Melange Of Flavors At Station...

Station Bar, formerly The Vault Cafe, is one of the popular lounges in the heart of the city at Connaught Place.

Modeled around the concept of train station lounges from around the world, Station is a spacious, moderately lit place with a swanky bar and variety of seating arrangements emulating the berth system in trains nicely.

As private lounges are a few of the famous stations from the world, and ambient music is played in the backdrop round the clock.

Service is quick, attentive, and done with a smile. Stewards are considerably informed about the dishes on the menu. Coming to the menu at Station Bar, which boasts of a selection of preparations across multiple cuisines - Indian, Oriental, Continental, Italian et al.

The most popular appetizer at Station is the Mini Vada Pao with Harissa Pesto topped with fried green chili and mint dip on the side, presented essentially as a slider while coming a close second is the Mushroom Croquettes that have soft and cheesy button mushrooms served with Garlic Aioli.

Among the Indian starters, a good bet would be Kesar Dahi Ke Kebab or soft, melt-in-mouth hung curd pockets or the Amritsari Machchi Tikka that is smoked off the grill.

The Old School Gyoza is a chicken dumpling basket wherein the gyoza is authentically served with a crisp bottom paired with chili sauce on the side, while the Pesto Cottage Cheese and Burnt Peppers wrap is a bite-sized filler in itself.

On the other hand, Asian Fizz and Berry Blast are good mocktails to sip on while you have your meal at Station.

For Mains, it would be a good idea to take the Italian or Continental route with in-house specialties, Station Super Veggies Pizza prepared on a thin crust base with a mix of veggie toppings, Wild Mushroom Risotto served with a side of burnt garlic bread, or Grilled Cottage Cheese layered with pesto sauce, and served with a portion of grilled veggies and brown rice.

As for the sweet conclusion, some sun-kissed Creme Brulee or eggless Chocolate Brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be just fine.

All in all, Station packs a punch in being a package that scores with patrons owing to its overall vibe. :)

Dining In Style Courtesy Chef Sanjeev Kapoor...

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is the ultimate personality when it comes to a mention of the gastronomic arena. He is the undisputed king. Naturally thus, when it comes to an establishment in the F&B industry that has to cater to patrons for a dine-in experience, SK Restaurants as a brand has to be the ideal choice.

This was the sole motivation behind my decision to visit Sura Vie, Netaji Subhash Place for lunch and I was sure that the name was enough to guarantee a pleasant gastronomic sojourn, and so it was.

Given the fact that I have witnessed Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's gastronomic prowess in action first-hand, I was even more confident.

Located prominently on the first level in the Aggarwal Millenium Tower, Sura Vie is a fine-dining outlet camouflaged as a casual dining one, thanks to its plush interiors, soothing vibe, courteous and attentive service, all coupled with minimal stress to the wallet.

The name of the outlet 'Sura Vie' is itself intriguing as is proclaimed on the first page of the Menu itself, i.e. Sura Vie as a brand, is a complete package, offering the best of both food and beverages.

The restaurant features two private dining spaces - perfect for large groups or intimate gatherings, as the case may be.

A floral beckoning at the entrance itself is pleasantly welcoming.

Backed by the concept of Buffet and Ala Carte, patrons are spoiled for choice, as whichever pattern they may choose boasts of variety.

The 'Make Your Own Salad' concept at the buffet spread is enticing enough too.

There are few trinkets and flora here and there to up the pleasant vibe of the outlet too.

Here's what I would recommend trying when at Sura Vie...

Try Seventh Heaven, Santra Tantra, or Blue Sparkle if you wish to beat the heat on a sweet note.

Or the tried-and-tested Jaljeera if a tanginess in your mocktail of choice beckons.

With Indian Cuisine being Chef Kapoor's specialty, it comes as no surprise that the Murg Yakhni Shorba comes across as a clear winner, complete with a couple of strands of Kesar too, the authentic Kashmiri way.

As for the classic warm broths, Cream of Mushroom and Tomato & Basil soups were also well prepared.

Among Salads, I decided to opt for the simplistic Caesar Salad, complete with crisp lettuce, baby tomatoes, olives, and croutons.

Appetizers were a mix of Indian and Oriental cuisines, with Stir Fried Veggies In Nest being an aesthetic culinary delight complemented with baby corn, mushrooms, broccoli and the likes served in a crispy noodle bowl.

Among the Indian ones, while Chatpati Khatti Meethi Seekh stole the show with its knack of being presented with veggie skewers being encased in an enviable crispy crust, Makai Creamy Kaju Tikki was perfect with its flavor of the unbeatable combination of sweet corn, cream, and cashew nut.

Teen Mirch Ka Paneer Tikka, on the other hand, had a tangy aftertaste in its soft cheese chunks paired with bell peppers served alongside a savory mint dip.

I again decided to venture on the Indian route for the Main Course, as we settled for the in-house specialty Shaam Savera prepared as spinach and cottage cheese savories in a tangy tomato gravy, and signature Lalla Mussa Dal with black and green lentils, paired with a bread basket.

As the absolute conclusion to the meal, we savored Kulfi garnished with nuts and a warm, soft Brownie chunk paired with ice-cream that had a syrup drizzle as a topping.

On the whole, my visit to Sura Vie was a pleasant one, and I would like to revisit the place whenever I am in the vicinity next. 

A Visit To The Luggage Room...

The Luggage Room is one of the fairly new entrants on the F&B scene in the heart of the capital city. 

An offshoot of Sandoz Group, The Luggage Room emulates a lounge perfect for that relaxed weekend meal with friends complemented by ambient music in the backdrop.

I had visited them earlier this month for lunch and the place was easy to spot given its prime location in M Block, Outer Circle right above House of Commons and adjacent to 38 Barracks and The G.T. Road.

The Luggage Room is located on the second floor and can be moderately or dimly lit depending on if your visit coincides with a party being held there. As the name suggests, The Luggage Room features a wall of backpacks and every element in the decor borrows from the concept of a suitcase. Be it the door at the entrance, the menu, the table or even the platter in which the dishes are presented, almost every facet speaks of 'luggage' at The Luggage Room.

Coming to what would be some of the well-made dishes worth a try at The Luggage Room...

Appetizers: 

Mushroom & Cheese Cigar Rolls were crisply served in shot glasses with a sweet chili sauce at the bottom.

Ajwaini Fish Tikka came with an in-house tartar sauce and the fish fillets were soft and flavorful.

Chicken Malai Tikka was creamy and had mint chutney to go along.

Tempura Vegetables were an assortment of veggies served with a somewhat tangy sauce.

Mint Lemon Fish was an Oriental preparation that had the prominent lemon flavor with bell peppers to go along the melt-in-mouth fish chunks.

Fish 'N' Chips is a classic wherein the fish was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Chips here were not the classic French Fries but some unique fried crisps.

Salad: 

Caesar Salad had the leafy counterpart complemented by numerous chicken chunks.

Soups: 

Tuscan Tomato was served with garlic bread on the side and had a cheesy crouton as garnish.

Lemon Coriander was not just a clear soup with lime and greens but also had veggies for a welcome change.

Main Course:

Special Mix Pizza was recommended by the staff and was a cheesy thin crust preparation loaded with assorted veggies.

Kadhai Paneer was a classic that went well with the bread basket and salad.

Desserts:

Chocolate Brownie with Ice-cream is a classic sweet conclusion and the brownie here was exceptionally soft and moist.

On the whole, The Luggage Room deserves a visit if you wish to relish some nice food over light banter and good company complemented by a musical ambiance.