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. :)

Tapas From The Globe At La Roca...

Tapas is a word of Spanish origin signifying appetizers or small plates. Recently, Aerocity in the heart of Delhi has made way for its first World Tapas Bar going by the name of La Roca.

Moreover, I had a chance to visit La Roca, literally 'The Rock' located in WorldMark 1 and I was glad to note that it was a place of substance in the hospitality sector, going by the fact that it relies not only on aesthetics but has the solid backing of an interesting concept to its credit.

The first thing that catches the eye on entering La Roca is the majestic bar Nectar, which is like the centerpiece. In fact, the USP of the place is that they utilize only natural ingredients in preparing their blends, rather there is a lot of experimentation in creating fusion cocktails but absolutely no usage of sweetened syrups.

Also what appealed to me is that despite the seating arrangement being non-intrusive, the stewards are attentive and service is done with a smile.

Coming to the intricately crafted Menu that features Pan-Asian, European, and Modern Indian, even though the focus is on small plates being a Tapas Bar, Mains have also been incorporated effortlessly by Chef Akshay Bhardwaj and Team.

Since the place itself is class-apart, the food being stellar and a cut above the rest should come as a no-brainer.

Meals at La Roca begin with Kimchi Bao as amuse bouche (palate cleanser) and Watermelon Refresher as a welcome drink.

Furthermore, the Salmon Carpaccio as hors d'oeuvre hits the home run, as does its vegetarian counterpart Beetroot Carpaccio with candied walnuts offering that enviable caramelized crunch.

While the Prawn Hargao were bite-sized pockets of perfection, the Lobster and Prawn Gyoza was pleasantly unique in its upside-down plating.

Also, the Tuna Sushi was like a symphony on the palate with distinct flavors making their mark.

Even though I gave the meticulously crafted concoctions from Nectar a miss being a teetotaler, two good options to go along with the appetizers would be Sweet Lime Collins and Mango & Passion Fruit Sour.

There are quite a few stellar options as far as Main Course is concerned namely the Paneer Shashlik in Chappa Bread with greens accompanying the nicely grilled cottage cheese, topped with a cherry tomato, and hummus on the side, Mushroom Risotto that is hands-down one of the finest in Delhi and the Two Dimensional Snapper that has an elaborate aesthetic while retaining authentic flavor.

Also unmissable is the Truffle Mushroom Bao with their soft dough and glistening golden-brown mushrooms and the Roasted Tomato and Mozarrella Spaghetti prepared in arrabbiata sauce.

The showstopping sweet conclusion to the meal has to be the signature Coco & Soil which is like a cocoa Tree of Life spelling out La Roca in edible glitter, Creme Brulee that has the outer caramelization breaking like a shell on the tap of a spoon, and the crunchy Caramel and Popcorn that offers a unique texture and taste on the palate.

All in all, La Roca is a fantastic attempt to bring global flavors on the plate back here in Delhi and I am mighty impressed with my overall experience.