Continental cuisines and it would be best to go by Chef's recommendation.

Here's what you must try when at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen...

Beverages:

Eye Blinker, a concoction of kokum, chili, mint, lime, and cumin, making the eyes blink in the first sip, true to its name.

Peachy Zipper was a grainy blend of peach and watermelon.

Inch Tape was a pineapple and lavender beverage presented in a vial of smoky liquid nitrogen.

Soup & Salad:

Mexican Tomato and Red Kidney Bean is the classic tomato broth done the Darzi way.

The Original Greek Salad tossed in vinaigrette is done right at Darzi with a hearty mix of tomatoes, olives, feta, and onions finished with oregano.

From the All Day Menu...

Kuliya Ki Chaat was reminiscent of Old Delhi in being a bite-sized fruit and vegetable chaat that had scooped cucumber, apple, and tomato stuffed with an eclectic mix of pomegranate seeds, boiled chickpeas and chaat masala.

ISBT Makhani Maggi was also prepared the street food way with cheese and makhani gravy.

Appetizers:

Kandhari Paneer Tikka is a Darzi specialty and a true must-have, with soft cottage cheese cubes being marinated in beetroot and topped with a couple of pomegranate seeds.

Veg Quesadilla was a true-blue Mexican style platter with salsa and sour cream on the side. The tortilla was crisp, the filling was ample too.

Dahi Ke Kebab was the authentic hung curd snack prepared right at Darzi.

Amritsari Machchi was the classic Fish 'n' Chips platter done right with crisp fish fillet - mustard tartar dip and crinkle fries on the side.

BBQ Chicken Wings rendered in hot barbeque sauce with crinkle fries on the side.

Sulemani Anda is the ultimate egg dish at Darzi, being a one-pan meal with minced egg filled inside a baked egg preparation.

Main Course:

Achari Paneer Pizza at Darzi is a thin-crust veggies and pickled cottage cheese pizza.

Desserts:

Shahi Tukda Croquants were rendered in a pool of Rasmalai, topped with a scoop of Kesar Pista ice cream and garnished with chocolate chips.

Pineapple Halwa is a good break from the run-of-mill Moong Dal Halwa at Darzi.

All in all, I had a great time at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen. :)

An Anglo-Indian Gastronomic Sojourn...

Indian food is known across the world for its sheer variety and is characterized by its elaborate use of different ingredients and cooking techniques. But little do we realize that many of our acclaimed cuisines are a by-product of our unique history. 

For centuries, the Indian subcontinent attracted immense interest from all parts of the world, particularly that of contemporary European traders, who coveted the one cargo which was literally worth its weight in gold, spices.  In a welcome but rather unexpected twist of irony, the very spices which drove The British Empire to undertake this mammoth responsibility of colonial subjugation also became a reason for bridging two different cultures and winning over the hearts and minds of the 'masters', instead of the intended another way around. 

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth Century, British and other European settlers would often be enthralled by the spectacular assortment of food and spices from the myriad regions of the Indian subcontinent. The flavours were exciting and the aromas enchanting, unlike anything they had ever tasted before. But to be truly palatable to most British settlers, these centuries-old recipes needed to be 're-imagined' with a little bit of good old British 'flavour fundamentals'. 

Here lay the foundations of what we now know as 'Anglo-Indian' cuisine, a hallmark of India's culture of acceptance and co-existence. 

The British essentially mellowed down and anglicised certain Indian dishes with acceptable levels of spice and tweaked some of their signature English meals with Indian flavours. The resulting cuisine was relished in formal settings and on evenings when English Sahibs, Indian Princes and bejewelled ladies would gather together to enjoy the finest whiskeys and wines, and the elaborate and extensive menus each night, prepared laboriously by the cooks were only outdone by others the next night. Their fare was honed to perfection at quintessential colonial institutions like gentleman’s clubs, railway kitchens and Army messes. 

The fairly new Anglow is a one of its kind Anglo-Indian Themed Whiskey Bar and Kitchen that embodies the spirit of this culture for its sentimental patrons who still reminisce about the glorious days of the British Raj. Situated in central Delhi's Khan Market (often compared to the famous Regent Street in London), Anglow is the brainchild of Ajit Singh and Arpan Gupta, two seasoned restaurateurs who have curated a one-of-a-kind Anglo-Indian dining experience. Anglow goes beyond its exquisite food and whiskeys, it's a deep dive into our shared cultural history and the way it shaped our cuisines of today, a unique tradition handed down over generations.

Anglow pays tribute to the Khansamas, the Indian cooks of the Memsahibs of the British era. Inspired by the tales of well-kept secrets of the Anglo-Indian kitchens that only a few from the previous generations have managed to keep alive, Anglow promises to bring us the stunning flavours from our past in a setting which is inspired by the grandeur of our colonial heritage. 

Offering an array of options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners, the restaurant specializes in distinctly Anglo-Indian fare ranging from the aesthetic Deviled Scotch Eggs, to the dish that became legendary among European settlers here in India, the Fish Fingers, which the classically panko fried River Sole strips. The kitchen also serves up a popular Anglo-Indian dish that owes its origins to a north Indian staple we all know as Khichri, made to include a few 'western-world' herbs and ingredients like parsley and flaked fish and lovingly called Kedegree by its growing base of fans back in England. Sweet conclusions like Tipsy Pudding layered with cake, custard, and fruit chunks make the meal worthwhile. 

To complement this one-of-a-kind food experience, Anglow offers a carefully curated selection of beverages to ensure that even the most rigid connoisseurs end up with a sly grin of satisfaction when they enter the elegant surroundings of Anglow, namely Ginger Smoke with the distinct subtlety of nutmeg and the authentic Virgin Mary served in a salt-rimmed glass. 

The setting is elegant and posh, evocative of Drinking Parlours and Clubs of colonial India with memorabilia predating Independence, collected and unassumingly displayed for the keen observer. Anglow exudes old-world charm fused unequivocally with present-day India to bring forth a wholehearted celebration of our rich Anglo-Indian cultural inheritance.  :)

Regional Specialties From A Culinary Journey...

The G.T. Road is a restaurant modelled around the concept of Asia's well-known trade route by the same name - linking four countries and leaving its traces through three empires beginning from the Mauryan Empire.

Spanning across the length and breadth of the massive 2600 km, the Grand Trunk Road still facilitates transportation for commoners and traders alike. And hence, The G.T. Road is a culinary journey that traverses 2600 km to bring the best of dishes from Kabul to Chittagong. 

Spinning off on the concept of dining like a prince but paying like a pauper, G.T. Road caters to the variation of spoilt-for-choice buffet with the local specialties of the countries that the roadway passes through being brought to the table.

The G.T. Road spells vintage like no other, with the customary vintage car at the entrance, coins, rifles, artefacts, photographs and archaic utensils perfecting the ambiance.

On a recent visit to Chandigarh over the long weekend, one of the restaurants we chose to dine at was this one, and pleasantly, the Delhi outlet and this outlet could be said to be the mirror images of each other as far as the overall experience is concerned.

From on-table grills to the live kitchen counter vested in the preparation of the choicest of street foods and also crisp Jalebi, to the extensive variety in Main Course and cheat meal kind of indulgence as far as the Desserts are concerned, this place is for patrons who like being spoiled for choice.

Also, do try their Bunta served in the 'glass bottle with a marble' especially the Lychee variant, and the Kala Khatta mocktail.

As always, a meal here concludes with a handful of सौंफ-मिश्री.